FOREIGN LANGUAGE AND AREA STUDIES FELLOWSHIPS (FLAS)
offered by the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies

Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) fellowships support graduate students who will study Brazilian Portuguese, Amerindian languages (Quechua/Quichua, Nahuatl) or another less commonly taught language (summer study only) as an integral part of an academic program.

FLAS applicants should have scholarly and professional interests that focus on Latin America or the Caribbean. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or have permanent resident status.  Applicants must plan to enroll full-time in a graduate degree program at NYU for 2008-09. Incoming applicants to NYU and currently enrolled NYU students are eligible to apply. Students from all NYU graduate degree programs in all NYU graduate schools are eligible to receive FLAS Fellowships.

Competitive priorities for 2008-09 FLAS fellowships include 1) applicants who will achieve advanced-level language proficiency before graduation and 2) master's level applicants who plan to pursue careers in public service, and 3) applicants studying less commonly taught languages, as defined by the Department of Education (Portuguese).

Click here for a list of summer programs in less-commonly taught and indigenous Latin American languages offered by universities throughout the United States. These programs are approved for FLAS travel. This list is only a sample of programs. Students may also apply for FLAS study offered by private intitutions. Approvals must be granted by the U.S. Department of Education before a student can register.

There are two kinds of FLAS fellowships:

• Academic Year FLAS fellowships will consist of 24 points of NYU tuition remission and a stipend of approximately $22,000. Academic Year FLAS fellowships are for students engaged in a domestic or overseas program of full-time language and area or international studies coursework.
• The above funding levels apply to GSAS students. Students from other NYU schools will be subject to funding levels approved by their respective Admissions offices.

• Summer FLAS fellowships cover the cost of tuition up to $4,000 plus a stipend of approximately $2,500. Summer language awards must be used to attend beginner intensive language study programs in the U.S. or intermediate or advanced programs overseas that meet language proficiency standards set by the U.S. Department of Education. Attendance at any particular summer program with a FLAS fellowship will be contingent upon the availability of matching funds beyond the $4,000 Department of Education tuition cap.

• Complete application form available here 
• Personal statement
• Current transcript
• two letters of recommendation
• Due no later than February 29, 2008, 5:00 p.m. 

1. All awards are subject to U.S. Department of Education policies. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or have permanent resident status. Eligible languages of study at NYU are Portuguese (Brazil only), Quechua, or in some instances Spanish (Latin America only).  Competitive priority will be given to applicants studying Portuguese. Students in all graduate degree-granting programs at NYU are eligible to apply. Competitive priority will be given to master's level students and applicants who are considering careers in public service. Students at all levels of language proficiency, except those with native fluency, are encouraged to apply. Competitive priority will be given to students who expect to achieve advanced-level proficiency before graduation.
2. All applications must include a personal statement, a current transcript, and two letters of recommendation (from your advisor, department chair, or language instructor) as well as the completed application and career interest forms.  Students applying for both summer and academic year FLAS fellowships submit only one set of supporting materials.

1. Students must have full-time status (a minimum of 12 points each semester), or full-time equivalency status, in 2008-09.
2. Students must enroll in at least one language course each semester.

1. Summer awards are for intensive language study. Each individual program of language study must be approved by the Department of Education in advance of any payment for tuition or stipend. Eligible programs must offer a minimum of 140 contact hours in the classroom and last at least 6 weeks. Each award will cover tuition and will provide a stipend of approximately $2,500. Attendance at any particular summer program with a FLAS fellowship will be contingent upon the availability of matching funds beyond the $4,000 Department of Education tuition cap.
2. FLAS fellows may receive funding from other sources to cover tuition above the $4,000 tuition cap.
3. Students applying for beginning level language study can only study in the U.S. unless there are no language programs being offered over the summer at that level.