We call FIRST Robotics Competition the ultimate Sport for the Mind. High-school student participants call it “the hardest fun you’ll ever have.”
Under strict rules, limited time and resources, teams of students are challenged to raise funds, design a team “brand,” hone teamwork skills, and build and program industrial-size robots to play a difficult field game against like-minded competitors. It’s as close to real-world engineering as a student can get. Volunteer professional mentors lend their time and talents to guide each team. Each season ends with an exciting FIRST Championship.
| Item | Cost | Annual or One Time | Toyota or School |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rookie Registration | $6,000 | One Time (you are only a rookie once!)** | Toyota** |
| Veteran Registration | $5,000 | Annual | Toyota** |
| Rookie Quick Build | $2,500 | One Time | Toyota |
| State Championship Registration | $4,000 | Annual (if team qualifies) | Toyota/School (partial support)*** |
| World Championship Registration | $5,000 | Annual (if team qualifies) | School |
| Parts/Tools | $500 | One Time | Toyota |
**Rookie teams apply for the NASA and FRC Rookie Grants. If a team receives the NASA grant, then the $6,000 registration fee is covered by NASA and the team gets $6,000 in unrestricted support from Toyota. If the team receives the FRC rookie grant (2 year grant – $4,000 in year one and $2,000 in year two), then Toyota picks up the additional $2,000 in year one and $4,000 in year two.
***The State Championship advancement support from Toyota is a pool of money to be split by all Toyota teams that qualify for the state championship.
