The Boren Awards fund the intensive study of language and culture abroad by U.S. undergraduate or graduate students. All eligible applicants have the option to either apply for a Regional Flagship Language Initiative or select/design their own study program.
Apply for a Regional Flagship Language Initiative
Boren Awards Regional Flagship Language Initiatives offer undergraduate Boren Scholars and graduate Boren Fellows carefully-selected, credit-bearing language courses during the summer (domestic) and fall (overseas), with the option to continue overseas study into the spring. In 2023, the Regional Flagship Language Initiatives include:
- The African Flagship Languages Initiative (AFLI) for the study of French, Swahili, Akan/Twi, Wolof, or Zulu
- The Southeast Asian Flagship Language Initiative (SEAFLI) for the study of Indonesian, Vietnamese, and Thai
- The South Asian Flagship Languages Initiative (SAFLI) for the study of Hindi or Urdu
- The Turkish Flagship Language Initiative (TURFLI) for the study of Turkish
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Select/Design Your Own Study Program -- See Below
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Graduate-Level Research & Study (Boren Fellows Only) |
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Summer Domestic Option (Boren Fellows Only) |
Basic Eligibility Requirements
The majority of eligible students will apply for Boren Awards to fund overseas language study programs that they have identified themselves. Program design guidelines differ slightly where noted for undergraduate Boren Scholars and graduate Boren Fellows.
All applicants must be:
- U.S. citizens at the time of the national application deadline
- A high school graduate, or have earned a GED
- At least 18 years of age or older at the time of the national application deadline
- Planning an overseas program in an overseas location outside of Western Europe, Canada, Australia, or New Zealand
- Planning to study in an overseas location of which they are not a citizen
- Matriculated for the duration of their Boren Awards-funded program in an undergraduate or graduate degree program located within the United States and accredited by a body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education
- (For ROTC cadets and midshipmen and members of the military Reserves or National Guard) In inactive, non-drilling status for the duration of their Boren Awards-funded program
In addition to these basic eligibility criteria, the Boren Awards give preference to programs based on their duration, focus on intensive study of a preferred language in a preferred overseas location, and the applicant’s field of study.
Boren Fellows have additional guidelines for self-designed research, internship, and study programs. They are also eligible to receive funding for in-person domestic summer language programs immediately prior to their overseas study.
A specific subset of Boren Scholarships applicants already enrolled in The Language Flagship may receive funding for their Capstone year abroad. They use the same application as other applicants.
Matriculation & Academic Credit
Boren Scholars and Fellows must remain matriculated in a degree program at a U.S. post-secondary institution for the duration of their Boren Awards-funded program. To prove matriculation, grantees will be required to submit a signed matriculation form or may also submit a letter from a dean or registrar at their home institution stating that their graduation date will occur after the completion of their Boren Scholarship or Fellowship.
Boren Scholarships applicants must be matriculated in an associate’s or bachelor’s degree program located within the United States and accredited by a body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time of application. They must remain matriculated in an undergraduate degree program for the duration of the scholarship and may not graduate until the scholarship is complete.
Boren Fellowships applicants may be matriculated in or applying to a graduate degree program located within the United States and accredited by a body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Boren Fellows must be matriculated in a graduate degree program by the start date of their fellowship and may not graduate until the fellowship is complete. Eligible graduate degree programs include master’s (MA, MS, MBA, LLM and others), juris doctor (JD), or doctoral (PhD, MD and others) programs. Non-degree certificate programs are not eligible by themselves.
The Boren Awards do not require grantees to receive academic credit at their home institution for their overseas study. Many types of programs may be eligible to receive Boren Awards funding, including:
- Study abroad programs arranged by your home institution, a consortium of colleges and universities, or another U.S. institution
- Overseas programs with a robust language component arranged by an independent provider
- Direct enrollment in a foreign university or independent language school
In addition to reviewing study abroad opportunities available through their home institutions, applicants may consult search engines for international study programs such as IIEPassport.org, GoAbroad.com, and GoOverseas.com. (Note that some information on these websites may be out of date. Applicants should confirm program details and costs directly with their providers.)
Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact their Boren Awards Campus Representative as early as possible in the application process to discuss how to ensure compatibility between their proposed Boren Awards-funded program and their institution’s matriculation requirements. Campus Representatives and administrators with questions about Boren Awards matriculation requirements are encouraged to contact us at boren@iie.org or 1-800-618-NSEP (6737).
Duration & Maximum Awards
The Boren Awards promote long-term linguistic and cultural immersion. Proposed programs of two or more semesters are strongly encouraged. Preference will be given to Boren Awards applicants proposing overseas programs of at least 25 weeks’ duration. The minimum duration of an eligible program is 12 weeks for most Boren Awards applicants. (A special exception to this rule exists for undergraduate STEM majors, who may propose summer programs of 8 weeks or longer -- see below).
Boren Awards funding in the 2025 application cycle may be applied to programs starting as early as June 1, 2025 or as late as March 1, 2026. (Note: Funding for program expenses incurred after May 31, 2026 is contingent upon availability and cannot be guaranteed at the time of award. Confirmation of availability of funds for study beyond May 31, 2026 will be communicated to recipients in Spring 2026.)
Boren Awards funding must cover a continuous period of overseas study. Short mid-program trips out of the overseas location of study are allowed but will need to be pre-approved by IIE. Multiple, sequential programs in the same language and overseas location are eligible for Boren Awards funding and may be necessary to reach the desired award threshold.
Study tours of several overseas locations, such as a semester at sea, are not eligible for Boren Awards funding.
Boren Scholarships Award Amounts:
- 8-11 weeks: $8,000 for a summer program (STEM majors only)
- 12-24 weeks: $12,500
- 25-52 weeks: $25,000
Boren Fellowships Award Amounts:
- 12-24 weeks: $12,500
- 25-52 weeks: $25,000
Boren Fellows have the option to apply for a domestic summer intensive language courses taken in-person. If requested, the maximum total combined domestic and overseas award amount is $30,000. See further guidance below.
The total award amounts are based on the duration overseas and/or eligible summer program as listed in the application and approved by Boren. However, financial aid from other sources applied to the overseas study program must be reported and may affect the total Boren Awards grant. Student loans will not affect the grant. See the Boren Scholarships application instructions and Boren Fellowships application instructions for additional guidance.
Budget Guidelines
Boren Scholarships and Fellowship funding is designed to cover the majority of an awardee’s overseas expenses. The award is not all-inclusive. Applicants and awardees are encouraged to download and utilize this Boren budget template to compile the costs related to their overseas program. For more information on the budget guidelines click here.
Intensive Language Study
All Boren Awards-funded programs must include language study as a core element for the duration of the grant. Applicants are encouraged to select or design programs that will provide an immersive environment both in the classroom and through extracurricular activities in order to demonstrate their commitment to language study.
Boren Scholars should seek study abroad programs that have a serious language component. Although such programs may include some coursework, unpaid internships, or volunteer opportunities conducted in English, the strongest applicants will make every effort to immerse themselves in language study. Language study should comprise the majority of overseas coursework. Beyond the classroom, language immersion may take place in university housing with local students, in homestays with local families, or through research or volunteering conducted in the local language.
Boren Fellows must have a serious language component in their overseas study proposals. This is the only required element, so proposals to enroll in a traditional language program will be sufficient. Graduate students are encouraged to simultaneously pursue research relevant to their degrees, additional academic coursework, and/or internships. If these activities are conducted in the target language, they may be considered part of the language component of the proposal. Graduate students may also supplement their overseas study with private tutoring.
The Boren Awards do not have a minimum proficiency requirement for most languagesǂ. We recognize that courses in many of the preferred languages listed below are not available at most colleges and universities. There is also no maximum proficiency limit for the Boren Awards; many grantees begin their Boren Awards-funded study at an already-advanced level. Whatever their starting proficiency level, applicants should select language programs appropriate to their level and set realistic goals for improving their proficiency.
Languages should be studied in a preferred overseas location where they are spoken by a significant portion of the population.
In very few cases, Boren Awards may be granted to applicants studying non-preferred languages indigenous to preferred overseas locations. Applicants seeking such awards must make an especially strong argument for the value of their language study to U.S. national security and public service in their application essays.
Applicants should propose an overseas program and plan that makes the most sense for them in order to reach their language and culture learning goals. Applicants may view a list of recent language programs that Boren recipients have studied through. This list reflects on recent award years and is not inclusive; rather, it is provided as a starting point and resource for applicants.
Boren Awards Preferred Languages
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· African Languages** · Akan/Twi - AFLI* · Albanian · Amharic · Arabic · Armenian · Azerbaijani · Bambara · Belarusian · Bengali · Bosnian · Bulgarian · Cantonese · Croatian · Czech · Gan |
· Georgian · Haitian Creole · Hausa · Hebrew · Hindi - SAFLI* · Hungarian · Indonesian - SEAFLI* · Japanese · Javanese · Kannada · Kazakh · Khmer (Cambodian) · Korean · Kurdish · Kyrgyz · Lingala |
· Macedonian · Malay · Malayalam · Mandarin · Moldovan · Nepali · Pashto · Persian · Polish · Portuguese · Punjabi · Romanian · Russian · Serbian · Sinhala · Slovak · Slovenian |
· Swahili - AFLI* · Tagalog · Tajik · Tamil · Telegu · Thai - SEAFLI* · Turkmen · Turkish - TURFLI* · Uighur · Ukrainian · Urdu - SAFLI* · Uzbek · Vietnamese - SEAFLI* · Wolof - AFLI* · Yoruba · Zulu - AFLI* |
*Boren Awards funding for these languages is also available outside of AFLI, SAFLI, SEAFLI, or TURFLI.
**All languages indigenous to preferred overseas locations in Africa are preferred languages for the Boren Awards
ǂSpecial Note on French and Spanish
French is a preferred language only through the African Flagship Languages Initiative, which is appropriate for students at the intermediate-high (ILR 1+ in Speaking) or greater proficiency level in French. For all other applicants, study of French or Spanish is only permissible for advanced speakers (ILR 2 or greater in Speaking) of the language, or at the intermediate level (ILR 1 or greater in Speaking) if enrolled in a STEM field. Such proposals are eligible for funding but will not be considered to meet the Boren Awards language preference. Any award granted for the study of French or Spanish will be made contingent upon verification, through testing, of the student's language level.
See this language self-assessment guide for more information on how to rate your proficiency in these languages.
Preferred Overseas Locations
Boren Awards fund study in Africa, Asia, Central & Eastern Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. The countries of Western Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand (colored grey in the map below) are always ineligible for Boren Awards funding.
All overseas locations marked on the list and map below are preferred Boren Awards destinations:
- Overseas locations in green are unrestricted. Applicants need only select eligible program(s) based in those overseas locations, unless they are planning to study Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, or Russian. Applicants for those languages, regardless of preferred destination, must select a backup location not marked with an asterisk (*) in case their primary overseas location of study is not approved.
- Overseas locations in blue or marked with an asterisk (*) are destinations that will likely not be approved for Boren Awards travel in 2025. Applicants to these overseas locations must include a viable alternate program in another, unrestricted overseas location appropriate for immersive study of the same language.
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Overseas locations in yellow
Languages should be studied in an overseas location where they are spoken by a significant portion of the population.
Boren Awards Preferred Overseas Locations
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· Albania · Algeria* · Angola · Argentina · Armenia · Azerbaijan · Bahrain · Bangladesh* · Belarus* · Benin · Bosnia & Herzegovina · Brazil · Bulgaria · Cambodia · Cape Verde · Chile · China · Colombia · Congo, Democratic Republic of the* · Congo, Republic of the · Cote d'Ivoire · Croatia |
· Cuba* · Czech Republic · Egypt* · El Salvador · Eritrea* · Estonia · Ethiopia · Georgia · Ghana · Guatemala · Haiti* · Honduras* · Hungary · India · Indonesia · Israel · Japan · Jordan · Kazakhstan · Kenya · Korea, South · Kosovo · Kuwait |
· Kyrgyzstan · Latvia · Lebanon* · Liberia · Macedonia · Malaysia · Mali* · Mexico · Moldova · Montenegro · Morocco · Mozambique · Nepal · Nicaragua · Nigeria* · Oman · Pakistan* · Panama · Peru · Philippines · Poland · Qatar · Romania |
· Russia* · Rwanda · Saudi Arabia* · Senegal · Serbia · Sierra Leone · Slovakia · Slovenia · South Africa · Sri Lanka · Taiwan · Tajikistan · Tanzania · Thailand · Timor-Leste · Tunisia* · Turkey* · Uganda · Ukraine* · United Arab Emirates · Uzbekistan · Venezuela* · Vietnam |
Field of Study
The Boren Awards give preference to applicants who will be matriculated in degree programs (i.e. majoring or double-majoring) in the following fields of study. These fields of study are summary categories -- applicants should choose the field of study that most closely resembles their major subject(s) of study.
Note that only undergraduates majoring in subjects marked as STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) are eligible for summer-only awards of at least eight weeks’ duration.
The Boren Awards are available to students from other fields of study than those listed below. Applicants from other fields of study will need to explain clearly how they will make competitive applicants for specific public service careers in their second application essay.
Boren Awards Preferred Fields of Study
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· Agricultural & Food Sciences - STEM · Anthropology · Archaeology · Area Studies · Astronomy - STEM · Biology - STEM · Business · Chemistry - STEM · Computer & Information Sciences - STEM · Criminal Justice · Cybersecurity - STEM |
· Economics · Engineering - STEM · Environmental Studies - STEM · Geography · Geology - STEM · History · International Affairs · International Development · Languages · Law · Linguistics |
· Mathematics - STEM · Medical Sciences - STEM · Military Science · Nursing - STEM · Physics - STEM · Political Science · Psychology · Public Administration · Public Health - STEM · Social Sciences · Social Work · Sociology |
Graduate-Level Research (Boren Fellows Only)
The Boren Fellowships are designed to give graduate students maximum flexibility to pursue their academic goals alongside their study of the target language. As noted above, Boren Fellows may concentrate only on language study during their time abroad -- such an application will be given equal consideration. Language study throughout the duration of the grant may be supplemented with any or all of the following activities:
- Academic Internship: Boren Fellows may conduct internships related to their degree programs while abroad. Internships conducted during the period of a Boren Awards grant may not be remunerated, nor may they be conducted with the U.S. or a foreign government. If you have questions about an internship with an organization with ties to the U.S. or a foreign government, please contact us at boren@iie.org or 1-800-618-6737 ext.1. Boren Fellows also may not work as journalists while abroad, even if the work is freelance or unpaid.
- Classroom Study: Boren Fellows may enroll in or audit courses in their academic disciplines at overseas institutions while abroad.
- Research: Boren Fellows are encouraged to conduct research related to graduate theses or dissertations while abroad.
Boren Fellows with sufficiently advanced skills in the target language may be able to conduct any of the above activities in that language. They are also encouraged to supplement those activities with languages courses or tutoring. If advanced language immersion or supplemental tutoring are part of the proposed program, applicants should make this explicit in the study program description.
Applicants proposing internships, other classroom study, or research are strongly advised to secure letters of affiliation from overseas host institutions or faculty and attach them to their applications.
All elements of the proposed program -- language study, internships, other classroom study, or research -- should be tied to U.S. national security and public service in the application essays.
Summer Domestic Option (Independent Boren Fellows Only)
The Boren Fellowships offer up to $12,000 for in-person, summer intensive language study. If requested, the maximum total combined domestic and overseas award amount is $30,000. Domestic study is entirely optional, but may be useful preparation for Boren Fellows whose overseas program requires that they arrive at their overseas location with strong language skills.
Domestic funding is limited to the summer immediately before the applicant’s proposed program overseas. Therefore, in order to be eligible for domestic funding, the applicant must have an overseas program that starts no later than September 30. Additional rules for domestic study include:
- Boren Fellows may receive domestic funding for study at their own institution or other U.S. academic institutions.
- Domestic funding must be for the primary language the applicant plans to study while overseas.
- Domestic funding for tutors, commercial services, and/or self-study guides will not be provided.
- Domestic funding is for in-person language classes only. Boren will not fund virtual programs nor other academic coursework, internships, or research conducted in the United States.
- Applicants planning on taking language classes at their home university or in their local area are eligible to utilize funding for tuition and fees only. Applicants planning domestic summer intensive language study in a different geographic area will also be eligible for room and board funding. The Boren Fellowship does not cover travel or relocation expenses associated with domestic funding.