Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships

What is a FLAS?

FLAS fellowships, authorized under Title VI of the Higher Education Act and administered by the U.S. Department of Education, provide tuition and stipend to graduate students undergoing advanced training in designated foreign languages in combination with area studies, international studies, or international aspects of professional studies.

The Center for African Studies (CAS) at Stanford petitions the Department of Education annually for allocations of FLAS funds. In anticipation of continued funding for the Center for African Studies for the 2009-10 academic year, this individual application is being distributed. The FLAS application deadline is Friday, February 13, 2009.

Most FLAS fellowships are awarded for foreign language training at Stanford. Appropriate dissertation research is considered an extension of language training, and students writing dissertations may also be considered for FLAS fellowships. With specific approval of the Department of Education, fellowships may be used in support of overseas language study or for dissertation research abroad. Additional allowances for travel of dependents are not normally made.

Academic year fellowships provide up to $12,000 tuition plus a stipend of $15,000 for the full academic year. FLAS fellowships are awarded on the condition that the university or some other institution will be willing to top up the tuition portion to meet full tuition needs. The Department of Education in Washington will not permit a student to take out loans to fulfill his or her tuition needs. The selection for these fellowships is made once a year by the committee on African Studies. The term of fellowship is for one year or less. An applicant whose program of study consists of two or more years must reapply each year for a FLAS Fellowship. Because these fellowships are in great demand, there is no guarantee that previous awardees will receive an award for subsequent years. Thus, it is always advisable to explore alternate means of support.

Students applying to doctoral programs at Stanford should be aware that, if admitted, they often receive full funding from their respective departments. Students may not hold a departmental (or any other) fellowship simultaneously with a FLAS Fellowship. Many departments offer “incentives” to encourage graduate students on fellowship packages to accept FLAS fellowships.

FLAS fellowships are also available for the summer session. These fellowships are for maximum summer tuition of up to $3,600 plus a stipend, currently $2,400. There is variance in language and program eligibility in summer and Academic Year FLAS Awards. See below for further details about summer FLAS applications.

 

Who is Eligible to apply?

To be considered for a Stanford FLAS fellowship, an applicant must:

  • Be a citizen or permanent resident of the U.S. or a permanent resident of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.
  • Be enrolled in or accepted to an advanced degree program at Stanford University.
  • While at Stanford, undertake a program of modern foreign language training in a language for which Stanford has been certified by the U.S. Department of Education. Only languages used in sub-Saharan Africa will be considered. French and Portuguese are not eligible.
  • Present a specific plan that includes study of an African language throughout the award period (normally 5 credit units per quarter during the academic year). Directed reading courses do not qualify. In the case of applicants for dissertation research FLAS fellowships, this requirement may be met by proposed research using a certified language.
  • Agree to devote the entire award period to full-time study, in accordance with university requirements, without employment or research for which payment might be received, unless it can be shown that the employment does not prolong the time normally required for completion of study and is part of the programmatic requirements for the degree.
  • Present proof of Human Subject Panel approval before commencement of fellowship if planning to use human subjects in any research.

    • What criteria are used to judge applications?

    Because applications are judged first by the Center for African Studies, and then by the Department of Education, it is impossible to give a definitive account of how FLAS decisions are made. However, current USDE guidelines provide certain ground rules:

  • Priority is given to applicants in a wide variety of humanities and social sciences disciplines, as well as all professional fields.
  • Priority is given to students who have demonstrated a commitment to African Studies, either through research, study, or other activities, such as volunteer work.
  • Lowest priority is given to students who already possess language fluency equivalent to educated native speakers in the language for which the award is sought.
    Beyond these guidelines, priorities for selection are set by the Center for African Studies.

    • How do I apply for a FLAS?

    Applications for the academic year and summer fellowships are available at the bottom of this page

    A complete FLAS fellowship application includes the following:

  • A complete FLAS application form
  • A Statement of Purpose, between 300 and 500 words, discussing your career goals and the significance of the proposed language and area studies training to these goals
  • Transcripts from each college or university attended (unofficial photocopies of official transcripts acceptable)
  • Most recent GRE/GMAT/LSAT/MCAT scores (unofficial photocopies acceptable)
  • Three letters of recommendation, one of which should be from an advisor and another should be from a language instructor (attach supplied waiver form to each)

    In addition, if applying for a dissertation research fellowship the applicant must include:

  • Title of the project and signature of the graduate advisor on the cover page of the thesis proposal.
  • Project statement of purpose, including a description of the precise topic to be investigated, and a description of the methods by which the research goals are to be attained. If the applicant's thesis proposal meets these requirements, it may be used in lieu of a project statement of purpose.
  • A statement of the use of the relevant language as a research tool.

    If the language study or dissertation research is to be conducted abroad, the application must include:

  • A clear statement of the location of the applicant's research. If study or research abroad is proposed, applicants must include a letter of acceptance from the overseas academic institution with which the applicant will be affiliated, as well as full details of travel plans during the fellowship period, both abroad and in the U.S., with dates of departure and return.

    Applications are due Friday, February 13, 2009 and should be mailed to the Center for African Studies. Please mail your completed applications via regular U.S. mail or private courier (not U.S. certified mail). All materials submitted separately from the initial application (i.e.,additional references, transcripts) should be sent to the center as well. It is the applicant's responsibility to insure the completeness of his or her application. Inquiries regarding the status of one's application may be directed to the Center at the address and phone number listed below.

    Center for African Studies
    Division of International Comparative, and Area Studies (ICA)
    Encina Hall West, Room 209
    Stanford University
    Stanford, CA 94305-6045
    (650)723-0295

     

    When are the awards announced?

    Academic year FLAS awards are normally announced in April. Awardees should be aware that each award nominated by Stanford is subject to final approval by the USDE. Students who accept FLAS awards are required to complete a performance evaluation report within one month following the completion of the grant period. Students who do not complete these reports will be required to repay the grant. Students who receive fellowship in multiple years are required to complete the performance evaluation from each year they hold the grant.

     

    What about summer FLAS fellowships?

    FLAS fellowships may also be available for the summer session. Like academic year awards, eligible languages should be confirmed with the Center. In a few cases, summer fellowships may be applied to advanced language study overseas with the prior approval of the U.S. Department of Education. Stanford participates in the Collaborative Summer Language Institute (SCALI), hosted at the Michigan State University in Summer 2009, at which several African languages are offered annually. Please check the listing of accredited summer languages.

    Please download applications from our website. Summer FLAS applications are also due on Friday, February 13, 2009.

    Summer FLAS applicants proposing to study at any program other than SCALI and outside of Stanford should submit copies of brochures and other printed material that detail the cost, dates and nature of the off-campus program with the application. Summer applicants are strongly advised to discuss the potential of off-campus study before preparing the summer FLAS application. Applicants should plan to have all language program documentation ready to submit with the application by Friday, February 13, 2009.

     

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    FLAS_recommendation_fillable.pdf52.21 KB
    FLAS_application_fillable.pdf53.97 KB
    SummerFLAS09.pdf44.05 KB
    FLAS summer application-fillable 09.pdf37.66 KB
    FLAS summer recommendation-fillable.pdf47.85 KB
    FLAS summer statement of purpose09.pdf26.38 KB