Fellowships & Grants

Critical Language Scholarships for Intensive Summer Institutes

The United States Department of State and the Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC) sponsor scholarships for intensive overseas study in the critical need foreign languages of Arabic, Bangla/Bengali, Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Persian, Punjabi, Russian, Turkish, and Urdu for summer study.

As part of the National Security Language Initiative (NSLI), a U.S. government interagency effort to expand dramatically the number of Americans studying and mastering critical need foreign languages, the Department of State Critical Language Scholarships will provide funding for U.S. citizen undergraduate, Master's and Ph.D. students to participate in beginning, intermediate and/or advanced level summer language programs at American Overseas Research Centers and affiliated partners. Recipients of these scholarships will be expected to continue their language study beyond the scholarship period and later apply their critical language skills in their professional careers.

2015 CLS Program Eligibility Requirements:

  • All applicants must be U.S. citizens.*
  • Applicants must be currently enrolled in a U.S. degree-granting program at the undergraduate or graduate level.
  • Current undergraduate students must have completed at least one year of general college course-work by program start date (one year is defined as two semesters or three quarters).
  • Applicants must be in acceptable mental and physical health. Grantees will be required to submit a satisfactory Medical Information Form and Physician’s Statement.
  • Applicants must be 18 years old by the beginning of the 2012 CLS Program.
  • Please see 2012 CLS Institute Language Levels for more information on language prerequisites for individual institutes.

DURATION
Programs range from 7 weeks to 11 weeks, beginning in early to mid-June with a pre-departure orientation in the U.S. Students must attend the full program and participate in all program activities.

AWARD
All program costs are covered for participants. This includes travel between the student's home city and program location, pre-departure orientation costs, applicable visa fees, room, board, travel within country and all entrance fees for program activities. University level credit may be available. Note: U.S. passport fees will not be paid by the scholarship.

Visit the Critical Language Scholarships website for Program Details and the online application.

Sponsored by the United States Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Administered by the Council of American Overseas Research Centers.

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