Critical Language Scholarship (CLS)

Application Deadline: 

Applications are due in November each year. There is no campus deadline.

Who Should Apply?: 

Undergraduate students

Scholarship Website: 

Critical Language Scholarship (CLS)

The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program offers an intensive summer opportunity for American college and university students to gain proficiency in one of a dozen critical languages essential to the United States’ global engagement. Languages include Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Swahili, Turkish, and Urdu.

The CLS Program, funded by the U.S. Department of State, provides U.S. students from all degree programs with the chance to experience immersive language and cultural learning. Participants can choose between two pathways to study critical languages: in-person (CLS Program) or online (CLS Spark).

CLS Program
The in-person CLS Program allows students to spend eight to ten weeks abroad learning one of the selected critical languages while earning academic credit. Classes are taught by native speakers at host institutions abroad. The scholarship covers round-trip travel, tuition, group excursions, and a modest stipend for living expenses. Many of the languages offered through the CLS Program do not require prior language experience. For detailed information about languages and proficiency levels, visit: https://clscholarship.org/languages.

CLS Spark
The CLS Spark initiative provides beginner-level virtual language instruction in Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Russian, as well as advanced beginner-level instruction in Japanese. This pathway is open to undergraduate students who are eager to start their journey into language learning.

Eligibility Requirements:

  • A U.S. citizen or national
  • At least 18 years old by May of the program year
  • Enrolled in an accredited U.S. degree-granting program at the time of application

Application Components:

For more information and advising, email ONSA at: onsa [at] honors [dot] umass [dot] edu (onsa[at]honors[dot]umass[dot]edu)