Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program
U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (implemented by American Councils)
Fully funded summer of intensive language study abroad (tuition, travel, housing, meals) in one of nine critical languages
- How much
- covers program tuition, travel, housing, and meals (no dollar amount published)
- Who qualifies
- At least 18 by May 15, 2027; enrolled in an accredited U.S. degree program (associate through doctoral; graduating seniors OK; virtual institutes undergrad only); undergrads must have completed one full year of study by summer 2027; meet language prerequisites; must enter host country on a U.S. passport.
- For undergrads, grad students
- U.S. citizen or national at the time of application (permanent residents not eligible)
- When to apply
- Opens later Annual; application opens in the fall and closes in November (2027 application 'will open shortly' as of Oct 5, 2026); summer program
- How to apply
- Apply online once the 2027 application opens (one language per year)
- Upload an unofficial transcript and write the application essays
- Campus CLS advisors can help
- What you'll need
- essay + transcript
- Last checked
- October 5, 2026, against the official page (clscholarship.org), page 2 and page 3
The details
Eight weeks of intensive summer language instruction (about a year of college study) overseas or virtually, in Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, or Swahili. The program covers the main costs of the overseas program: tuition, travel, housing, and meals (plus a stipend). Selection is merit-based. No minimum GPA, no letter of recommendation, and no post-program service requirement. Limited passport help ($165 reimbursement) for finalists with high financial need.
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
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