Modeling the Future Challenge
Offered by The Actuarial Foundation
About This Scholarship
The Modeling the Future Challenge, run by The Actuarial Foundation, is a math modeling competition that puts high school juniors and seniors in the shoes of working actuaries. Teams of one to five students, supported by an adult coach, analyze real data, quantify risk, and write a project report recommending how a company, industry, or community should manage that risk — the same workflow used in one of the best-paid careers in mathematics.
The prize structure is pure scholarship money: $25,000 for first place, $15,000 for second, $10,000 for third, and $5,000 for fourth, from a roughly $60,000 pool. Awards are paid directly to U.S. colleges and universities as tuition scholarships, and finalists also gain mentorship from practicing actuaries and present at a national symposium.
Registration for the 2026-2027 season opens August 24, 2026 and closes November 8, 2026, with a scenario qualifying phase in December, project reports due March 1, 2027, and the symposium in late April.
Eligibility
- High school juniors and seniors in the U.S. or its territories (advanced sophomores may petition)
- Ages 13-19; must have taken or be taking junior/senior-level math such as pre-calculus, calculus, or statistics
- Teams of 1-5 students with one adult coach
- Free to enter
How To Apply
- Register your team and coach at mtfchallenge.org between August 24 and November 8, 2026
- Complete the scenario qualifying phase (due early December 2026) to advance to the project phase
- Submit your full project report by March 1, 2027; finalists present at the national symposium in April
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I compete without a team?
Yes — the challenge allows individual entries as well as teams of up to five students, though every entry needs an adult coach.
How are scholarships paid?
Winnings are tuition scholarships paid directly to the U.S. college or university the student attends, not cash to the student.