Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships

• 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 1 language course per semester.
  • enroll in 1 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-22-23-AY-App-Form

Graduate-22-23-AY-App-Form

 

Undergraduate Summer 2023 App Form

Graduate Summer 2023 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 an Academic Year FLAS Fellow receive?

• Undergraduate students receive an institutional (tuition and fees) payment of up to $10,000 and a subsistence allowance of $5,000.
• Graduate students receive an institutional (tuition and fees) payment of up to $18,000 and a subsistence allowance of $20,000.

How can the Academic Year FLAS Fellowship be used?

• Formal, full-time modern language and area studies coursework at Penn State, including the international aspects of professional or other fields of study.
• Formal, full-time modern language and area studies coursework, including the international aspects of professional or other fields of study, as part of an approved official undergraduate overseas program.
• Full-time dissertation research abroad. The use of the foreign language in the dissertation research must be sufficiently extensive that the 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.

Are there any required courses?

• Academic Year fellows must be taking at least one area studies or international studies course and at least one language course per academic reporting period.

Do I have to be enrolled at Penn State to use the Academic Year FLAS Fellowship abroad?

• Academic Year fellows using the FLAS award abroad must remain enrolled (or receive credit) at his or her home institution. All programs abroad must be approved by US/ED prior to departure.

Can a FLAS recipient begin an academic year award in the spring and continue using the same award to study through the summer and fall?

Can an Academic Year FLAS recipient take a semester or quarter off and finish work for the award period during the summer or following academic year?

• No. Students who do not complete their FLAS requirements during the original award period forfeit the remaining portion of their awards. Similarly, if extenuating circumstances prevent a student from accepting/using a FLAS AY award during the academic year, the fellowship is forfeited and subsequently awarded to a deserving alternate on the FLAS list.

Is a student allowed to use an Academic Year fellowship to enroll in courses at the home institution and to take courses at an overseas institution during the academic year?

• Yes. An AY fellowship recipient is allowed to divide his/her academic year between the home institution and an overseas institution, as long as the student is enrolled full-time and take at least one related area studies course, international studies course, and at least one language course.

If FLAS Fellowships are awarded annually, are the eligible languages always Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Russian or do they change from year-to-year?

• The languages listed above are likely to continue, though there is a chance additional languages could become eligible if they fit federal criteria for FLAS support. Eligible languages are selected from a U.S. Department of Education list, which could change in the future. One time requests for a particular language not on the above list are accepted, and will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

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.

Are non-Penn State students eligible for summer FLAS Fellowships?

• Yes. FLAS granting institutions may consider fellowship applications from students from other FLAS granting institutions.

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 2022-23

Undergraduate

Maram Elmanzalawi (SECED), Arabic 3rd year

Dylan Benson (FIN/CHNS), Chinese 3rd year

Fiona Lum (BIOL), Chinese 3rd year

Johannes Jiang (FIN/CHNS), Chinese 3rd year

Mya Darden (GLIS), Japanese 2nd year

Grey Morgan (ENGL), Japanese 2nd year

Katlyn Thai (FORSC), Japanese 2nd year

Juntae Rocker (KOR/ASIA), Korean 5th year

Nicole Lopez (PSYBA), Portuguese 4th year

Demetrius Merkey (GER/RUS), Russian 4th year

Erica Minnich (INTPL/RUS), Russian 2nd year

James Sayers (PL SC), Russian 3rd year

 

Graduate

Elena Quinones (CMLIT), Arabic 3rd year

Ian Tennison (MIA), Arabic 2nd year

Adam DeCaulp (CMLIT), Korean 1st year

Shannon Fine (CMLIT), Korean 3rd year

Nubia Rivas (MIS), Portuguese 3rd year

 

Summer 2022

Lillian Aronson (INTPL), Arabic 3rd year

Lindsay Walsh (PL SC), Arabic 4th year

Se Morrison (ANTH/HIST/CAMS), Arabic 2nd year

Zachary Clark (HIST), Chinese 4th year

Steven Dong (IST), Chinese 2nd year

Mikaela Speight (PL SC), Chinese 2nd year

Benjamin Johnson (JAPNS/TELCM), Japanese 2nd year

Nicole Lopez (PSYBA), Portuguese 4th year

Nubia Rivaz (MIA), Portuguese 3rd year

Magdalena Madany-Saa (C&I, ED), Quechua/Kichwa 2nd year

Demetrius Merkey (RUS/GER), Russian 3rd year

Vladimyr Morris (PSYBA), Russian 2nd year

Nicholas Birosik (SODA), Russian 3rd year

 

Academic Year 2021-2022

Undergraduate

Samantha Landmesser (CMLIT/PHIL), Arabic 4th year

Nicholas Cedeno (Econ/CHNS), Chinese 3rd year

Cecil Houseknecht (ASIA), Chinese 3rd year

Kathryn Howarth (INTPL/SRA), Chinese 4th year

Fiona Lum (BIOL), Chinese 2nd year

Harrison Brennan (ECON/INTPL/ ASIA), Hindi 2nd year

Kathleen Cempa (Pre-med), Korean 5th year

Kristen Miller (LER/GLIS), Portuguese 4th year

Ross Harps (SRA/RUS/INTPL), Russian 4th year

 

Graduate

Brian Smith (MIA), Arabic 2nd year

Zachary Clark (HIST), Chinese 4th year

Leorah McGinnis (MIA), Chinese 3rd year

Adam VanGorder (MIA), Portuguese 3rd year

 

Summer 2021

Lillian Aronson (INTPL), Arabic 3rd year

Zachary Clark (HIST), Chinese 3rd year

Imani Murray (MATSE/CHNS), Chinese 4th year

Julen Omaechevarria (Chinese), Chinese 3rd year

Kathleen Cempa (Pre-med), Korean 4th year

Kristen Miller (LER/GLIS), Portuguese 3rd year

K’lah Yamada (CMLIT), Portuguese 3rd year

Russel Courter ( RUS), Russian 3rd year

Hannah Scholze (INTPL/GLIS), Russian 4th year

Nicole Jozwik (Art H), Quechua, 1st year

 

Academic Year 2020-2021

Undergraduate

Kathryn Howarth (INTPL/SRA), Chinese 3rd year

Mya LaMaster (JAPNS), Japanese 3rd year

Lia O’Leary (JAPNS), Japanese 3rd year

Kathleen Cempa (Pre-med), Korean 3rd year

Heidy Canales (Public Relations), Portuguese 3rd year

John Bloomingdale (SRA), Russian 4th year

 

Graduate

Neema Esfandi (MIA), Arabic 3rd year

Sara Riordan (MIA), Arabic 3rd year

Caroline Santana (MIA), Portuguese 2nd year

Russian Hayley Ream (MIA), Russian 2nd year

 

Summer 2020

Samantha Landmesser (CMLIT/PHIL), Arabic 3rd year

Ross Harps (IST/SRA), Russian 3rd year

Nicholas Magera (IST/Russian), Russian 4th year

Byron Pollo (RUS/PL SC), Russian 4th year

 

Academic Year 2019-2020

Undergraduate

• Balzer, Joel (History), Arabic 3rd year
• Cavadas, Matthew (Supply Chain), Portuguese 3rd year
• Davis, Lauren (Supply Chain), Korean 3rd year
• Gabrovsek Nicholas (CMPEN), Korean 3rd year
• Hahn, Amber (Chinese), Chinese 4th year
• Heffelfinger, Madison (French and Francophone Studies), Arabic 3rd year
• Reid, Carita (Asia/INTPL), Korean 4th year
• Roupe, Kenneth (Spanish/Russian), Russian 4th year

 

Graduate

• Cockerill, Jennifer (International Affairs), Arabic 5th year
• Correa Jonathan (Comparative Literature), Arabic 2nd year
• Herrera Diaz, Gustavo (Spanish), Portuguese 3rd year
• Jenkins, Erick (International Affairs), Korean 2nd year

 

Summer 2019

Undergraduate

• Baumgardner, William (Russian/INTPL), Russian 3rd year
• De Luna, Michael (Supply Chain), Russian 4th year
  
• Dionicio, Vanessa (Russian/LAS), Russian 3rd year
• Heffelfinger, Madison (French and Francophone Studies), Arabic 2nd year
• Lineaweaver, Jacob (Math), Chinese 3rd year
• Murphy, Luke (Russian/Economics), Russian 4th year
• Pollo, Byron (Russian/INTPL), Russian 2nd year
• Ressler, Ethan (Russian), Russian 2nd year
• Shea, Nicholas (Economics), Russian 3rd year
• Talbot, Amanda (Spanish/Italian), Portuguese 3rd year
• Walker, Mikaela, (Russian/INTPL), Russian 3rd year

 

Graduate

• Pahis, Ashley (SIP/Hispanic Ling), Portuguese 4th year
• Ramos, Eduardo (English), Arabic 2nd year

 

Academic Year 2018-2019

Undergraduate

• Alletto, Maria (Russian), Russian 3rd year
• Anderson, Khallil (Chinese), Korean 3rd year
• Cavadas, Matthew (Finance), Portuguese 2nd year
• Dutko, Tristyn (Asia), Korean 3rd year
• Elkins, Alexandra (Japanese/Asia), Japanese 2nd year
• Finley, Rachel (INTPL,), Russian 4th year
• Ford, Brianna (Journalism), Portuguese 3rd year
• Gabrovsek, Nicholas (Computer Science), Korean 2nd year
• Harpster, Cody (French and Francophone Studies), Arabic 2nd year
• Heffelfinger, Megan (Russian), Russian, 3rd year
• Kisak, Natasha (Russian, German, and INTPL), Russian 4th year
• Lanman, Bailey (ChineseINTPL), Chinese 4th year
• Pugh, Erika (Russian/Finance), Russian 4th year
• Swantek, Kristen (Security and Risk Analysis), Arabic 2nd year
• Roupe, Kenneth (Spanish), Russian 2nd year
• Van Horn, Nora (Asia/Philosophy), Chinese 2nd year
• Yacom, Emily (INTL/INTAF IUG), Japanese 4th year

 

Academic Year 2018-2019

Graduate

• Cockerill, Jennifer (INTAF), Arabic 4th year
• Feichtel, Brittany (Law, International Affairs), Arabic 2nd year
• Gideon, Derek (Comparative Literature), Arabic 3rd year
• McDuffie, Kendra (Comparative Literature), Korean 3rd year

 

Summer 2018

Undergraduate

• Brown, Angelika (Chinese), Chinese 4th year
• Flannery, Erin (Chinese, Security and Risk Analysis), Chinese 3rd year
• Heffelfinger, Megan (Russian, International Politics), Russian 2nd year
• Kisak, Natasha (German, Russian, International Politics), Russian 3rd year
• Pacheco, William, (International Politics), Arabic 2nd year
• Pizarchik, Aimee (Chinese, Security and Risk Analysis), Chinese 4th year

 

Graduate

• Davis, Samantha (History), Yucatec Maya 1st year

 

Summer 2017

Undergraduate

• Alleto, Maria (Political Science, Russian), Russian 3rd year
• Belknap, Celeste (Music Performance, Russian), Russian 4th year
• Benner, Grace (Linguistics, MA in TESL), Korean 5th year
• Doran, Kylie (Anthropology, Russian), Russian 5th year
• Goncalves, Alexander (Philosophy), Portuguese 2nd year
• Kelsey, Elijah (Linguistics, Russian), Russian 3rd year
• Kohlman, Emily (Mediastudies, Russian), Russian 4th year
• Kozar, Daniel (Environmental Systems Engineering), Arabic 2nd year
• Michael, Ross (Supply Chain and Information Systems), Arabic 2nd year
• Nalbandian, Azniv (Women’sstudies, Russian), Russian 3rd year
• Paiste, Logan (CAMS, Chinese, Jewishstudies), Chinese 5th year

 

Graduate

• Billing, Samantha (History), Yucatec Maya (Mexico) 1st year
• Davis, Sara (Spanish, Portuguese), Portuguese 2nd year
• Ihrer, Katrina (International Affairs, Law), Arabic 4th year
• Kinkaid, Eden (Geography), Hindi 5th year
• Waddick, Aubrey (Political Science, Asianstudies), Chinese 4th year

 

Academic Year 2017-2018

Undergraduate

• Black, Benjamin (International Affairs, Asianstudies), Chinese 4th year
• Cornelius, Jason (Aerospace Engineering), Russian 2nd year
• Kohlman, Emily (Mediastudies, Russian), Russian 5th year
• Nalbandian, Azniv (Women’sstudies, Russian), Russian 4th year
• Yocum, Emily (International Politics), Japanese 3rd year

 

Graduate

• Fritzsche, Lauren (Geography), Arabic 4th year
• Gideon, Derek (Comparative Literature), Arabic 2nd year
• Shoppell, Samantha (Art Education), Japanese 4th year
• Ryan, Marie Louise (Geography), Hindi 1st year

 

Summer 2016

Undergraduate

• Bowser, Katie (International Business), Arabic 3rd year
• Doran, Kylie (Anthropology, Russian), Russian 3rd year
• Fisher, Brenna (Criminology, Sociology), Russian 3rd year
• Giblin, Phelim (International Politics, History), Arabic 2nd year
• Hartman, Katrina (Russian), Russian 3rd year
• Holtenrichs, Vance (German, Russian), Russian 3rd year
• Lui, Jonathan (English, Comparative Literature), Chinese 2nd year
• McLaughlin, Stuart (Spanish, Russian), Russian 5th year
• Osipov, Valerie (Advertising, Public Relations), Russian 3rd year
• Voorhees, Robert (International Politics, Russian), Russian 3rd year
• Zdancewicz, Brian (Linguistics, Russian), Russian 3rd year

 

Graduate

• Billing, Samantha (History), Miskitu 1st year
• Gibbs, Jennifer (International Affairs), Arabic 2nd year
• Safi, Lubna (Comparative Literature), Arabic 5th year

 

Academic Year 2016-2017

Undergraduate

• Amidon, Susan (Chinese), Chinese 3rd year
• Belknap, Celeste (Music, Russian), Russian 3rd year
• Giblin, Phelim (International Politics, History), Arabic 3rd year
• Keifer, Daniel (History, Russian), Russian 4th year
• McCormick, Nolan (Biobehavioral Health, Japanese 3rd year
• Nigay, Natalia (Aerospace Engineering, Russian), Russian 4th year
• San Miguel, Marina (Engineering, Russian), Russian 3rd year
• Zoschg, Kayla (Letters, Arts, and Sciences–Linguistics), Arabic 3rd year

 

Graduate

• Aigbedion, Irenae (Comparative Literature), Portuguese 3rd year
• Gibbs, Jennifer (International Affairs), Arabic 3rd year
• Kinkaid, Eden (Geography), Hindi 4th year
• Lawrence, Nathan (International Affairs), Arabic 2nd year
• Louk, Tiffany (International Affairs), Chinese 1st year
• McDuffie, Kendra (Comparative Literature), Japanese 4th year
• Schloss, Benjamin (Psychology), Chinese 4th year

 

Summer 2015

Undergraduate

• Bowser, Katie (International Business, Altoona), 2nd year Arabic, Jordan
• Higson, Julia (Anthropology), 3rd year Japanese, Japan
• Kohlman, Emily (Journalism, International Politics), 2nd year Russian, Russia
• McLaughlin,Stuart (Spanish), 2nd year Russian, Russia
• Nakpil, Joseph (Comparative Literature, Russian), 4th year Russian, Russia
• Smith, Justin (English, Russian), 4th year Russian, Russia

 

Graduate

• Cake, Natalie (International Affairs), 2nd year Arabic
• DiVirgilio, Joseph (International Affairs), 2nd year Arabic, Jordan
• Eissler, Sarah (Rural Sociology), 1st year Portuguese, Brazil
• Schloss, Benjamin (Psychology), 2nd year Chinese, China

 

Academic Year 2015-2016

Undergraduate

• Adduce, Bridget (Chinese), 4th year Chinese
• Aiello, Gena (Japanese), 3rd year Japanese, Japan
• Ajibola, Bolanle (Psychology), 4th year Chinese, Taiwan
• Benner, Grace (Letters, Arts, and Sciences), 4th year Korean, Korea
• Dietrich, Michaela (Asianstudies, Chinese), 3rd year Chinese
• Huitian, Felix (International Politics, History, Italian) 2nd year Portuguese, Brazil
• Kraus, Erika (Community, Environment and Development), 2nd year Arabic, Morocco
• McCormick, Nolan (Biobehavioral Health,theater), 2nd year Japanese
• McLaughlin, Stuart (Spanish), 3rd year Russian
• Wade, Andrew (Asianstudies, Chinese), 4th year Chinese, China

 

Graduate

• Johnson, Kayla (Higher Education, Comparative and International Education), 1st year Chinese
• Levitan, Joseph (Educational Leadership, Comparative and International Education), 1st year Portuguese
• Mengisteab, Daniel (International Affairs), 2nd year Arabic
• Moore, Kathryn (International Affairs), 2nd year Arabic
• Schloss, Benjamin (Psychology), 3rd year Chinese
• Sotomayor, Leslie (Art Education, Women’sstudies), 1st year Arabic
• Zwanzig, Rebekah (Comparative Literature), 3rd year Arabic, Jordan