Academic Year Flas

FLAS FELLOWSHIP FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS

FLAS FELLOWSHIP FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

Fellowships are awarded to graduate students for:

• A formal UC Berkeley or overseas academic program of full-time study during the academic year, including language and area/international studies courses. FLAS recipients must undertake full-time study during the tenure of the award and must be enrolled in a language course and an area/international studies course each semester during the academic year in question. These courses must be taken for letter grades. Graduate students must be in the intermediate or advanced study of a critical or less commonly taught language to receive a fellowship. An exception might be made for the beginning level of a critical or less commonly taught language if a graduate student has achieved advanced proficiency in another language of the world area of specialization, and if learning a second language of that world area is required for the student’s overall training and expertise. Prior approval from the U.S. Department of Education is required for exceptions to beginning level study and for all FLAS language study abroad.
• Dissertation research abroad during the academic year. Depending upon the world area center, dissertation research abroad during the academic year may be possible. Only students who are at the advanced level of language proficiency may propose to use a FLAS award for dissertation research. Students must be advanced to candidacy by the beginning of the fall semester. The use of language in dissertation research must be extensive enough to consider the foreign language improvement facilitated by the research equal to the improvement that would be obtained from a full academic year’s worth of formal classroom instruction. Since the legislative intent of the FLAS program is language acquisition, use of the FLAS fellowship for dissertation research is not encouraged by the U.S. Department of Education. The U.S. Department of Education prefers that students apply for the Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Program. Prior approval from the U.S. Department of Education is required for dissertation research abroad.

Fellowships are awarded to undergraduate students for

• A formal UC Berkeley or overseas academic program of full-time study during the academic year, including language and area/international studies courses. 
• FLAS recipients must undertake full-time study during the tenure of the award and must be enrolled in a language course and an area/international studies course each semester during the academic year in question. These courses must be taken for letter grades. 
• Undergraduate students must be in the intermediate or advanced study of a critical or less commonly taught language to receive a fellowship.
• Depending upon world area, undergraduate students may use an award only for a formal study abroad program at the intermediate or advanced level of a critical or less commonly taught language. Prior approval from the U.S. Department of Education is required for all FLAS language study abroad.
• FLAS awards are also open to undergraduates studying a South Asian language at the Intermediate or Advanced level. 
• Incoming junior and seniors preferred, and either majoring or minoring in South Asian Studies through the Department of South & Southeast Asian Studies, or majoring in a discipline represented by the core faculty of the Institute for South Asia Studies (Anthropology; Energy and Resources Group; English; Economics; Ethnic Studies; Geography; History; History of Art; Music; Sociology; Political Science; Urban Planning).

ELIGIBILITY

Eligible applicants must be students and citizens, nationals, or permanent residents of the United States. Students in programs that combine modern language training with 1) area or international studies, or 2) research and training in the international aspects of professional or other fields of study, including science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, are encouraged to apply.

Graduate students must be in the intermediate or advanced study of a critical or less commonly taught language to receive a fellowship. An exception might be made for the beginning level of a critical or less commonly taught language if a graduate student has achieved advanced proficiency in another language of the world area of specialization, and if learning a second language of that world area is required for the student’s overall training and expertise. Prior approval from the U.S. Department of Education is required for exceptions to beginning level study. Lowest consideration is given to:

• students who already possess language fluency equivalent to educated native speakers in the language for which the award is sought, including dissertations 
• students applying for dissertation research or writing as opposed to students applying for language acquisition
• Eligible graduate students in any discipline and department may apply for FLAS fellowships, including students in professional schools and the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. In certain cases, FLAS fellowships may be used for language study abroad during an academic year.

ELIGIBILITY

Eligible applicants must be students and citizens, nationals, or permanent residents of the United States. Students in programs that combine modern language training with

• area or international studies 
• research and training in the international aspects of professional or other fields of study, including science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, are encouraged to apply 

Lowest consideration is given to students who already possess language fluency equivalent to educated native speakers in the language for which the award is sought.

Undergraduate FLAS awards may only be given for the intermediate or advanced study of a critical or less commonly taught language. 

FAFSA

Competitive preference is given to applicants who demonstrate financial need as evidenced by submission of the FAFSA.

AWARD

For graduate students, the Academic Year FLAS Fellowship will cover registration fees up to $18000 and provide a stipend of $15,500.

AWARD

The AY FLAS Fellowship will cover registration fees up to $10,000 and provide a stipend of $5,000. If you receive financial aid, you are advised to contact the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office to discuss the impact an Undergraduate FLAS Fellowship may have on your financial aid package.

APPLICATION

FLAS Fellowships are awarded competitively on merit basis through an annual fellowship competition administered by the Title VI National Resource Centers. THE DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT OF THE APPLICATION AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS IS MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2023.

The application requirements are:

• Online application
• Statement of purpose of no more than 1,000 words, outlining your academic plans, career goals and area of specialization, and providing any additional information that may aid the selection committee in evaluating your application. You must indicate what relevance the study of the language of application has to the preparation to your academic program, chosen career and/or future goals. 
• Transcript(s) 
• Two letters of recommendation 
• Page 1 of the Student Aid Report (SAR) from the 2019-2020 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) 

For more information, contact Sanchita Saxena at sanchitas@berkeley.edu

GRADUATE STUDENT APPLICANT - FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q. Can I apply for the year-long FLAS for dissertation research and writing?
A. Because the legislative intent of the FLAS fellowship program is language acquisition and the U.S. Department of Education has a separate dissertation fellowship program (Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Program) with an annual competition, use of the FLAS fellowship for dissertation research is not encouraged. In addition, each world area center has its own policy on awarding FLAS fellowships for dissertation research. Consult the list of world area centers for specific eligibility and application details regarding the possibility of dissertation research abroad.

Q. I am a first-year graduate student. What transcripts do I submit?
A. Provide photocopies of your undergraduate transcript as well as any transcripts with graduate coursework taken. Be sure to cross out your social security number if it is found on your transcript.

Q. Can I work while on the FLAS fellowship?
A. You may work no more than an average of 25% time research or teaching appointment per academic year.

Q. Do I have to take an international and area studies course both in the fall and the spring semesters?
A. Yes. Please make sure that you are enrolled in your language course and an international and area studies course each semester while on fellowship tenure.

Q.Can I take my language and international/area studies courses “pass/fail”?
A. No. The U.S. Department of Education requires that language and international/area studies courses be taken for a letter grade.

Q.What are examples of international and area studies courses?
A. These courses are not limited to courses from the specific departments labeled “Africa,” “East Asia,” etc. Courses within the world area of award are acceptable. For example, for East Asian Studies, Music 134A: Music of the East Asia Tradition; Political Science 143A: Northeast Asian Politics; and Sociology 183C: China in the 1990’s are all acceptable courses for East Asian FLAS fellows.

Q. Do I need to submit a FAFSA to apply for a FLAS Fellowship?
A. Competitive preference will be given to applicants who demonstrate financial need as evidenced by submission of the FAFSA by the time of application. Include with your application Page 1 of your Student Aid Report (SAR).

Q. When should I expect to hear the results of the competition?
A. Results of the competition will be announced as soon as funding decisions have been made by the U.S. Department of Education regarding the FLAS status and budget of each individual area studies center. We anticipate decisions will be made by mid- to late summer.

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT APPLICANT - FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q. I am an undergraduate student at UC Berkeley. Can I apply for an academic year FLAS? 
A. Yes. Undergraduate students who are proposing to study a Less Commonly Taught Language (LCTL) which is defined as any other language other than English, Spanish, German, or French, and who are at the intermediate or advanced level of that study are eligible to apply for an academic year FLAS. Because not all world area centers offer academic year FLAS to undergraduates, consult the list of world area centers for specific eligibility and application details relevant to the proposed language of study.

Q. Do I have to take an international and area studies course both in the fall and the spring semesters?
A. Yes. Please make sure that you are enrolled in your language course and an international and area studies course each semester while on fellowship tenure.

Q. Can I take my language and international/area studies courses “pass/fail”?
A. No. The U.S. Department of Education requires that language and international/area studies courses be taken for a letter grade.

Q. What are examples of international and area studies courses?
A. These courses are not limited to courses from the specific departments labeled “Africa,” “East Asia,” etc. Courses within the world area of award are acceptable. For example, for East Asian Studies, Music 134A: Music of the East Asia Tradition; Political Science 143A: Northeast Asian Politics; and Sociology 183C: China in the 1990’s are all acceptable courses for East Asian FLAS fellows.

Q. Do I need to submit a FAFSA to apply for a FLAS Fellowship?
A. Competitive preference will be given to applicants who demonstrate financial need as evidenced by submission of the FAFSA by the time of application. Include with your application Page 1 of your Student Aid Report (SAR).

Q. When should I expect to hear the results of the competition?
A. Results of the competition will be announced as soon as funding decisions have been made by the U.S. Department of Education regarding the FLAS status and budget of each individual area studies center. We anticipate decisions will be made by mid- to late summer.