FAQ

Short answers — always read each program’s official rules before applying.

Eligibility

Do I need to be a CS student?
No for most programs. GSoC and ESoC care about contributions, not your major. Outreachy has its own eligibility rules. Summer of Bitcoin requires university student status.

Do I need to be 18+?
GSoC, Outreachy, and most paid programs: yes. Some high-school hackathons (MLH, Hack Club) allow younger builders — check each event.

Can I apply if I’m not in India / the US / the EU?
GSoC, Outreachy, ESoC, and SoB are global (with exceptions on official sites). OSPP is China-focused. C4GT and FOSSEE are India-focused.

Can I do two programs at once?
Usually no for full-time summer programs (GSoC + Outreachy overlap). Hackathons and 24 Pull Requests can run alongside prep work. Read each contract.

Programs vs hackathons

Is GSSoC or Hacktoberfest enough for GSoC?
They help show activity, but selectors want merged work on the org you apply to. Treat GSSoC/SSoC as ramp-up, not a substitute for target-org PRs.

Are hackathon wins equal to GSoC?
Different signal. Hackathons = prototype + teamwork. GSoC/SoB = sustained commits over months. Do both if you can.

Is Outreachy only for coding?
No — UX, docs, data, community, and other tracks exist.

Money & logistics

Which programs pay the most (typical)?
Outreachy $7,000 (fixed). GSoC/SoB/LFX use location-based tables — often ~$3k–$7k equivalent. C4GT cites ~₹1L per cycle.

Summer of Bitcoin — paid in crypto?
Default is BTC; some regions allow local currency exceptions (official guide).

Are these jobs?
Mentorships are fixed-term stipends, not permanent employment. Igalia Coding Experience and Red Hat internships are closer to jobs.

Applications

When should I start contributing?
3–6 months before applications for GSoC/Outreachy/SoB. See resources/when-to-apply.md.

I was rejected — now what?
Keep contributing to the same org, ask mentors for feedback, reapply next cycle. Many acceptances are second-try.

Where are scams?
See resources/scams-and-fake-internships.md. Fake GSoC portals, paid “guaranteed selection”, Telegram recruiters, and crypto “registration fees” are common. Real programs never charge you to apply.

This repo

Something is wrong or outdated?
Open a PR or issue — link the official announcement. See CONTRIBUTING.md.