Apply now for the Academic Year 2025-2026 FLAS Fellowships for the study of Southeast Asian languages! Deadline: January 31, 2025

The U.S. Department of Education Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) fellowship program supports training in modern foreign languages and related area studies.

Summer 2024 FLAS is for intensive summer language study only at the Intermediate or Advanced levels. Only current UCLA graduate and undergraduate students are eligible. Currently approved SEA languages for Summer 2025 FLAS are Burmese, Hmong, Ilokano, Javanese, Indonesian, Javanese, Filipino/Tagalog, Lao, Khmer, Thai and Vietnamese. Additional languages are eligible upon prior approval by the center. 

The Academic Year 2024-2025 FLAS Fellowship requires that students take one Southeast Asia language and one area studies course every quarter for the entire year. New and continuing UCLA students in all disciplines may apply for Intermediate or Advanced levels of language study. Students must be enrolled at UCLA for the duration of the fellowship period. Beginning level of a language may be undertaken by graduate students only if the student is already at advanced level in another Southeast Asian language. Currently approved SEA languages for Academic Year 2025-2026 FLAS are Burmese, Indonesian, Filipino/Tagalog, Khmer, Thai and Vietnamese. (Intermediate Burmese and Khmer is available at UCLA via distance learning from UC Berkeley during the academic year.)

Students must also agree to submit quarterly reports on their progress, submit before and after language assessments to the U.S. Department of Education, take a before and after oral proficiency examination with a designated instructor, and report to the U.S. Department of Education every two years for eight years after graduation on the recipient’s occupation and the extent to which the FLAS language is being used.

For more information, please review the FLAS Frequently Asked Questions. 

Eligibility

• Applicants must be U.S. citizens or Permanent Residents.
• Recipients must enroll in full-time study for the duration of their award period.

Since the purpose of the FLAS program is to enrich the nation’s pool of area and international specialists, applicants must be planning to use their training to teach, to serve in government or international agencies, or to engage in other work that advances American understanding of other countries.

Selection for the award is based on the following criteria:

• Academic performance and potential as evidenced by academic transcript, letters of recommendation, and statement of purpose;
• The extent to which overall course of study focuses on Southeast Asia;
• The level of planned language study. More advanced levels are preferred;
• Financial need as determined by past financial aid levels;
• Past awardees may reapply.

Summer 2025 fellowships are for an in-person intensive summer language programs offered through a U.S. university or abroad. They provide a stipend of $3,500 plus tuition and fees to a maximum of $5,000 (with optional travel grant up to $1000). A letter grade for the course is also required. Students should apply separately for admissions into their chosen summer language program. Non-language programs are not eligible for summer FLAS funding, nor is dissertation research. In order to qualify for funding, the summer intensive language program must last at least 6 weeks and provide at least 140 synchronous contact hours for beginning and intermediate level courses, or 120 synchronous contact hours for advanced level coursework.

For recommendations for eligible summer programs in the U.S. and in Southeast Asia, contact the FLAS Coordinator.

UCLA students who wish to attend the Southeast Asian Studies Summer Institute (SEASSI) should simultaneously apply for admission to SEASSI and for FLAS funding through the UCLA CSEAS FLAS application. Qualified applicants should apply for all possible scholarships to maximize opportunities.

UCLA students who wish to study abroad in Southeast Asia must contact the university or the instructor in that country to get an estimate on tuition and fees for their summer language program.

NOTE: Summer FLAS is considered summer financial aid for UCLA students. Undergraduate students will NOT be able to receive any additional summer financial aid funding for UCLA Summer Sessions and should contact the UCLA Financial Aid Office for more information about summer financial aid eligibility. Graduate students CANNOT receive both a Summer FLAS and a Graduate Summer Research Mentorship (GSRM) award. 

Academic Year 2025-2026 fellowships provide a total stipend of $20,000 and cover up to $18,000 of academic year tuition and fees for graduate students or $5000 stipend and $10,000 for tuition and fees for undergraduate students. The Academic Year FLAS Fellowship requires that students take one Southeast Asian language and one area studies course for letter grades every quarter for the entire year while enrolling full-time for residence at UCLA. Independent Study courses are allowed for graduate students with specific permission.

AY awards may be used for dissertation fieldwork abroad or dissertation writing for PhD students who have completed their degree coursework and are at the advanced level of language proficiency, but this must be approved in advance and of low priority for consideration in the selection process. Read through the application guidelines for the FLAS for dissertation research abroad. 

NOTE: These grants may be combined with TA appointments and supplementary funding from UCLA and/or other funding agencies. However in cases of parallel large grants, recipients will have to decide which grant to accept and pairing will not be allowed. Graduate students CANNOT receive both a Academic Year FLAS and a Graduate Research Mentorship (GRM) award. Grantees are required to inform CSEAS of any awards received during the FLAS fellowship period.

Fellowship Amounts

 Required application materials includes:

• online application form;
• Max 2-page, double-spaced statement of purpose outlining primary research interests, relevant coursework, and extracurricular activities and explaining how language study will enhance your course of study, research project and/or career goals;
• 2 academic/professional letters of recommendation;
• unofficial UCLA transcripts and transcripts from other institutions for previous degrees for transfer students and graduate students;
• resume or CV;
• summer language program details and tuition information (for Summer FLAS only).
• Preference is given to applicants who demonstrate financial need by competing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). If students want their financial need to be considered in the selection process for this fellowship, students can give authorization to CSEAS on the online application form to have this financial aid information verified through the UCLA Financial Aid Office.

Students may apply for both competitions, Summer 2025 and Academic Year 2025-2026, but separate applications are required. Application materials and letters of recommendation must be submitted by the deadline. Please review the FLAS Frequently Asked Questions.

Apply: Summer 2025 FLAS Application

Apply: Academic Year 2025-2026 Application

Deadline for all application materials for FLAS Fellowships:

January 31, 2025