Boren Awards (Scholarships & Fellowships)
Defense Language and National Security Education Office (DLNSEO), National Security Education Program
Up to $25,000 for long-term language study abroad in regions critical to U.S. interests, in exchange for a year of federal service
- How much
- up to $25,000 (25-52 weeks); $12,500 (12-24 weeks); $8,000 (8-11 weeks, STEM undergrads only)
- Who qualifies
- At least 18; high school graduate or GED; matriculated in a U.S. degree program for the whole funded program; destination outside Western Europe, Canada, Australia, NZ and not a country of the applicant's citizenship. No minimum language level except French and Spanish (intermediate high for advanced programs in Africa and Latin America). Service requirement: one year in federal government (national-security-related).
- For undergrads, grad students
- U.S. citizen
- When to apply
- Open now · due January 27, 2027 Annual national deadlines in late January (2027: Fellowships Jan 20, Scholarships Jan 27); applicants notified mid-to-late April
- How to apply
- Create an online application, work with your campus Boren representative (you can still apply if your school doesn't have one), write essays, and arrange recommendations
- Campus deadlines may come earlier
- What you'll need
- essay + recommendation
- Last checked
- October 5, 2026, against the official page (borenawards.org) and page 2
The details
Boren Scholarships (undergraduates) and Boren Fellowships (graduate students) fund overseas language and regional study outside Western Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The maximum award depends on time abroad: $25,000 for 25-52 weeks (preferred); $12,500 for 12-24 weeks; $8,000 for 8-11 weeks (Scholarships only, STEM majors only). Fellowships: $25,000 / $12,500 for the same durations. Optional Regional Flagship Language Initiative (e.g. the African Flagship Languages Initiative). Recipients commit to one year of federal service.
More federal and national aid
- QuestBridge National College Matchfull four-year scholarship to a partner college (worth $360,000+; tuition, room/board, no loans)
- Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship Programup to $55,000/yr for up to 4 years (last-dollar after institutional aid)
- Davidson Fellows Scholarship$100,000, $50,000, or $25,000 (one-time)
- Burger King Scholars Program$1,000 to $60,000 (most general-track awards $1,000 or $5,000; up to three $60,000 James W. McLamore WHOPPER Scholarships)
- NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)$37,000/yr stipend + $16,000/yr cost-of-education allowance to the school, for 3 years
Keep looking
We list programs; we don't decide who gets them. Always check the official page before you apply. Spot something wrong? Tell us.