Summary
- Anthropic opened applications for the 2026–2027 academic year of its Claude Campus Ambassadors program on September 1, expanding what was previously an undergraduate-only track into three tracks that now include graduate students and PhD/postdoc researchers.
- Selected students receive a $3,600 cash grant regardless of track, and applications close at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time on September 12.
- The graduate and PhD tracks are in an initial pilot phase and will only select from a limited pool of designated schools, while the undergraduate track remains open to applicants worldwide.
Anthropic began accepting applications for the 2026–2027 academic year of its Claude Campus Ambassadors program on September 1. The program, which previously accepted only undergraduates, now adds new tracks for graduate students and PhD/postdoc researchers, bringing the total to three tracks. Students selected for any track receive a $3,600 cash grant.
Claude Campus Ambassadors is a program through which Anthropic supports students in expanding AI adoption on their own campuses, and it reopens each academic year. This year's announcement notes that students who served as ambassadors last year are welcome to reapply. The program is run directly by Anthropic, with an outside agency handling day-to-day operations.
Undergraduate, graduate, and PhD tracks each carry different responsibilities
The three tracks target different groups of students and involve different roles on campus. The undergraduate track is hands-on: ambassadors build AI builder clubs on their campuses and run hackathons and demo nights. The graduate track centers on organizing discussion groups about AI's impact on education and society. The PhD/postdoc track focuses on gathering scientists who use AI in their research to organize Claude science workshops.
| Track | Audience | Core activities | Grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Builder Club | Undergraduates | Run campus AI builder clubs, host hackathons and demo nights | $3,600 |
| Claude Campus Conversations | Graduate students (STEM and humanities) | Host discussions on AI and society, showcase student projects | $3,600 |
| Claude Science Workshop | PhD/postdoc researchers | Run workshops on using Claude for research, host speaker sessions with Anthropic's science team | $3,600 |
Eligibility and timing differ by track
Students at any school worldwide can apply. However, since the graduate and PhD tracks are running as pilots for the first time, Anthropic says selections will initially be limited to a set pool of schools — a narrower scope than the undergraduate track. Common requirements across all tracks include being at least 18 years old and holding work authorization in the country where the applicant is enrolled; there is no cost to apply or participate. The program runs for the full academic year, from September 2026 through June 2027.
Applications opened September 1 and close at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time on September 12. Anthropic says it will review submissions on a rolling basis in the order they're received.
How to apply, from form to selection
The application process runs through a single form. Applicants go to the Claude Campus application page, select their desired track (undergraduate, graduate, or PhD), and submit information about their school, field of study, and experience with AI and Claude. Students who served as ambassadors last year can indicate that on the form. Applications are reviewed in the order received, and applicants are notified of results afterward. For PhD track applicants, Anthropic says the key evaluation criterion is whether the candidate is actively using Claude in their research.
Why Anthropic is investing in campuses
The expansion comes amid a string of student- and researcher-focused programs Anthropic has rolled out in recent weeks. On August 20, the company launched Claude Academy, a free learning site teaching Claude's products and foundational AI concepts. On August 27, it launched a team plan offering 10,000 scientists across fields like math, chemistry, and physics free standard seats and premium seats at $15 a month — an 80% discount. The Campus Ambassadors expansion looks like the next step in that push: using student communities to drive AI adoption deeper into campus life.
Editor's take
Adding graduate and PhD tracks isn't just a simple expansion of an event. Over the past month, Anthropic has rolled out free Academy courses and a team plan for 10,000 scientists, and the Campus Ambassadors expansion looks like the bridge connecting the two. If Academy is the entry point for learning and the scientist plan is the entry point for using Claude, then ambassadors are the people planted on campus to funnel students and researchers toward both. Compared with last year, when only the undergraduate track existed, the intent to organize the researcher tier as well is now unmistakable.
Having watched campus programs of this scale play out in practice, cash-incentivized student ambassador programs tend to draw high application volumes with sharp variance between schools. That's likely part of why the graduate and PhD tracks are starting with a restricted school pool — opening it to the whole world from day one would make the review process unmanageable.
There are two things worth watching for universities and research labs in Korea. First, the undergraduate track has no school restrictions, so Korean students can apply right now. Second, if a lab or university doesn't make it into the PhD/postdoc pilot pool, opportunities on that track could be limited for this academic year.
In the coming weeks, we'll likely see the list of pilot schools or per-campus selection results made public, and how closely this program actually ties into Academy and the scientist plan should become clearer once next semester's activity reports come out.
Comments