Active-Mind Scholarships

Students and young adults aged 18–29 are eligible to apply for a scholarship to attend LevelUp 2026.

Scholarships cover:

  • Travel expense reimbursement (up to $600 in the U.S., $800 outside the U.S.)
  • Hotel accommodations July 8-11 (checkout July 12; $478 value)
  • Opening and closing banquets & dance ($345 value)

What Past Scholarship Winners Say

“This conference changed how I think about the world. It will go down as one of my life-changing experiences.” —Lauren
“Every talk was intellectually exhilarating. I met amazing people, made great memories, and am leaving inspired and energized.” —Julian
“Ten minutes into the first talk, I knew I was in for something amazing. All the speakers spoke at a level that was challenging yet approachable and understandable. It was delightful!” —Leisa
“The integration of the presentations was fantastic! They all had a common thread. The very actionable lectures on taking ownership of your career and finances were extremely valuable to me.” —Celeste
“I loved seeing speakers walking around. It’s like brushing shoulders with your heroes.” —Dominick
“Last year’s event was one of the best experiences of my life. This year was even better.” —Everaldo
“I have no words to describe how amazing the conference was! I’ve returned to Brazil bright-eyed to live the best life I can.” —Julia
“I just lived one of the best days of my life.” —Matheus
“Before this conference, I was depressed and lost. Now, I’m motivated to change my life.” —Olivia
“I’ve made friends that will last a lifetime.” —Thomas
“That was the most badass conference of the year.” —Sebastian
“It was worthwhile three times over.” —Seamus

Applying is Quick and Easy

 

Simply answer these questions in English—either in writing or in a video*

    1. How did you hear about LevelUp?
    2. Why are you interested in attending LevelUp?
    3. What is the role of philosophy in your life?
    4. Who is one of your heroes (real-life or fictional), and why?
    5. If you’ve attended LevelUp in the past, how have you applied ideas you learned at the conference? (If you’ve never attended LevelUp, please skip this question.)

Written submissions should be no longer than 800 words; video submissions no longer than four minutes.

To submit your application, please fill out the form below. For a written application, write it as a Google document, and paste its link with the settings set to viewable by all with a link. For a video application, upload your video to Google Drive or YouTube (it can be unlisted) and paste its link.

If your application is selected, then you’ll receive an email about winning a scholarship. If we’re unsure about your application, we’ll reach out to you and set up a video interview.

All scholarship recipients are required to complete an exit interview at the end of the conference and fill out the end-of-conference survey.

If you have questions, email them to [email protected].

*Any applications submitted with the use of ChatGPT or any other form of artificial intelligence or machine learning will be disqualified, and the applicant will be banned from attending LevelUp 2026 and all future OSI conferences.

 

Apply for an Active-Mind Scholarship

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Scholarship FAQ

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Can I register as a student?

If you’re in any kind of formal education program (including Discover Praxis, post-graduate programs, or hands-on training programs), then yes.

Will you be meeting us at the airport or providing airport transfers?

No. Each individual is responsible for getting him- or herself from the airport to the hotel. However, we will send out an email shortly before the conference with information about the public transportation in the area. Further, if you wish to share an Uber/Lyft with another attendee, you can use the Facebook group or WhatsApp to see who will be arriving around the same time.

When should I arrive?

You should arrive at the hotel between 2–6 pm on July 8 to get checked in with us and settled into your hotel room before the opening banquet (which is at 6:30 pm and is included for scholarship recipients). Hotel check-in begins at 4 pm, but they may have rooms available earlier. They also have luggage storage if you arrive earlier and want to explore the area. If it is absolutely impossible to arrive before 6 pm, or if you were scheduled to but there is a delay, don’t worry; simply drop by our check-in desk the next morning before talks begin to check in and pick up your name tag and swag.

Which airport should I fly to?

Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) is by far the closest.

Where will I be staying?

The conference will take place at the Westin Chicago River North (320 N Dearborn St, Chicago, IL 60654); scholarship recipients will have rooms booked there.

Are meals included?

Only the two banquet dinners are included in the scholarship.

What should I wear/pack?

Regarding attire, business casual is ideal for the talks, but cocktail attire is recommended for the banquets.

I need a visa to enter the US. Can you help me acquire one?

Scholarship recipients are responsible for getting their visas and paying their visa fees. However, we can provide a letter you can submit to the embassy/consulate in your country explaining the purpose of the conference and the terms of your scholarship.

How does the reimbursement process work?

Before or shortly after the conference, you will be asked to submit your travel receipts and reimbursement details. We can reimburse via ACH transfer (for US bank accounts, Nomad accounts, and Revolut USD accounts), PayPal, paper check (US only), Western Union cash pickup, or international wire. Please note we cannot reimburse in cash or Bitcoin. After the conference, if you have met the requirements (attending 13 of the 15 lectures, completing an exit interview or survey, submitting the required documentation, and, for previous attendees, producing something about your experience), we will process the reimbursement within 20 business days after the end of the conference.

My friend/romantic partner is going to the conference too. Can we room together?

Absolutely! If your friend or partner is also a scholarship recipient, please let us know before June 10, and we will arrange for you two to share a room. If he or she is not, then you two will need to book your room separately and submit a receipt, and we will reimburse you for your half of the room with your travel expenses.

I’m flying from abroad and want to visit other cities before/after I come to the conference. Can my flights still be reimbursed?

Your flights to and from the US can be reimbursed, but not your flight between the additional location and the conference. For example, if you decide to visit New York City before the conference, we could reimburse you for the flight from your home country to New York City and the flight from Chicago back to your home city (up to $800), but not the flight between New York City and Chicago.

I’ll be arriving before July 8 or staying after July 11. Can you help with hotel rooms?

We can only cover your hotel room for the nights of July 8–11. If you wish to stay extra nights at the Westin, we recommend calling them at +1 (312) 744-1900 so they can book you into the same room you’ll be in for the conference.