The application for the U.S. Department of State’s 2026 Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is now open! American undergraduate and graduate students are invited to apply for this funded immersive summer study abroad opportunity. The CLS Program provides immersive summer programs for U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to learn languages of strategic importance to the United States’ national security and economic prosperity. Through intensive language instruction and structured cultural activities, participants receive the equivalent of one year of language study in eight weeks.
The following languages are offered in 2026:
- Arabic
- Chinese
- Hindi
- Japanese
- Korean
- Persian
- Portuguese
- Russian
- Swahili
Apply Now: https://www.clscholarship.org/apply
Deadline: Tuesday, November 18, 2025, at 8:00 PM ET
Questions? Please contact: cls@americancouncils.org
Check out the CLS website for more information.