National Deadline: November
The CLS Program partners with universities and nonprofits around the globe to provide cohorts of U.S. students an opportunity to study the language and culture in a country/location where the target language is commonly spoken. CLS scholars are expected to continue their language study beyond the scholarship and apply their critical language skills in their future careers.
The U.S. Department of State sponsors and oversees the CLS Program, including CLS Spark, as part of a larger U.S. government effort to expand the number of Americans studying and mastering foreign languages that are critical to our national security, economic prosperity, and engagement with the world. CLS provides opportunities to a diverse range of students from across the entire United States at every level of language learning.
The CLS Program is a full scholarship for the duration of the program, and includes:
- Intensive group-based language courses (15+ hours per week for overseas);
- Undergraduate academic credit for a year’s worth of language classes;
- Room and board, often with a host family (overseas only);
- Host community engagement opportunities;
- Group cultural excursions organized by the host community;
- Round-trip international travel to the program site (overseas only);
- Small stipend to cover incidental expenses and meals not otherwise provided by the Program (overseas only);
- Certified American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) score (post-program);
- Non-competitive eligibility for employment with U.S. government agencies.
The foundation website and Blackboard are your primary sources for this award. Undergraduates will gain access to the CUFR Blackboard Organization in their first consultation.
Over 150 GW students have been recipients of CLS. For a full list of GW's CLS alumni, visit the CLS Past Participants directory.
Recent Recipients
- Gary Zeron, Arabic, Oman, Master's, International/Global Studies, 2023
- Catherine Donovan, Russian, Georgia, Master's, Russian, Central European, East European and Eurasian Studies, 2023
- Genevieve Manise, Turkish, Turkey, Undergraduate, International/Global Studies, 2023
- Nazrawith Alemayehu, Turkish, Turkey, Master's, International/Global Studies, 2023
- Maxwell Lawson, Chinese, Taiwan, Undergraduate, International Relations and National Security Studies, 2022
- Yosua Siagian, Indonesian, Indonesia, Undergraduate, International/Global Studies; History, 2022
- Ava Noack, Korean, South Korea, Undergraduate, International Relations and National Security Studies; Korean Studies, 2022
- Nikhil Samuel, Urdu, India, Undergraduate, International Relations and National Security Studies, 2022
