FLAS Fellowships for Summer Intensive Language Study

Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) fellowships, authorized under Title VI of the Higher Education Act and administered by the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), provide Stanford undergraduate and graduate students with funding to undertake intensive study of Russian, East European or Central Asian languages in a full-time, pre-approved, accredited language study program during the summer, either domestically or abroad.  Summer FLAS Fellowships provide a $3,500 stipend and up to $5,000 in tuition. Students may also be eligible for travel grants for overseas programs.

To be eligible to receive a FLAS fellowship, students must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents and have been admitted to a language program that provides a minimum of 140 contact hours of instruction at the intermediate level or 120 contact hours at the advanced level. Generally, FLAS fellowships are not available for first-year language study.  Exceptions may be made for students who already have advanced-level proficiency in another area language.  FLAS Fellowship recipients have pre- and post-award testing and reporting requirements.

Award Amount

The Summer FLAS Fellowship provides a $3,500 stipend and up to $5,000 tuition for a FLAS-approved intensive language course taken in the U.S. or abroad.

Travel Awards
Students who are selected to receive the FLAS fellowship for an overseas program may be eligible to receive a travel award.  Please note that all travel must be pre-approved by the Department of Education and must adhere to the “Fly America Act” and travel on a U.S. air carrier.

Eligibility & Requirements

  • Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents
  • Applicants must be Stanford undergraduate or graduate students
  • Applicants must have completed at least the first-year sequence in the target language before the fellowship commences.  In some cases, fellowships may be awarded for first-year language courses for students who already have attained advanced-level proficiency in another area language
  • Students in all academic disciplines are eligible to apply. Preference will be given to students whose studies focus in some way on Russia, East Europe or Eurasia.
  • Students planning a career in U.S. government service are highly encouraged to apply.

 

Program Requirements

FLAS Fellowships provide funding to attend a program; students must apply to and be accepted by the program separately. The program must meet the following criteria:

  • A summer fellowship may be used at a domestic or overseas program, or both.
  • A summer session qualifies as an intensive language program if:
    • it is at least six weeks in duration and offers at least 120 contact hours of instruction for students at the advanced level.
    • it is at least six weeks in duration and offers at least 140 contact hours for students at the beginning or intermediate level of the language. (Undergraduate students must study at least at the intermediate level.)
    • Note: Field trips and excursions cannot be used to fulfill contact hour requirements.
  • A student may meet the required number of weeks and contact hours by attending one program, attending more than one program, or supplementing hours with private tutoring, as long as the required total number of weeks and contact hours is obtained. If a student’s plan of study includes private tutoring, the FLAS coordinator must submit a syllabus for the tutoring and the instructor’s CV.
  • All summer language courses must be taken for a letter grade.
  • Failure to adhere to grant requirements or fulfill reporting requirements may result in forfeit of award and require repayment of fellowship funds.

Application and Selection Process:

Applications will be judged on a combination of academic achievement, clarity and feasibility of goals, and relevance to academic and future plans.  

Application Instructions:

 To apply, complete the Stanford Off-campus Leaning Opportunity (SOLO) application, including:

1. Upload of Statement of Purpose.  Provide a statement of purpose (maximum 500 words) describing the relevance of the study of the area language to your academic and career goals.  Include the amount of tuition requested/anticipated cost of the language program; also include other sources of funding for which you are applying and/or have received.

2. Upload Current Unofficial Transcript

3. Request a Language Instructor Evaluation.  Request a recommendation from your current or most recent language instructor. 

Application Deadline

Applications and supporting materials, including letters of recommendation, are due on February 15, 2024.

 

FLAS-eligible Language Programs

Below you will find some language programs that meet the requirements of the FLAS fellowship.  This is not an exhaustive list.  If you plan to apply to a program not listed below, please confirm that it meets the instructional contact hour requirements.  If you have any questions about whether programs qualify, please contact: creeesinfo [at] stanford.edu (creeesinfo[at]stanford[dot]edu)

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