2026 fellowship tuition and financial assistance
What is the CELI Fellowship Tuition for 2026?
CELI’s 2026 Fellowship tuition is in two different tiers based on whether or not your employer is contributing to the tuition. Need-based financial assistance is available for applicants for whom cost would otherwise be a barrier to participation. Candidates should not let the cost of the program prevent them from applying. CELI’s selection decisions are made independently of applicants’ financial need; applicants are evaluated first on qualifications; financial aid is assessed separately, once selections have been made. CELI offers both partial scholarships, as well as 6-month payment plans. We encourage you to discuss with your employer whether or not they can offer financial support to you, and at what level, before filling out the application form.
Financial assistance decisions will be awarded at the same time as acceptances on May 20, 2026.
The full cost of the 2026 Fellowship is $5,900 if an employer is supporting a fellow (Tier 1), or $3,750 if a fellow is paying-out-of-pocket (Tier 2). Applicants in both tiers may be eligible for financial assistance, depending on demonstrated need as collected through the Financial Assistance application. Fellows receiving full or partial employer support will be put into Tier 1 tuition level ($5,900), and fellows receiving no employer support will fall into Tier 2 tuition level ($3,750).
Tier 1: Employer-Supported Tuition
Applicants should check with their employer to determine the level of employer support that is possible. Tuition for full employer-supported applicants is $5,900. If employers are only able to cover partial tuition (e.g., small start-ups, non-profits, government or academic institutions, depending on size), CELI will work with the selected Fellow to award the employer a partial waiver based on organization size and budget, as well as the Fellow’s eligibility for financial aid (as determined through the Financial Assistance application).
Fellows who receive partial employer support will never be expected to owe more than $3,750 out-of-pocket for tuition, even if their employer’s support totals less than $2,150. All levels of tuition commitments (including those receiving financial assistance) may be paid up-front or over a 6-month payment plan.
We encourage you to bring up the cost of the CELI fellowship with your employer early in the process, prior to the notification date of May 20, 2026. Employers frequently cover the cost for the fellowship, especially if they are given a heads-up with enough time to set aside that funding in their professional development budgets.
Please note that applicants are notified of acceptance on May 20, 2026, and a non-refundable deposit of $500 will be required of all applicants to be paid by June 4, 2026 in order to hold one’s spot in the program. Please plan accordingly.
Tier 2: Tuition Without Employer Support
For those whose employers will not be contributing to the cost of tuition, and who plan to pay for the fellowship out-of-pocket, CELI offers a reduced tuition of $3,750. At the point that payment is requested (June), selected applicants who are not able to access any employer support will be asked to provide an email or a letter from a supervisor or other means that confirms lack of employer funds. Full-time students, self-employed applicants, and those outside of the workforce may also qualify for the reduced tuition (in this case, proof of student enrollment or other documents can serve as proof). All tuition may be paid on a 6-month payment plan from July through December, 2026. Applicants who are eligible for this “out-of-pocket” tier who need financial assistance based on income, cost of living, dependents, and special circumstances, should be sure to fill out the Financial Assistance application section when submitting their fellowship application.
Please note that applicants are notified of acceptance on May 20, 2026, and a non-refundable deposit of $500 will be required of all applicants to be paid by June 4, 2026 in order to hold one’s spot in the program. Please plan accordingly.
Does CELI offer Financial Assistance Awards?
CELI is deeply committed to making the Fellowship accessible to a diverse and representative cohort. While we work hard to support as many selected applicants as possible, CELI is a nonprofit organization with finite resources and is not able to provide full tuition awards.
Partial financial awards may be available as determined by income, cost of living, dependents, level of employer support, and special circumstances.
Barring exceptional circumstances, all selected applicants are required to pay $500, due June 4, in-full, as a non-refundable deposit to hold their spot in the fellowship.
Financial Assistance Considerations:
Income-based: Those with income below $80k a year, number of dependents, outside of the workforce, unemployed, students, and those not receiving support from their employer.
Traditionally excluded: People of color (esp. Native, LatinX, Black), members of the LGBTQIA+ community, people with disabilities, first-generation persons, immigrants to the United States, woman-identifying applicants, people from low-income communities, people from communities with histories of environmental injustice, and those who come from other backgrounds traditionally excluded in the clean energy ecosystem.
Additional considerations: Transitional candidates who are making a career switch into clean energy/climate from a different field and people with increased financial burdens, e.g. medical debt, taking care of non-dependent family members (parents, siblings), other reasons.
Financial Assistance Application
Applicants must complete a financial assistance application (included as a separate section of the fellowship application) in order to be eligible for a financial award. Before completing this form, we encourage you to speak with your employer about whether they are able to provide any level of financial support. Employer support—whether partial or full—helps CELI stretch limited scholarship funds and support more Fellows overall. Applications are due by March 18, 2026 at 11:59 PM PT.
Please note that your answers are non-binding, as we understand that you are filling out this form before you have been offered a spot in the program.
We will review financial assistance applications after we have selected the final candidates. The fellowship application is reviewed separately, and not impacted by financial assistance requests. We will notify selected applicants of their financial award determination on Wednesday, May 20, 2026. Upon acceptance to the program, CELI works with each applicant individually to determine the right payment plan and offers a flexible, 6-month payment plan.
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