Silicon Valley backs tuition-free AI talent academy as college alternative

A16z-backed Horowitz Andreessen Academy launches a San Francisco–based college alternative to train the next generation of AI builders. It starts with a one-year Founding Class Fellowship for about 50 students in fall 2027 (tuition-free) and aims for a two-year program in fall 2028 pending regulatory approvals. Enrollees receive over $50,000 in AI computing power, a $5,000 travel budget, access to investor networks, guest lectures (including OpenAI’s Sam Altman), and internship/hiring opportunities with more than 40 partner companies; tuition is expected to align with elite universities.