• Recipients of the FLAS Fellowships are required to complete and submit final reports online to the U.S. Department of Education and will be surveyed every two years following their award for a period of up to eight years.
• Recipients will take pre- and post-award language proficiency assessments.
• Academic year recipients of the award must:
  • enroll in one language course per semester.
  • enroll in one area-studies (international content) course per semester

To be eligible to apply for FLAS Fellowships, students must meet the following criteria:

• Be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States
• Be enrolled in a FLAS-granting institution and in a program combining modern foreign language training with area/international studies or research and training in the international aspects of professional and other fields of study
• Be enrolled in a program of modern foreign language training in a language for which the institution has developed or is developing performance-based instruction
• Show potential for high academic achievement (based on GPA, class ranking, or similar measures determined by the institution)
• Additionally, the selection committee will give priority when awarding fellowships to undergraduate and graduate students who demonstrate financial need as indicated by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). To be considered under the priority category of demonstrated financial need, students are required to complete and submit the FAFSA form to the Student Aid Office by the FLAS deadline.

For more information on the application process and required documents, please check the relevant application forms below. Students from all disciplines are encouraged to apply.

Undergraduate Summer 2026 App Form

Graduate Summer 2026 App Form

What are the eligibility requirements for undergraduate FLAS recipients?

• U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents;
• Enrolled in an institution receiving an allocation of fellowships;
• Enrolled (or accepted for enrollment) in a program that supports modern foreign language training and international or area studies, or research and training in the international aspects of professional or other fields of study;
• Studying a less commonly taught language and studying their language at the intermediate or advanced level.

What are the eligibility requirements for graduate FLAS recipients?

• U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents;
• Enrolled in an institution receiving an allocation of fellowships;
• Enrolled (or accepted for enrollment) in a program that supports modern foreign language training and international or area studies, or research and training in the international aspects of professional or other fields of study.

Ph.D. candidates who would like to use the FLAS Fellowship for dissertation writing at home or dissertation research abroad must have already advanced to candidacy.

What if an Undergraduate student wants to take the beginning level of a language? 

• An Undergraduate student at the beginning level of a language is not eligible to receive a FLAS Fellowship.  An Undergraduate student must be at the Intermediate or Advanced study of a less commonly taught language. 

What if a Graduate student wants to take the beginning level of a language? 

• FLAS Fellowships as a rule are not given for a beginning level of language study. For graduate students, however, an exception might be made for the beginning level of a less commonly taught language if the 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.

What does a Summer FLAS Fellow receive?

• Both Undergraduate and Graduate students receive an institutional payment of $5,000 (this amount provides funds for the recipient’s tuition and fees) and a subsistence allowance of $2,500.

How can the Summer FLAS Fellowship be used?

Can I receive a Summer FLAS if I will graduate in the previous spring?

• No. Only currently enrolled students can receive a Summer FLAS.

Is it okay for a student to use a Summer FLAS Fellowship to attend a domestic program and an overseas program during the same summer award period?

• Yes. A summer fellowship may be used to attend a domestic language program, an overseas language program, or both. The fellow may divide the required program weeks and contact hours between a domestic program and an overseas program.

Is a student allowed to conduct research as part of a FLAS summer language training program?

• No. The student must meet the program duration and contact hours of instruction with intensive language training coursework only. A summer fellowship must offer the student the equivalent of a full-year of classroom language training. It is therefore unallowable to detract from this requirement to conduct research.

What are some summer intensive language programs eligible for FLAS support?

Below is a list of summer language programs that fulfill the FLAS program requirements. FLAS fellowship applicants may also choose to apply for other intensive language programs after they get confirmation from the FLAS office that their chosen program would be accepted by the FLAS selection committee.

Arabic

Learn Arabic | Middlebury Language Schools

Arabic: Immersion: Languages: Language Workshop: Indiana University Bloomington

Summer Arabic Language | Amman | College Study Abroad | CIEE

CET Jordan: Summer Study Abroad – CET Academic Programs

Summer Language Programs – Language Institute at Penn State (psu.edu) (2^nd year courses, ARAB 003 and ARAB 110)

Chinese

Chinese | Middlebury Language Schools

Chinese: Immersion: Languages: Language Workshop: Indiana University Bloomington

Huayu Best Chinese Language Exchange with Penn State – Department of Asian Studies (psu.edu)

Summer Accelerated Chinese Language | Shanghai | College Study Abroad (ciee.org)

Summer Accelerated Chinese Language | Taipei | College Study Abroad | CIEE

CET Harbin: Summer Study Abroad – CET Academic Programs (Prerequisite: 4 semesters of Chinese)

Summer Language Programs – Language Institute at Penn State (psu.edu) (2^nd year courses, CHNS 003 and CHNS 110)

Hindi

Learn Hindi

Japanese

Japanese | Middlebury Language Schools

CET Japan: Summer Study Abroad – CET Academic Programs

Summer Language Programs – Language Institute at Penn State (psu.edu) (2^nd year courses, JAPNS 003  and JAPNS 110)

Korean

Korean | Middlebury Language Schools

Korean Language Center (skku.edu) Sungkyunkwan University 

Portuguese

Portuguese | Middlebury Language Schools

Summer in Brazil | The Stone Center (tulane.edu)

Russian

Russian | Middlebury Language Schools

Russian: Immersion: Languages: Language Workshop: Indiana University Bloomington

SRAS – Yerevan: Russian as a Second Language (heiapply.com)

SRAS – Bishkek: Russian as a Second Language (heiapply.com)

SRAS – Batumi: Russian as a Second Language (heiapply.com)

Advanced Russian Language and Area Studies Program — American Councils Study Abroad

Is a FLAS Fellow allowed to work during the fellowship award period?

• FLAS Fellows are allowed to work during the award period but cannot be required to work in exchange for the FLAS Fellowship. Regardless of work status, all FLAS Fellows are required to be engaged in full-time foreign language and area/international studies course work or dissertation research or writing during the academic year, and in an intensive language study during the summer award period.

Do FLAS recipients receive credit(s) for all studies conducted during their FLAS award?

• Yes. The International and Foreign Language Education (IFLE) office expects FLAS Fellowship recipients to receive full credit from the programs they attend.

Is “Pass/Fail” an allowable grade option for FLAS-supported courses?

• Foreign language and area studies courses should be taken for a letter grade rather than pass/fail. Electives outside the program of foreign language and area studies may be taken on a pass/fail basis if allowed by the institution.

Can individual student FLAS Fellowships be awarded for multiple academic year or summer award periods on the basis of a single FLAS competition and selection process?

• No. Institutions are expected to conduct open, merit-based competitions to select fellows for each fellowship type and each award period (i.e., academic year and summer).

Is there a limit to the number of FLAS Fellowships the same student may receive?

• The program law and regulations do not restrict the cumulative number of academic year or summer fellowships that may be awarded to the same student. However, the same student cannot be given more than one academic year fellowship or more than one summer fellowship during a single budget period. Additionally, FLAS selection committees are not permitted to make fellowship promises to students on a non-competitive basis.

More questions? Send them to flas@psu.edu.

Academic Year 2023-24

Undergraduate

Morgan Evans (INTPL) Arabic third year

Julia Welp (HIST/PL SC) Arabic second year

Zachary Rothman (MKTG) Chinese second year

Jay Reed (JAPNS/CHNS) Japanese second year

Sherry Lee (GLIS) Japanese third year

Brooke Whiteleather (Art/KOR) Korean third year

Fernanda Lopez (COMM) Portuguese third year

Lily Thompson (INTPL/RUS) Russian fourth year

James Shin (GLIS) Russian fourth year

Baybars Charkas (PL SC/FRBA) Russian fourth year

Graduate

William Bame (MIA) Arabic second year

Adam DeCaulp (CMLIT) Korean second year

Shannon Fine (CMLIT) Korean fourth year

Elena Quinones (CMLIT) Arabic fourth year

Summer 2023

Alexander Coberly (Art H) Chinese first year

Cassandra Blasi (SC&IS/CHNS) Chinese fourth year

Mikaela Speight (PL SC/CHNS) Chinese fourth year

Faith Pallone-Castaneda (ASIA) Chinese second year

Mya Darden (GLIS) Japanese third year

Norma Watson (HIST/AAS) Portuguese second year

Raymond Friend (MATH) Portuguese second year

James Shin (GLIS) Russian third year

Baybars Charkas (PL SC/FR) Russian third year

Demetrius Merkey (GER/RUS) Russian fifth year

Lily Thompson (PL SC/RUS) Russian third year

Academic Year 2022-23

Undergraduate

Maram Elmanzalawi (SECED), Arabic third year

Dylan Benson (FIN/CHNS), Chinese third year

Fiona Lum (BIOL), Chinese third year

Johannes Jiang (FIN/CHNS), Chinese third year

Mya Darden (GLIS), Japanese second year

Grey Morgan (ENGL), Japanese second year

Katlyn Thai (FORSC), Japanese second year

Juntae Rocker (KOR/ASIA), Korean fifth year

Nicole Lopez (PSYBA), Portuguese fourth year

Demetrius Merkey (GER/RUS), Russian fourth year

Erica Minnich (INTPL/RUS), Russian second year

James Sayers (PL SC), Russian third year

Graduate

Elena Quinones (CMLIT), Arabic third year

Ian Tennison (MIA), Arabic second year

Adam DeCaulp (CMLIT), Korean first year

Shannon Fine (CMLIT), Korean third year

Nubia Rivas (MIS), Portuguese third year

Summer 2022

Lillian Aronson (INTPL), Arabic third year

Lindsay Walsh (PL SC), Arabic fourth year

Se Morrison (ANTH/HIST/CAMS), Arabic second year

Zachary Clark (HIST), Chinese fourth year

Steven Dong (IST), Chinese second year

Mikaela Speight (PL SC), Chinese second year

Benjamin Johnson (JAPNS/TELCM), Japanese second year

Nicole Lopez (PSYBA), Portuguese fourth year

Nubia Rivaz (MIA), Portuguese third year

Magdalena Madany-Saa (C&I, ED), Quechua/Kichwa second year

Demetrius Merkey (RUS/GER), Russian third year

Vladimyr Morris (PSYBA), Russian second year

Nicholas Birosik (SODA), Russian third year

Academic Year 2021-2022

Undergraduate

Samantha Landmesser (CMLIT/PHIL), Arabic fourth year

Nicholas Cedeno (Econ/CHNS), Chinese third year

Cecil Houseknecht (ASIA), Chinese third year

Kathryn Howarth (INTPL/SRA), Chinese fourth year

Fiona Lum (BIOL), Chinese second year

Harrison Brennan (ECON/INTPL/ ASIA), Hindi second year

Kathleen Cempa (Pre-med), Korean fifth year

Kristen Miller (LER/GLIS), Portuguese fourth year

Ross Harps (SRA/RUS/INTPL), Russian fourth year

Graduate

Brian Smith (MIA), Arabic second year

Zachary Clark (HIST), Chinese fourth year

Leorah McGinnis (MIA), Chinese third year

Adam VanGorder (MIA), Portuguese third year

Summer 2021

Lillian Aronson (INTPL), Arabic third year

Zachary Clark (HIST), Chinese third year

Imani Murray (MATSE/CHNS), Chinese fourth year

Julen Omaechevarria (Chinese), Chinese third year

Kathleen Cempa (Pre-med), Korean fourth year

Kristen Miller (LER/GLIS), Portuguese third year

K’lah Yamada (CMLIT), Portuguese third year

Russel Courter ( RUS), Russian third year

Hannah Scholze (INTPL/GLIS), Russian fourth year

Nicole Jozwik (Art H), Quechua, first year

Academic Year 2020-2021

Undergraduate

Kathryn Howarth (INTPL/SRA), Chinese third year

Mya LaMaster (JAPNS), Japanese third year

Lia O’Leary (JAPNS), Japanese third year

Kathleen Cempa (Pre-med), Korean third year

Heidy Canales (Public Relations), Portuguese third year

John Bloomingdale (SRA), Russian fourth year

Graduate

Neema Esfandi (MIA), Arabic third year

Sara Riordan (MIA), Arabic third year

Caroline Santana (MIA), Portuguese second year

Russian Hayley Ream (MIA), Russian second year

Summer 2020

Samantha Landmesser (CMLIT/PHIL), Arabic third year

Ross Harps (IST/SRA), Russian third year

Nicholas Magera (IST/Russian), Russian fourth year

Byron Pollo (RUS/PL SC), Russian fourth year

Academic Year 2019-2020

Undergraduate

• Balzer, Joel (History), Arabic third year
• Cavadas, Matthew (Supply Chain), Portuguese third year
• Davis, Lauren (Supply Chain), Korean third year
• Gabrovsek Nicholas (CMPEN), Korean third year
• Hahn, Amber (Chinese), Chinese fourth year
• Heffelfinger, Madison (French and Francophone Studies), Arabic third year
• Reid, Carita (Asia/INTPL), Korean fourth year
• Roupe, Kenneth (Spanish/Russian), Russian fourth year

Graduate

• Cockerill, Jennifer (International Affairs), Arabic fifth year
• Correa Jonathan (Comparative Literature), Arabic second year
• Herrera Diaz, Gustavo (Spanish), Portuguese third year
• Jenkins, Erick (International Affairs), Korean second year

Summer 2019

Undergraduate

• Baumgardner, William (Russian/INTPL), Russian third year
• De Luna, Michael (Supply Chain), Russian fourth year
  
• Dionicio, Vanessa (Russian/LAS), Russian third year
• Heffelfinger, Madison (French and Francophone Studies), Arabic second year
• Lineaweaver, Jacob (Math), Chinese third year
• Murphy, Luke (Russian/Economics), Russian fourth year
• Pollo, Byron (Russian/INTPL), Russian second year
• Ressler, Ethan (Russian), Russian second year
• Shea, Nicholas (Economics), Russian third year
• Talbot, Amanda (Spanish/Italian), Portuguese third year
• Walker, Mikaela, (Russian/INTPL), Russian third year

Graduate

• Pahis, Ashley (SIP/Hispanic Ling), Portuguese fourth year
• Ramos, Eduardo (English), Arabic second year

Academic Year 2018-2019

Undergraduate

• Alletto, Maria (Russian), Russian third year
• Anderson, Khallil (Chinese), Korean third year
• Cavadas, Matthew (Finance), Portuguese second year
• Dutko, Tristyn (Asia), Korean third year
• Elkins, Alexandra (Japanese/Asia), Japanese second year
• Finley, Rachel (INTPL,), Russian fourth year
• Ford, Brianna (Journalism), Portuguese third year
• Gabrovsek, Nicholas (Computer Science), Korean second year
• Harpster, Cody (French and Francophone Studies), Arabic second year
• Heffelfinger, Megan (Russian), Russian, third year
• Kisak, Natasha (Russian, German, and INTPL), Russian fourth year
• Lanman, Bailey (ChineseINTPL), Chinese fourth year
• Pugh, Erika (Russian/Finance), Russian fourth year
• Swantek, Kristen (Security and Risk Analysis), Arabic second year
• Roupe, Kenneth (Spanish), Russian second year
• Van Horn, Nora (Asia/Philosophy), Chinese second year
• Yacom, Emily (INTL/INTAF IUG), Japanese fourth year

Academic Year 2018-2019

Graduate

• Cockerill, Jennifer (INTAF), Arabic fourth year
• Feichtel, Brittany (Law, International Affairs), Arabic second year
• Gideon, Derek (Comparative Literature), Arabic third year
• McDuffie, Kendra (Comparative Literature), Korean third year

Summer 2018

Undergraduate

• Brown, Angelika (Chinese), Chinese fourth year
• Flannery, Erin (Chinese, Security and Risk Analysis), Chinese third year
• Heffelfinger, Megan (Russian, International Politics), Russian second year
• Kisak, Natasha (German, Russian, International Politics), Russian third year
• Pacheco, William, (International Politics), Arabic second year
• Pizarchik, Aimee (Chinese, Security and Risk Analysis), Chinese fourth year

Graduate

• Davis, Samantha (History), Yucatec Maya first year

Summer 2017

Undergraduate

• Alleto, Maria (Political Science, Russian), Russian third year
• Belknap, Celeste (Music Performance, Russian), Russian fourth year
• Benner, Grace (Linguistics, MA in TESL), Korean fifth year
• Doran, Kylie (Anthropology, Russian), Russian fifth year
• Goncalves, Alexander (Philosophy), Portuguese second year
• Kelsey, Elijah (Linguistics, Russian), Russian third year
• Kohlman, Emily (Mediastudies, Russian), Russian fourth year
• Kozar, Daniel (Environmental Systems Engineering), Arabic second year
• Michael, Ross (Supply Chain and Information Systems), Arabic second year
• Nalbandian, Azniv (Women’sstudies, Russian), Russian third year
• Paiste, Logan (CAMS, Chinese, Jewishstudies), Chinese fifth year

Graduate

• Billing, Samantha (History), Yucatec Maya (Mexico) first year
• Davis, Sara (Spanish, Portuguese), Portuguese second year
• Ihrer, Katrina (International Affairs, Law), Arabic fourth year
• Kinkaid, Eden (Geography), Hindi fifth year
• Waddick, Aubrey (Political Science, Asianstudies), Chinese fourth year

Academic Year 2017-2018

Undergraduate

• Black, Benjamin (International Affairs, Asianstudies), Chinese fourth year
• Cornelius, Jason (Aerospace Engineering), Russian second year
• Kohlman, Emily (Mediastudies, Russian), Russian fifth year
• Nalbandian, Azniv (Women’sstudies, Russian), Russian fourth year
• Yocum, Emily (International Politics), Japanese third year

Graduate

• Fritzsche, Lauren (Geography), Arabic fourth year
• Gideon, Derek (Comparative Literature), Arabic second year
• Shoppell, Samantha (Art Education), Japanese fourth year
• Ryan, Marie Louise (Geography), Hindi first year

Summer 2016

Undergraduate

• Bowser, Katie (International Business), Arabic third year
• Doran, Kylie (Anthropology, Russian), Russian third year
• Fisher, Brenna (Criminology, Sociology), Russian third year
• Giblin, Phelim (International Politics, History), Arabic second year
• Hartman, Katrina (Russian), Russian third year
• Holtenrichs, Vance (German, Russian), Russian third year
• Lui, Jonathan (English, Comparative Literature), Chinese second year
• McLaughlin, Stuart (Spanish, Russian), Russian fifth year
• Osipov, Valerie (Advertising, Public Relations), Russian third year
• Voorhees, Robert (International Politics, Russian), Russian third year
• Zdancewicz, Brian (Linguistics, Russian), Russian third year

Graduate

• Billing, Samantha (History), Miskitu first year
• Gibbs, Jennifer (International Affairs), Arabic second year
• Safi, Lubna (Comparative Literature), Arabic fifth year

Academic Year 2016-2017

Undergraduate

• Amidon, Susan (Chinese), Chinese third year
• Belknap, Celeste (Music, Russian), Russian third year
• Giblin, Phelim (International Politics, History), Arabic third year
• Keifer, Daniel (History, Russian), Russian fourth year
• McCormick, Nolan (Biobehavioral Health, Japanese third year
• Nigay, Natalia (Aerospace Engineering, Russian), Russian fourth year
• San Miguel, Marina (Engineering, Russian), Russian third year
• Zoschg, Kayla (Letters, Arts, and Sciences–Linguistics), Arabic third year

Graduate

• Aigbedion, Irenae (Comparative Literature), Portuguese third year
• Gibbs, Jennifer (International Affairs), Arabic third year
• Kinkaid, Eden (Geography), Hindi fourth year
• Lawrence, Nathan (International Affairs), Arabic second year
• Louk, Tiffany (International Affairs), Chinese first year
• McDuffie, Kendra (Comparative Literature), Japanese fourth year
• Schloss, Benjamin (Psychology), Chinese fourth year

Summer 2015

Undergraduate

• Bowser, Katie (International Business, Altoona), second year Arabic, Jordan
• Higson, Julia (Anthropology), third year Japanese, Japan
• Kohlman, Emily (Journalism, International Politics), second year Russian, Russia
• McLaughlin,Stuart (Spanish), second year Russian, Russia
• Nakpil, Joseph (Comparative Literature, Russian), fourth year Russian, Russia
• Smith, Justin (English, Russian), fourth year Russian, Russia

Graduate

• Cake, Natalie (International Affairs), second year Arabic
• DiVirgilio, Joseph (International Affairs), second year Arabic, Jordan
• Eissler, Sarah (Rural Sociology), first year Portuguese, Brazil
• Schloss, Benjamin (Psychology), second year Chinese, China

Academic Year 2015-2016

Undergraduate

• Adduce, Bridget (Chinese), fourth year Chinese
• Aiello, Gena (Japanese), third year Japanese, Japan
• Ajibola, Bolanle (Psychology), fourth year Chinese, Taiwan
• Benner, Grace (Letters, Arts, and Sciences), fourth year Korean, Korea
• Dietrich, Michaela (Asianstudies, Chinese), third year Chinese
• Huitian, Felix (International Politics, History, Italian) second year Portuguese, Brazil
• Kraus, Erika (Community, Environment and Development), second year Arabic, Morocco
• McCormick, Nolan (Biobehavioral Health,theater), second year Japanese
• McLaughlin, Stuart (Spanish), third year Russian
• Wade, Andrew (Asianstudies, Chinese), fourth year Chinese, China

Graduate

• Johnson, Kayla (Higher Education, Comparative and International Education), first year Chinese
• Levitan, Joseph (Educational Leadership, Comparative and International Education), first year Portuguese
• Mengisteab, Daniel (International Affairs), second year Arabic
• Moore, Kathryn (International Affairs), second year Arabic
• Schloss, Benjamin (Psychology), third year Chinese
• Sotomayor, Leslie (Art Education, Women’sstudies), first year Arabic
• Zwanzig, Rebekah (Comparative Literature), third year Arabic, Jordan