Foreign Language & Area Studies Fellowships

The Center for Latin American Studies will begin accepting applications for its Summer 2024 and Academic Year 2024-2025 Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowship competitions on Wednesday, November 1, 2023.

Students interested in applying for a FLAS fellowship are strongly encouraged to attend an information session before beginning their application. Several information sessions will be held in fall and winter 2023. A schedule will be announced early in the fall semester.

Prospective applicants should also read the general information below about the particular fellowship eligibility requirements and benefits for which they intend to apply before starting an application.

Overview

Under the U.S. Department of Education's Title VI Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) program, the Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS) offers summer and academic year fellowships for graduate and undergraduate students who are pursuing a degree and need advanced training in language and area studies. The fellowship seeks to enhance students' language skills and knowledge of a foreign country or region through coursework. Fellows receive a tuition and fee credit to subsidize enrollment in language and/or area studies coursework as well as receiving a stipend. CLAS offers fellowships for students of the following languages:

  • Portuguese
  • Quechua
  • Haitian Creole
  • Other less-commonly taught Latin American languages by petition

Before applying for a fellowship however, prospective applicants should contact the language department that oversees instruction in the language to ensure that the language and level that the applicant is applying for will be offered. By petition, fellowships can be offered in other Latin American languages, such as Yucatec Maya, Nahuatl, etc.

Summer Fellowships

Undergraduate Students

Fellowships for the summer provide the equivalent of one full year of language study through enrollment in intensive language programs. Undergraduate students wanting to study intensively an eligible Latin American language can apply for a fellowship to study at a domestic or overseas language program and can apply for intermediate or advanced language study. Please note, summer fellowships are for language study only. Fellows do not need to enroll in an area-studies course.

Applicant Eligibility Requirements

  • Full-time undergraduate student
  • U.S. citizen or permanent resident
  • 3.2 GPA

FLAS Eligible Language Programs

  • Intermediate programs must provide 140+ classroom contact hours
  • Advanced programs need to offer 120+ classroom contact hours

Fellowship Benefits

  • Up to $5,000 of tuition and fee support
  • $3,500 stipend (note: increased from $2,500 beginning SU24!)
  • Possibility of a further $1,000 for airfare reimbursement

Graduate and Professional Students

Summer fellowships provide intensive language training for students, providing the fellow with the equivalent of one full year of language study. Applicants wishing to study intensively an eligible Latin American language can apply for a fellowship to study at a domestic or overseas language study program. Please note, summer fellowships are for language study only. Fellows do not need to enroll in an area-studies course.

Applicant Eligibility Requirements

  • Full-time graduate or professional student
  • U.S. citizen or permanent resident
  • 3.2 GPA

FLAS Eligible Language Programs (list of program options here)

  • Beginner and Intermediate programs must provide 140+ classroom contact hours
  • Advanced programs need to offer 120+ classroom contact hours

Fellowship Benefits

  • Up to $5,000 of tuition and fee support (minus benefits charge equaling approx. 8.3% of stipend)
  • $3,500 stipend (note: increased from $2,500 beginning SU24!)
  • Possibility of a further $1,000 for airfare reimbursement

Academic Year Fellowships

Undergraduate Students

Undergraduate students undertaking a course of study requiring both language and area studies can apply for a fellowship to study at a domestic or overseas institution. Students must apply for intermediate or advanced language study. In addition to enrolling in a language and area studies course, students can take other courses to fulfill their degree requirements.   

Applicant Eligibility Requirements

  • Full-time undergraduate student
  • U.S. citizen or permanent resident
  • 3.2 GPA

Course Requirements

  • One language course per semester: cannot be independent study, individualized instruction, or taken pass/fail
  • One area studies course per semester: cannot be independent study, individualized instruction, or taken pass/fail
  • Can then enroll in other courses as needed for degree

Fellowship Benefits

  • Up to $10,000 of tuition and fee support
  • $5,000 stipend

Graduate and Professional Students

Academic year fellowships are for students wishing to study an eligible language and take area studies coursework for two academic semesters. Applicants can be at the beginner, intermediate, or advanced language level. Applicants at the beginner level for their applied language must study domestically and must have already studied another relevant language through the advanced level. Intermediate and advanced language applicants can study both domestically or at an overseas institution but must still take both an area studies and language course. Beyond the language and area-studies courses, students can enroll in other courses related to their degree as long as they are enrolled full-time. 

Applicant Eligibility Requirements

  • Full-time graduate or professional student
  • U.S. citizen or permanent resident
  • 3.2 GPA

Course Requirements

  • One language course per semester: cannot be independent study, individualized instruction, or taken pass/fail
  • One area studies course per semester: cannot be independent study, individualized instruction, or taken pass/fail
  • Can then enroll in other courses as needed for degree, with a maximum of three credit hours per semester of independent study/thesis hours

Fellowship Benefits

  • Full tuition and fee support (through a fee match award from the Graduate School); for professional students: up to $18,000 in tuition support
  • $20,000 stipend

Contact

Please contact Assistant Director Leila Vieira (vieira.31@osu.edu) with any questions.