The application for the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program–a fully-funded summer study abroad program–is now open!
The CLS Program is an intensive overseas language and cultural immersion program for American students enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities. Students spend eight to ten weeks abroad studying one of 14 critical languages (see below). The program includes intensive language instruction and structured cultural enrichment experiences designed to promote rapid language gains.
CLS, a program of the U.S. Department of State, is part of a wider government initiative to expand the number of Americans studying and mastering foreign languages that are critical to national security and economic prosperity. CLS plays an important role in preparing students for the 21st century’s globalized workforce and increasing national competitiveness.
The application is now live and available online at: http://www.clscholarship.org
Applications are due November 15, 2017 by 7:59pm EST.
Here are links to informational videos:
CLS Program Overview: https://youtu.be/YwN8qQTYmJI
Tips for Writing a Successful Application: https://youtu.be/Mvb6luXq2BE
The fourteen languages offered by the CLS Program are:
- Arabic
- Azerbaijani
- Bangla
- Chinese
- Hindi
- Indonesian
- Japanese
- Korean
- Persian
- Punjabi
- Russian
- Swahili
- Turkish
- Urdu
Most languages offered by the CLS Program do not require applicants to have any experience studying critical languages. Language pre-requisites can be found on our website at http://www.clscholarship.org/about.
The CLS Program seeks participants with diverse interests, and from a wide range of fields of study and career paths, with the purpose of representing the full diversity of the United States. Participants are selected based on their commitment to language learning and plans to apply their language skills to their future academic or professional pursuits. Students from all academic disciplines, including business, engineering, law, medicine, science, social sciences, arts and humanities are encouraged to apply.
Prior to preparing their application, interested students should review the full eligibility and application information on the CLS Program website.