The Forge is a four-year, after-school program where ambitious teens build real ventures inside The Link — Nocatee's innovation center. Real founders, real projects, real momentum. A few hours a week.
Two degrees and ten years later, the conventional route can leave a bright kid half a million dollars behind — before they've earned a dollar. Start building now and the same decade flips the other way.
| State school UF/FSU |
Private BA+grad |
You, building | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's — 4 yrs | ~$84K | $240K | $0 |
| Master's — 2 yrs | ~$50K | $160K | $0 |
| Interest by graduation | ~$30K | ~$98K | — |
| Earned instead (14→24) | — | — | +$500K |
| Net at ~24 | –$165K | –$500K | +$500K |
| How far behind | $665,000 | $1,000,000 | — |
Forward-looking estimate for a student enrolling 4+ years out. Private = private bachelor's (~$60K/yr) + grad school (~$80K/yr), financed, interest accrued to graduation. State = UF/FSU cost of attendance; Bright Futures can lower it. "You, building" earnings assume real ventures, internships, and paid project work. Real outcomes depend on the student.
AI fluency, entrepreneurship & professional skills — the foundation today's careers are actually built on.
Real projects with real founders — plus internship opportunities with companies inside The Link. Experience, not theory.
Earning opportunities through student ventures, project bounties & demo-day prizes — real stakes, real momentum.
inside The Link — Nocatee's innovation center, home to 100+ founders, startups, and investors. Your teen learns in the room where it actually happens.
★ Founding pricing locked for life · 50 spots. The Accelerator can pay for itself through real earning — ask about Step Up for Students eligibility.