School teaches you to answer questions. We hand you the real ones — plus the room, the mentors, and the money to go solve them. You build a real thing, with real people, that earns real income. A few hours a week.
Here's the part nobody puts in the brochure. The standard plan can leave the people next to you half a million dollars in debt before they earn a dollar. Spend that same decade building, and the math flips hard in your favor.
| 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.
Not a class. Not a club. The Forge is a four-year program for ambitious 14–18 year-olds — you build real ventures a few hours a week, after school, inside The Link. Learn by doing, mentored by founders who've actually done it.
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.