Browse scholarship and fellowship programs from our current partners. You can find a variety of opportunities for those in higher education, ROTC, or the Department of Defense.
For Those in Higher Education

David L. Boren Scholarships

Boren Logo

Boren Scholarships are awarded to U.S. undergraduates for up to one academic year of overseas study of languages and cultures critical to national security. Awardees are outstanding students, as determined through a competitive national merit-based process. Boren Scholars agree to fulfill a one year (minimum) service commitment to the U.S. government. Find out more about Boren Scholarships by visiting www.borenawards.org

 

David L. Boren Fellowships

Boren Fellowships are awarded for up to two years to motivated U.S. graduate students who develop independent projects that combine study of language and culture in areas critical to national security. Awardees demonstrate the highest intellectual and professional capacity, as determined through a competitive national merit-based process. Boren Fellows agree to fulfill a one year (minimum) service commitment to the U.S. government.

Boren Scholarships and Fellowships provide unique funding opportunities for U.S. undergraduate and graduate students. These programs focus on geographic areas, languages, and fields of study that are critical to U.S. national security, and not emphasized in other U.S. study abroad programs. Through this competitive annual national program, successful applicants distinguish themselves as highly motivated in their academic and career goals and in their strong commitment to public service. Award recipients of both programs demonstrate the highest intellectual and professional capacity, as determined through a competitive, national, merit-based process. Since 1994, NSEP has awarded nearly 5,200 Boren Scholarships and Fellowships.

You can also find the Boren Awards on YouTube and on Facebook. For more information about being a Boren awardee, check out the NSEP Student Guidebook. If you are interested in hiring a Boren, read this step-by-step guide. Find out more details about Boren Fellowships on their website.

African Flagship Languages Initiative

The African Flagship Languages Initiative (AFLI) offers Boren Scholars and Fellows the opportunity for intensive language study through domestic and overseas language programs in Akan/Twi, French, Portuguese, Swahili, Wolof, or Zulu. AFLI students participate in a full-time domestic summer program at the University of Florida. For French, Portuguese, or Swahili, AFLI students must participate in fall programs administered by American Councils for International Education. Programs are in Senegal (French), Mozambique (Portuguese), and Tanzania (Swahili). These programs are full-time language and culture programs. For students studying Swahili, there is also the option to participate in an official spring internship, arranged by the AFLI program. For Akan/Twi, Wolof, or Zulu, students must propose an overseas plan beginning no later than early September. Read more about AFLI here.

South Asian Flagship Languages Initiative

The South Asian Flagship Languages Initiative (SAFLI) offers Boren Scholars and Fellows the opportunity for intensive language study of Hindi or Urdu and cultural immersion through domestic and overseas language programs. SAFLI welcomes applicants with no language proficiency in Hindi or Urdu, as well as those who are intermediate or advanced speakers. SAFLI students participate in a full-time domestic summer program at the University of Wisconsin. SAFLI students then participate in a full-time overseas program administered by American Councils for International Education. This takes place at the American Institute of Indian Studies in Jaipur (Hindi) or Urdu (Lucknow). Following the fall semester, students may choose to complete additional language study, coursework, academic internships and/or research in the spring. Read more about SAFLI here.

Indonesian Flagship Language Initiative

The Indonesian Flagship Language Initiative (IFLI) offers Boren Scholarship applicants the opportunity for intensive language study of Indonesian and cultural immersion through domestic and overseas language programs. IFLI welcomes applicants with no language proficiency in Indonesian, as well as those who are intermediate or advanced speakers. IFLI students participate in a full-time domestic summer program at the University of Wisconsin. The program is funded through the Boren Scholarship. IFLI students then participate a full-time overseas program, administered by American Councils for International Education. This takes place at the State University of Malang (UM), Indonesia. Applicants should note that the summer and fall programs are full-time language and culture programs. Applicants are encouraged to request funding to stay in Indonesia after the fall program is complete. During that time, students participate in study abroad programs that they identify on their own and note in the Boren application. These programs must include language study, but may also include additional coursework, academic internships and/or research. Read more about IFLI here.

The Language Flagship

Language Flagship Logo

The Language Flagship is a partnership between the federal government and the higher education community. The goal of Flagship is to build domestic and overseas language programs that produce professionally proficient language speakers. The Flagship program strives to graduate students who will become future contributors to and employees of the Department of Defense and the broader national security community. The Flagship Program focuses on undergraduate students enrolled at domestic universities learning Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Persian, Portuguese and Russian. Upon completion of domestic studies, Flagship students participate in a year-long intensive study program that requires directed language instruction and direct enrollment at an overseas partner institution, and an international internship/work experience. Flagship Programs use guided instruction and meaningful interventions to undergraduate students from a variety of majors with an Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) Level 3 proficiency in one of the six target languages. The Flagship program creates a pool of qualified individuals with a variety of professional skills who are linguistically and culturally competent in a language and area of the world critical to U.S. national security. Read more about the Language Flagship here.

For Those in ROTC

Project Global Officer (Project GO)

Project GO logo

Project GO is a grant program aimed at improving the language skills, regional expertise, and intercultural communication skills of future military officers. Project GO provides institutional grants to 25 U.S. universities, including five of the six Senior Military Colleges. Project GO works in support of Army, Air Force, and Navy/Marine ROTC accession strategies and personnel policies. Project GO facilitates collaborative efforts across universities, and also between universities and ROTC leadership. Grant funding has provided hundreds of domestic and overseas summer scholarships to ROTC students for critical language study. Grant funding also supports university infrastructure in the critical languages. Read more about Project GO here.

For Those in the Department of Defense

Language Training Centers (LTC)

Language Training Center Logo

Language Training Centers are university-based centers to develop expertise in critical languages, cultures, and strategic regions for U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). These centers provide training for DoD total force, and provide new opportunities to meet DoD total force language training needs, enabling the DoD workforce to be better prepared and equipped with the language, cultural and regional expertise necessary for foreign nation cooperation and operations. Given the broad range of DoD mission requirements, training in language(s) as well as the lengths, levels, compositions, and deliveries, the trainings are designed to meet specific DoD need. Read more about LTCs here.