Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships | Applications now available
Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships
For CU-Boulder Graduate and Undergraduate Students
and Metropolitan State University of Denver Undergraduate Students
Application Deadline: February 15, 2023
Program Description
FLAS fellowships administered by the Center for Asian Studies (CAS) are awarded competitively to students studying modern Asian languages. The U.S. Department of Education (ED) funds and oversees these awards, under the provisions of Title VI of the Higher Education Act. Funding is contingent upon annual ED program approval, Federal regulations, and continued Congressional funding, all of which may change from year to year. FLAS awards cannot be deferred.
CAS is offering summer and academic year fellowships to CU-Boulder graduate and professional school students beginning in summer 2023 and academic year 2023-24.
CAS is also offering summer fellowships for CU-Boulder and Metropolitan State University of Denver undergraduate students who can demonstrate financial need beginning in summer 2023.
Eligible Languages
All modern Asia languages offered on the CU-Boulder campus; additional Asian languages can be considered for summer awards pending additional approval.
- Arabic
- Chinese
- Hindi/Urdu
- Indonesian*
- Japanese
- Korean
- Nepali*
- Tibetan*
* Additional approval required after selection; consult with CAS for information.
Program Eligibility
Graduate Awards
Students are eligible to receive an Academic Year or Summer fellowship if they meet all of the following criteria:
- Incoming or continuing CU graduate student (or will be enrolling in an intensive Asian language course at CU in the summer and are applying for a summer award)
- Citizen, national, or permanent resident of the United States
- Will be enrolled in a formal modern Asian language course during the period of the fellowship (native speakers of the language to be studied are not eligible)
- Will enroll in at least one Asian area studies course each semester if they receive an AY fellowship
- Have completed at least one year of study of the Asian language they will study during the period of the fellowship, or already have advanced proficiency in a different Asian language. (Alternatively, advanced proficiency may be in a non-Asian language if it is directly relevant to applicant’s interest in Asian studies, such as advanced proficiency in French related to an interest in Vietnam.)
- Will pursue full-time study in accordance with CU requirements
Undergraduate Awards
Students are eligible to receive a Summer fellowship if they meet all of the following criteria:
- Continuing CU-Boulder or MSU Denver undergraduate student
- Citizen, national, or permanent resident of the United States
- Will be enrolled in a formal modern Asian language course during the period of the fellowship (native speakers of the language to be studied are not eligible)
- Have completed at least one year of study of the Asian language they will study during the period of the fellowship
- Can demonstrate financial need, as indicated by FAFSA Estimated Family Contribution
- MSU Denver students will need to be enrolled as CU-Boulder students during the term of the fellowship. Program options will be limited to existing overseas CU study abroad partners that meet program requirements (see below) or qualifying Asian language courses offered at CU-Boulder
Summer Fellowship Program Requirements
- Intended to provide the equivalent of one AY of intensive language study
- All programs require approval prior to program start; CU’s for-credit summer Asian language offerings are pre-approved
- Advanced programs must offer a minimum of 120 contact hours
- Beginning (only allowed for graduate students studying a second Asian/related language, as described above) or Intermediate programs must offer a minimum of 140 contact hours
- Field trips or other cultural content does not count toward contact hours
- Program duration must be at least 6 weeks
- Domestic and overseas intensive language programs can receive approval, provided that they meet above criteria
- Students should receive grades and credit for all FLAS coursework
Selection Priorities and Criteria
Graduate Awards
In reviewing applications, primary priority will be given to graduate students demonstrating financial need. The following additional criteria will be given secondary consideration (not inclusive and not necessarily in this order):
- Fellows will be selected on the basis of previous academic achievement, language ability, strength of recommendations, commitment to apply language and area studies in future career, promise of high academic or professional achievement, and the significance of the proposed course of study to the academic or professional world.
- Candidates who have already achieved at least intermediate competence in the Asian language will be given priority; native speakers of the target language will be excluded.
- Preference will be granted for one award to a student from CU’s College of Engineering and Applied Science.
Fellows should receive grades and credit for all FLAS coursework. FLAS fellows must complete a Student Performance Report at the end of the fellowship. Failure to submit this report precludes future participation in the program.
Undergraduate Awards
The following criteria will be given consideration (not inclusive and not necessarily in this order):
- Fellows will be selected on the basis of previous academic achievement, language ability, strength of recommendations, commitment to apply language and area studies in future career, promise of high academic or professional achievement, and the significance of the proposed course of study to the academic or professional world.
- Candidates who have already achieved at least intermediate competence in the Asian language will be given priority; native speakers of the target language will be excluded.
- Preference will be granted for one award to a student from Metropolitan State University of Denver.
Fellows should receive grades and credit for all FLAS coursework. FLAS fellows must complete a Student Performance Report at the end of the fellowship. Failure to submit this report precludes future participation in the program.
Award Benefits
2023 Summer FLAS Fellowship (Graduate and Undergraduate Awards)
- Tuition: FLAS will cover up to $5,000 of tuition and fees.
- Stipend: FLAS will provide a stipend of $2,500.
2023-24 Academic Year FLAS Fellowship (Graduate Awards Only)
- Tuition: FLAS will cover up to $18,000 of tuition and fees ($9,000/semester).
- Stipend: FLAS will provide a stipend of $20,000 ($10,000/semester).
FLAS Fellows may receive additional funding from other sources to support their study as long as they do not duplicate what is covered by FLAS. For example, a student who receives funding from other sources to cover 100% of tuition and fees costs will not receive the tuition portion of the FLAS award, but may still receive the full associated stipend. FLAS Fellows will be required to report all other awards to the FLAS Coordinator.
Application Materials:
Download Graduate FLAS application form here
Download Undergraduate FLAS application form here.
In addition to the application form, the following materials will need to be submitted to CAS:
- Statement of Purpose (2-3 pages double spaced)
- Transcripts of all College-Level Work (including graduate school as appropriate)
- Documentation of Estimated Family Contribution (for graduate applicants who want need to be taken into consideration; required for all undergraduate applicants)
- Two Academic Letters of Recommendation, including one from a language professor/instructor if possible
- Letter of Nomination (incoming graduate students only)
- Copy of full Graduate School Application (incoming graduate students only)
Application Deadline: February 15, 2023
Complete all forms and collect all supporting documents (with the exception of the letters of recommendation) and send one pdf to the Center for Asian Studies at cas@colorado.edu.
Contact CAS Executive Director Danielle Rocheleau Salaz (salaz@colorado.edu) with any questions.
Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships
Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships for Undergraduate Students