FLAS (Foreign Language and Area Studies) Fellowships for Graduate Students

FLAS (Foreign Language and Area Studies) Fellowships

For CU-Boulder GraduateÌýStudents
Program Description

FLAS fellowships administered by the Center for Asian Studies (CAS) are awarded competitively to students studying modern Asian languages. The U.S. Department of Education (ED) funds and oversees these awards, under the provisions of Title VI of the Higher Education Act.

As of fall semester 2025, CAS has been notified that this program is being discontinued and summer 2026 will be the final award period for the time being. We have significant funding remaining that must be used this summer, so we hope to be able to support a large number of students.

Funding is contingent upon annual ED program approval, federal regulations, and continued Congressional funding, all of which may change from year to year. FLAS awards cannot be deferred.

The FLAS Summer 2026 application deadline is Sunday, February 15, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.

We will hold a FLAS information session on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.ÌýÌý

Eligible Languages

All modern Asian languages offered on the CU-Boulder campus; additional Asian languages can be considered for summer awards pending additional approval.

  • Arabic
  • Chinese
  • Hindi/Urdu
  • Indonesian*
  • Japanese
  • Korean
  • Tibetan*

* Additional approval required after selection; consult with CAS for information.

Program Eligibility

Students are eligible to receive a Summer fellowship if they meet all of the following criteria:

  • Summer fellowships: Continuing CU full-time, degree-seekingÌýgraduate studentÌýor will be enrolledÌýin an intensive Asian language course at CU in the summer
  • Citizen, national, or permanent resident of the United States
  • Have completed at least one year of study of the Asian language they will study during the period of the fellowship, or already have advanced proficiency in a different Asian language. (Alternatively, advanced proficiency may be in a non-Asian language if it is directly relevant to applicant interest in Asian studies, such as advanced proficiency in French related to an interest in Vietnam.)

Summer Fellowship Program Requirements

  • Intended to provide the equivalent of one academic year of intensive language study
  • All programs require approval prior to program start; CU credit-bearing summer Asian language offerings are pre-approved
  • Advanced programs (3rd year and above) must offer a minimum of 120 contact hours
  • Beginning (1st year; only allowed for graduate students studying a second Asian/related language, as described above) or Intermediate (2nd year) programs must offer a minimum of 140 contact hours
  • Field trips or other cultural content does not count toward contact hours
  • Program duration must be at least 6 weeks
  • Both domestic and overseas intensive language programs can receive approval from ED, provided that they meet above criteria

Summer Language Program Opportunities (Note: any overseas programs that are not on this list will require that students follow the mandatory International Travel Registration application process. Approval may require additional review depending on location, so students are encouraged to start this process as early as possible. Additional information will be provided to awardees.)

Selection Priorities and Criteria

In reviewing applications, primary priority will be given to graduate students demonstrating financial need. The following additional criteria will be given secondary consideration (not inclusive and not necessarily in this order):

  • Fellows will be selected on the basis of previous academic achievement, language ability, strength of recommendations, commitment to apply language and area studies in future career, promise of high academic or professional achievement, and the significance of the proposed course of study to the academic or professional world.
  • Candidates who have already achieved at least intermediate competence in the Asian language will be given priority; native speakers of the target language will be excluded.
  • Preference will be granted for one award to a student from CU College of Engineering and Applied Science.Ìý

Fellows are expected to complete the full summer program and should receive grades and credit for all FLAS coursework and submit transcripts to CAS. FLAS fellows must complete a Student Performance Report at the end of the fellowship. Failure to submit this report precludes future CAS support.

Award Benefits

2026 Summer FLAS FellowshipÌý

Ìý ÌýTuition: FLAS will cover up to $5,000 of tuition and required fees.

Ìý ÌýStipend: FLAS will provide a stipend of $3,500. If the summer program fee includes room and board, those costs will be deducted from the stipend amount.

***Full Funding at Middlebury Language Schools***

If you are considering this option:

Ìý Ìý1.Ìý Ìý ÌýMake sure you submit your application early to Middlebury Language Schools. Deadlines are rolling.

Ìý Ìý2.Ìý Ìý Ìý If you are offered FLAS (total of $8,500), Middlebury will cover the remaining cost in tuition, on-campus housing, and food for their summer language programs. In other words, a FLAS student can attend the Language Schools fully funded.

Ìý Ìý3.Ìý Ìý Ìý Please seeÌý. Note this does not include travel, books, etc.

Optional Travel Award

  • Awards up to $1000 or actual cost of travel, whichever is lower, may be made in addition to FLAS Fellowship.
  • Pre-approval and compliance with the Fly America Act is required for international travel.
  • Indicate on the application form if you would like to be considered for a travel award and what your estimated travel (airfare, mileage, ground transportation) costs will be. Note that lodging and food are not considered travel expenses.

FLAS Fellows may receive additional funding from other sources to support their study as long as they do not duplicate what is covered by FLAS. For example, a student who receives funding from other sources to cover 100% of tuition and fees costs will not receive the tuition portion of the FLAS award, but may still receive the full associated stipend. FLAS Fellows will be required to report all other awards to the FLAS Coordinator.

Application Materials:

Download Graduate FLAS application form here.Ìý Be sure you have the most current application form prior to submission. Forms were updated on December 1, 2025.

In addition to the application form, the following materials will need to be submitted to CAS:

  • Statement of Purpose (2-3 pages double spaced)
  • Transcripts of all College-Level WorkÌý(including graduate school as appropriate)
  • Two Academic Letters of Recommendation, including one from a language professor/instructor if possible

Application Deadline is February 15, 2026 at 11:59pm MST.ÌýComplete all forms and collect all supporting documents (with the exception of the letters of recommendation) and send one PDF to the Center for Asian Studies at FLAS@colorado.edu.

Contact FLAS CoordinatorÌýLucy Lin (flas@colorado.edu) with any questions.

If you are an undergraduate who would like to apply for a FLAS fellowship, please click here.