I’ve spent countless hours finding pitch competitions that are actually open to student founders. I’ve personally participated in 18 competitions, won money at 10, and taken first place at 6. This list brings that research together in one place, including the opportunities worth knowing about, key eligibility requirements, prize amounts, and confirmed or expected deadlines

Non-Dilutive Funding for Students Actually Worth Your Time

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Funding & Pitch Competition Database

47 opportunities tracked. Expected dates are projections based on the latest published cycle — always re-check the official page before applying.

Showing 13 of 13 in Open Now

America’s Startup

America250

Open
Deadline
2026-10-08 00:00:00 (TBD)
Funding / Prize
$25K for each finalist; up to $50K for grand-prize winners
Type
National Undergraduate Startup Competition
Non-dilutiveUndergraduate StudentsNational (US)All Industries

Key eligibility

  • Open to current undergraduate or equivalent students enrolled at accredited U.S. colleges, universities, or trade schools.
  • Applicants must be legal residents of the United States or U.S. territories and at least 13 years old.
View Opportunity →

iLaunch Competition

Texas Tech Innovation Hub at Research Park

Open
Deadline
2026-10-15 00:00:00 (TBD)
Funding / Prize
$17.5K total ($10K 1st, $5K 2nd, $2.5K 3rd)
Type
Startup Pitch Competition
Non-dilutiveNo Student RequirementRegionalAll Industries

Key eligibility

  • Open to anyone age 18 or older; Texas Tech affiliation is not required.
  • Open beyond a single university and across startup categories.
View Opportunity →

CEO Global Pitch Competition

Collegiate Entrepreneurs' Organization

Open
Deadline
2026-10-18 00:00:00 (TBD)
Funding / Prize
$20K total ($8K 1st, $6K 2nd, $4K 3rd, $2K 4th)
Type
Student Pitch Competition
Non-dilutiveAny StudentNational / U.S.All Industries

Key eligibility

  • Must be a currently enrolled undergraduate or graduate student.
  • Must be an active CEO member.
View Opportunity →

Xcelerate Startup Competition

World Health Expo Tech (WHX Tech)

Open
Deadline
2026-11-04 00:00:00 (TBD)
Funding / Prize
$30K total equity-free cash prizes ($15K / $10K / $5K)
Type
Healthcare / Healthtech Startup Pitch Competition
Non-dilutiveAny StudentNational / U.S.Healthcare / Life Sciences

Key eligibility

  • Must be a healthcare or health-adjacent startup with a working product, solution, or technology.
  • Eligible stages: Early Stage (pre-seed, seed, pre-Series A) or Scale-Up (Series A+).
View Opportunity →

TigerLaunch

Princeton Entrepreneurship Club

Open
Deadline
2026-10-25 00:00:00 (TBD)
Funding / Prize
$60K equity-free prize pool ($30K / $20K / $10K)
Type
Student Pitch Competition
Non-dilutiveAny StudentInternational / GlobalAll Industries

Key eligibility

  • Current undergraduate or graduate student founder.
  • Open to students at any college or university in any country.
View Opportunity →

Duquesne New Venture Challenge (DNVC)

Duquesne University, Palumbo-Donahue School of Business

Open
Deadline
2026-11-15 00:00:00 (TBD)
Funding / Prize
$125,000+ total cash and prizes; Stage III awards include $30K 1st, $15K 2nd, $10K 3rd, $5K 4th, $5K 5th; semifinalists can receive $1K grants
Type
Startup / Business Plan Competition
Non-dilutiveNo Student RequirementRegionalAll Industries

Key eligibility

  • Open to applicants across the continental U.S.; travel costs are not covered.
  • No Duquesne affiliation is required for Stages I or II.
View Opportunity →

Y Combinator — Winter 2027

Y Combinator

Open
Deadline
2026-11-02 00:00:00 (TBD)
Funding / Prize
$500K standard YC investment
Type
Accelerator / Investment
Dilutive / EquityInternational / GlobalAll Industries

Key eligibility

  • Open globally to startups in essentially any industry.
  • Very early-stage, idea-stage, and pre-revenue companies can apply.
View Opportunity →

Tulane Business Model Competition

Tulane University

Open
Deadline
2027-01-11 00:00:00 (TBD)
Funding / Prize
$125K total cash prize in the latest published competition
Type
Student Business Model Competition
Non-dilutiveAny StudentNational / U.S.Engineering / Technology

Key eligibility

  • Team must be led by at least 2 and no more than 5 students enrolled at a college or university.
  • Designed for early-stage, student-led ventures.
View Opportunity →

Hult Prize

Hult Prize Foundation

Open
Deadline
2027-02-18 00:00:00 (TBD)
Funding / Prize
Up to $1M in seed funding
Type
Student Pitch Competition + Accelerator
Non-dilutiveAny StudentNational / U.S.All Industries

Key eligibility

  • Teams must have 2–4 university students.
  • All team members must be at least 18 and enrolled in a degree-seeking program at registration.
View Opportunity →

Entrepreneurship World Cup

Global Entrepreneurship Network

Open
Deadline
2027-05-31 00:00:00 (TBD)
Funding / Prize
$1M total equity-free cash prizes
Type
Global Startup Competition
Non-dilutiveInternational / GlobalAll Industries

Key eligibility

  • Open globally to founders age 18+ and eligible legal entities.
  • Idea Track: validated concept/user feedback; no revenue required.
View Opportunity →

Dorm Room Fund — Apply for Funding

Dorm Room Fund

Open
Deadline
Rolling (TBD)
Funding / Prize
$90K–$250K investment
Type
Student-Focused Venture Investment
Dilutive / EquityAny StudentInternational / GlobalEngineering / Technology

Key eligibility

  • At least 1 founding team member should be currently enrolled or have graduated within the last year.
  • Startup must be incorporated in the U.S. (it may operate/build internationally).
View Opportunity →

GSEA — Global Student Entrepreneur Awards

Entrepreneurs' Organization

Open
Deadline
Varies (TBD)
Funding / Prize
$100K global cash prize pool; $50K / $25K / $15K top 3
Type
Student Entrepreneurship Competition
Non-dilutiveAny StudentNational / U.S.All Industries

Key eligibility

  • Must be an undergraduate or graduate student enrolled at the time of application; part-time enrollment is allowed.
  • Must be the owner, founder, or controlling shareholder and principal operator of the business.
View Opportunity →

Startup Runway

Startup Runway

Open
Deadline
Rolling (TBD)
Funding / Prize
Prize amount varies by showcase; recent programs have offered $10K non-dilutive grants
Type
Pitch Competition
Non-dilutiveNational / U.S.All Industries

Key eligibility

  • Early-stage startup with a scalable business model.
  • Program has historically focused on increasing investor access for founders underrepresented in traditional venture networks.
View Opportunity →

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