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How to apply to Outreachy, Google Summer of Code and LFX Mentorship: who can apply, what they pay, the steps, and when each one opens. From @mayorscript.

The three side by side

You can't do all three. Google Summer of Code alumni can't do Outreachy, Outreachy and LFX are once only, and GSoC is at most twice.

Start now: 6 things to do before the windows open

1. Make a GitHub account and learn the basics: fork, branch, commit, pull request. One weekend is enough.
2. Pick 2 or 3 projects you'd actually use. Browse last year's lists: GSoC 2026 projects and the LFX Mentorship programs. Orgs often come back year after year.
3. Join their community chat (Zulip, Slack, Matrix or the mailing list). Read before you post. Introduce yourself once, briefly.
4. Make one small contribution. Look for issues labelled "good first issue". A docs fix or a small bug counts. Google's own rule of thumb for a beginner is fewer than 10 issues or pull requests across projects.
5. Sign up for the announcements: the Outreachy mailing list, the Google Open Source blog and LFX.
6. Put reminders in your calendar: early January (check LFX listings), late January (Outreachy), mid-February (GSoC organisations announced), early March (GSoC applications).

1. Outreachy

$7,000 USD for a 3-month remote internship. Paid in two parts: $3,000 after your first good mentor feedback, $4,000 at the end. Interns are contractors, so you fill in a tax form (W-8BEN or W-9) to get paid.

Who can apply

• Anyone from any background who faces under-representation, systemic bias or discrimination in the tech industry of their country. Their words: "There is no list of groups that are eligible or ineligible."
• 18 or older, available 30 hours a week, and no full-time job during the internship.
• Not a past Google Summer of Code contributor, and never an Outreachy intern before.
• Students need 42 days in a row free of school and exams. Students in the Northern Hemisphere (including India) can only do the May to August round.
• You don't need to be a programmer.

The steps

1. Initial application. Eligibility questions and short essays about your own experience with under-representation, bias or discrimination. You can't save it halfway, so write your answers somewhere else first. Keep each essay to about 500 to 900 characters. Don't use AI to write or edit the essays; Outreachy asks you not to.
2. Contribution period (only if your initial application is approved). Now you can see the full project details. Pick a project, and contact the mentor yourself, because mentors aren't assigned to you.
3. Make at least one contribution and record it on the Outreachy site. It doesn't have to be merged. Most people take 5 to 10 days for their first one, and the strongest applicants make several.
4. Final application for each project you apply to.

When

The May round's initial applications usually open in early February. In 2026 the window ran from 6 to 13 February. That's one week, and applications are reviewed first come, first served, so be ready on day one.

Heads up: Outreachy has been getting smaller. The May 2026 round took 13 interns and this round lists 16 projects. It's still worth applying; just apply to the others too.

Eligibility rules · Applicant guide

2. Google Summer of Code

You work on an open source project with a mentor organisation, and Google pays a stipend: 45% after the midterm evaluation and 55% at the end. You're paid for passing the evaluations, even if your code isn't used in the end. You're not a Google employee or intern.

Who can apply

• 18 or older, and a student or a beginner to open source. Regular open source contributors don't count as beginners.
• Accepted at most once before. Not living in a US-embargoed country (people in Russia, Belarus and the DNR/LNR regions can't take part right now).

What it pays (2026 table)

Google adjusts the amount for your country. It depends on where you live during the coding period.

Full table: GSoC contributor stipends. If your country isn't on it, GSoC can't pay you.

The steps

1. When the organisations are announced (around mid-February), read each one's ideas list and its guidance for applicants. Do this before you open any pull request.
2. Talk to the organisation early. Google says talking to your mentor beforehand is the most important factor.
3. Write a proposal with clear goals, how you'll do it, and a week-by-week timeline. Follow the organisation's template exactly. Some organisations reject AI-written proposals automatically.
4. Submit up to 3 proposals in the application window (about two weeks in March). Only one can be accepted. There are no deadline extensions, ever.

When

For 2026: program announced 3 December 2025, organisations listed 19 February, applications 16 to 31 March, coding from 25 May. 2027 dates aren't out yet, and the timeline shifts a little each year. In 2026, 15,245 people applied and 1,141 were accepted.

GSoC FAQ · Writing a proposal · Timeline

3. LFX Mentorship (Linux Foundation)

Mentorships on Linux Foundation projects (Kubernetes and other CNCF projects, and more). Paid in two parts: half at the midterm, half at the end. Some programs say "unpaid" in their description, so check before you apply.

Who can apply

• 18 or older when the program starts, and eligible to work where you live.
• Only once: you can't have done another Linux Foundation mentorship before.
• Open to students and experienced programmers. Not open to people in Russia, Belarus, Donetsk or Luhansk.

What it pays (examples from the current table)

Full list by country: LFX stipend amounts (applies to programs starting on or after 1 July 2026).

The steps

1. Make your mentee profile on LFX Mentorship. Have your GitHub link, LinkedIn link and CV ready.
2. Apply to up to 3 programs per term.
3. Do the prerequisite tasks. Applications without them aren't accepted.
4. Write the cover letter (statement of purpose). Say why this project, what you've already tried, and what you want to learn.
5. Expect at least two weeks of review, sometimes an interview. Then a contract and HR steps if you're picked.

When

The spring term runs March to May, and its mentorships usually appear on LFX from mid-January, with applications open for about 4 weeks. In 2026 they went up on 22 to 28 January. There are also summer and fall terms. About 2,100 of 20,000 applications have been accepted so far.

Mistakes that get people rejected

• Waiting for the window to open before you start. By then, other applicants have been talking to mentors for weeks.
• Spamming lots of tiny or AI-generated pull requests to look busy. LFX calls this out as unacceptable, and mentors notice.
• Using AI to write your essays or proposal. Outreachy asks you not to, and some GSoC organisations reject it automatically.
• Ignoring the organisation's own instructions. Google's guide says that's the fastest way to the bottom of the pile.

Checked on each program's own pages on 16 October 2026. Dates and amounts change every year, so check the official pages before you apply.