Money to support your personal making
MIT has over 40 design/build/project spaces that add up to over 130,000 ft2, about 2 ½ football fields! These spaces exists because (i) making is fun and (ii) a balance of “thinking” + “making” yields the best learning. That is why MIT’s moto is “Mens et Manus,” Latin for “Mind and Hand”.
Each first-year student that passes the MakerLodge tier 1 training receives $50 in MakerBucks to support their personal/for fun making. First-year students may also apply for MakerGrants if they have cool ideas that cost more. Individuals may apply for up to $500 and teams may apply for up to $2,000.
MakerBucks may be used to purchase materials, components, and to pay for machine time. MakerBucks may only be spent within MIT makerspaces via the Mobius app. There is a ‘pay’ button at the upper right of each makerspaces’ main Mobius page (see image to right). More info on the payment process is available in the Mobius video tour.
Where students can spent their MakerBucks:
- Stock materials such as aluminum and acrylic in MakerWorkshop
- Machine time such as the abrasive waterjet in the Hobby Shop and MakerWorkshop
- 3D printing at the Hobby Shop, MakerWorkshop and the 3D Printing Service in CopyTech
How MakerBucks work
MakerBucks are a special pool of TechCash in your account. If you are paying from the Mobius app, your MakerBucks balance will be added to your TechCash balance, and payments will be taken out of your MakerBucks balance before they are taken from your regular TechCash balance.