Graduate Funding Information Service

November 19, 2024

Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships

Deadline: January 31, 2025, 5:00pm PST

 

FLAS Fellowships support undergraduate, graduate and professional students in acquiring modern foreign languages and area or international studies competencies. Students from all UW departments and schools are encouraged to apply.

Contingent on funding from the U.S. Department of Education, the four National Resource Centers of the University of Washington will offer Academic Year and Summer FLAS Fellowships in the following languages:

Bangla, Burmese, Chinese, Hindi, Indonesian, Inuktut, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Persian, Tagalog, Thai, Urdu, Vietnamese. Graduate students only: French (intermediate or advanced only).

 

Eligibility Requirements:

  • Must be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or U.S. national
  • Must be a current or incoming student to a full-time program of study at the University of Washington.  Applicants to full-time UW programs may apply simultaneously for the FLAS fellowship.
  • Undergraduates are:
  • Graduates are:
    • Eligible for intermediate- or advanced-level study of the languages supported by the four UW Centers
    • Eligible for beginning-level language study in exceptional circumstances.   Special approval is required, and is considered on a case-by-case basis.  If you already have advanced proficiency in another language related to your studies, you are eligible to apply for a FLAS to support beginning-level study of another language related to your studies.
    • Ineligible for beginning-level language study of French

 

Application Materials

  1. A written proposal, in essay format, of approximately two single-spaced pages detailing your academic plan and how the FLAS fits in with your education and/or career plans.  The proposal should answer the following questions: (1) How will receipt of the fellowship contribute to your academic and career goals? ; (2) What is your planned course of study pertaining to the region for which you are applying? ; (3) What is your proposed language training? ; (4) How will your proposed language and area studies training contribute to your academic and career goals?
  2. Official or unofficial transcripts from all colleges or universities attended (in electronic format; no hard copies accepted)
  3. Letters of recommendation; applicants for graduate FLAS fellowships must submit 2 general and 1 language recommendation. Applicants for undergraduate FLAS fellowships must submit 1 general and 1 language recommendation. Each recommendation must be from a different person (one person cannot complete both your general and your language recommendation).  Note that each recommendation submitted will be attached to each application submitted. Additional recommendations can be added if you feel it will strengthen your application, including additional language recommendations if applicable.  The application system will ask if you want to waive your right to see the letters of recommendation.  While it is not required, note that most applicants choose to waive the right to view the letter of recommendation because confidentiality strengthens letters of recommendation.
  4. Federal student aid report (SAR) or UW Office of Financial Aid award letter

 

More information can be found through the link here.