The Texas Scholars Program (formerly the Richardson Youth Liberty Fellowship) is an initiative of the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF), a public policy think tank driving conservative policy solutions in Texas and the nation as a whole. The Foundation does this by providing academically sound research and creative policy solutions for our state and nation’s biggest challenges.
With the future in mind, the Texas Scholars Program seeks to bring the immense knowledge and resources of TPPF to the next generation of the conservative movement.
The Texas Scholars Program is a semester-long program designed for students entering their high school junior or senior year.
Accepted Fellows will be placed on teams and given specific roles and responsibilities with the ultimate goal of simulating a public policy think tank environment. Throughout the semester, Fellows will engage in policy seminars and professional development taught by some of the most highly regarded industry experts in Texas.
Each week, the Fellows will have the chance for the direct application of those lessons as they work towards the final capstone project alongside their teammates.
All students will be expected to attend two full-day, in-person events in Austin on the Saturday at the beginning and the Saturday at end of the program, as well as ten virtual weekly meetings that will take place on Wednesday evenings.
Students who expect to miss either Saturday or more than two Wednesday meetings should not consider applying.
At the close of the program, there will be an awards reception at which certificates will be presented to Fellows along with awards for outstanding work done during the program. Parents and relatives are invited and encouraged to attend this event.
Thanks to the generous donations of those invested in our future leaders, the Fellowship is available FREE OF CHARGE to accepted Fellows. (Fellows will need to arrange their own travel to attend the opening and closing summit at the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s office in downtown Austin. Need-based travel scholarships available.)
As a part of the application, we ask students to complete five short-answer essay questions (150 words each) and one long essay (no more than 500 words). The prompts can be found here. We recommend applicants write their responses BEFORE filling out the application.
Additionally, students will need two recommendation letters from a mentor or authority figure other than a family member. The recommender (NOT THE STUDENT) must fill out the form. Please do not submit a formal letter. Recommendations will only be accepted through the recommendation form sent upon your application's receipt.
Saturday, August 29, 2026 – Full-Day, first meeting, in-person at 901 Congress in Austin, TX
Wednesday, September 2, 2026 – 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM CST, second meeting, virtual-online
Wednesday, September 9, 2026 – 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM CST, third meeting, virtual-online
Wednesday, September 16, 2026 – 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM CST, fourth meeting, virtual-online
Wednesday, September 23, 2026 – 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM CST, fifth meeting, virtual-online
Wednesday, September 30, 2026 – 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM CST, sixth meeting, virtual-online
Wednesday, October 7, 2026 – 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM CST, seventh meeting, virtual-online
Wednesday, October 14, 2026 – 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM CST, eighth meeting, virtual-online
Wednesday, October 21, 2026 – 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM CST, ninth meeting, virtual-online
Wednesday, October 28, 2026 – 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM CST, tenth meeting, virtual-online
Wednesday, November 4, 2026 – 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM CST online, eleventh meeting, virtual-online
Wednesday, November 11, 2026 – 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM CST online, twelfth meeting, virtual-online
Saturday, November 14, 2026 – Full-Day, thirteenth (capstone) meeting, in-person at 901 Congress in Austin, TX