Foreign Language Area Studies Fellowship

FLAS 2025-2026

What is the FLAS Fellowship?

The Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships program provides allocations of academic year and summer fellowships funded by the U.S. Department of Education to institutions of higher education to assist meritorious undergraduate and graduate students undergoing training in modern foreign languages and related area studies.

  • Academic Year recipients (Undergraduate and Graduate) receive a stipend and funding for tuition to take one South Asian Language and one Area Studies course per semester for a full year, or a dissertation. 
     
  • Summer FLAS recipients will complete an intensive domestic or international program for 6 weeks for 120 – 140 hours at a reputable program of the recipient’s choice. 

 

Funding Quick Facts:

  • Graduate Academic Year: $18,000 Tuition and $20,000 Stipend

  • Undergrad Academic Year: $10,000 Tuition and $5,000 Stipend

  • Summer Term: $5,000 Tuition and $3,500 Stipend

     

Languages Offered:

Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Pashto, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Tibetan, & Urdu

  • Please email reardanz@sas.upenn.edu if you have an inquiry about a modern South Asian language not listed. 



Fellowship Details and Requirements:
 

  • Students receiving Academic Year Fellowships must be enrolled in full-time study for the duration of the FLAS award and must take one language course and one related area studies course each semester.
     

  • Undergraduates must be at the intermediate or advance level of their chosen language
     

  • Graduate applicants at the beginner-level of a language may apply for a FLAS fellowship if they have reached advanced proficiency in a similar language to the one applied for with the fellowship.
     

  • Fellows must be US Citizens or permanent residents.
     

  • FLAS Fellows must be admitted to or enrolled in undergraduate, graduate, or professional programs at the University of Pennsylvania. FLAS awards may be used in some cases for students participating in official overseas language programs and in very limited cases for dissertators.
     

  • Academic Year and Summer FLAS awards are two separate competitions requiring two complete and separate applications. Summer Fellowships are for intensive language programs either domestically or abroad.
     

Can I apply to both Summer and Academic Year?

  • Yes.
     

When are applications due?

  • While the exact date may change year to year, expect to hav applicationes open in November and close in February.
     

To learn more about FLAS, visit the FLAS Frequently Asked Questions Page.

Interested but want to learn more before applying? 

Ready to apply? Apply at one or both of the links below:

Application Deadline: February 7th 2025.