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Foreign Language & Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships

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Information Session

December 5, 2023

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Agenda

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  • Introductions
  • FLAS Overview
  • Academic Year Awards
  • Summer Awards
  • More information & Questions

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What is the FLAS Fellowship?

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  • Funded by U.S. Department of Education
  • Fellowship grants to U.S. institutions of higher education
  • Goal is to promote the study of critical and less commonly taught global languages in combination with area studies, international studies, or international aspects of professional studies.
  • Two separate competitions (you can apply for both at once)

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Info Session | FLAS awards 2023-24

1. Academic Year 2024-25

    • Language study: Enroll in 1 language course and 1 area studies course per semester (on campus)
    • Dissertation research: may be available (check with World Area Center)
    • Dissertation writing: may be available(check with World Area Center)

2. Summer 2024

    • Language studies on campus, in US, or abroad

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FLAS World Areas @ Berkeley

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  • East Asia (Fellowships from the Institute of East Asian Studies, IEAS)
  • South Asia (Fellowships from the Institute for South Asia Studies, ISAS)
  • Southeast Asia (Fellowships from the Center for Southeast Asia Studies, CSEAS)
  • Latin America and the Caribbean (Fellowships from the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, CLACS)
  • Russia, Eastern Europe and Eurasia (Fellowships from the Institute of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies, ISEEES)
  • Western Europe (Fellowships from the Institute of European Studies, IES)

**Students must be applying to study a living language. Languages such as Ancient Greek, Classical Chinese etc. are generally ineligible.

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FLAS World Areas @ Berkeley

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  • A note on studying African languages:

While there is currently no FLAS funding for African languages, Summer 2024 options for FLAS are available through other FLAS institutions that have FLAS and offer a summer program. A link to Summer 2024 African language institutes and programs will be provided on the Center for African Studies website soon. https://africa.berkeley.edu/ Questions: Reach out to Martha Saavedra: martha@berkeley.edu

  • A note on studying Arabic:

You cannot receive funding through Berkeley to study Arabic. However, there are other institutions which have their own FLAS/other funding to which you can apply:

Indiana University: https://languageworkshop.indiana.edu/languages/immersion/arabic/index.html

University of Pittsburgh: https://www.sli.pitt.edu/arabic

University of Wisconsin: https://medli.wisc.edu/

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Who can apply?

  • Enrolled and incoming students
  • Graduate and undergraduate students
  • Citizens, nationals, or permanent residents of the US
  • Any academic or degree program
  • Students who have received the award previously
  • Students prepared to study the language at the intermediate or advanced level (based on the level of course you will enroll in)

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**It is possible to apply for a FLAS fellowship to study a language at the

beginning level under certain conditions.

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Application Process

  • Application page: https://gradapp.berkeley.edu/portal/fellowships?cmd=flas
  • Current graduate students: complete separate application (above link)
  • Incoming graduate students:
    • Complete FLAS essay as part of your application to UC Berkeley (language page)
    • Available to students in most graduate programs
    • Letters of recommendation and transcripts from your Berkeley application will be sent to the FLAS Center
    • If you already applied, check with your GSAO to confirm your application is complete
  • Current undergraduate students: complete separate application (above link)
  • To apply for both Academic Year and Summer FLAS awards, submit two applications

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Note to advisors: the process for incoming graduate students has changed. Departments do not recommend incoming students for FLAS – all are considered.

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Academic Year

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Academic Year FLAS Fellowship

  • Graduate FLAS Fellowship
    • Up to $18,000 for tuition and fees ($9k/semester)
    • $20,000 stipend ($10k/semester)

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  • Undergraduate FLAS Fellowship
    • Up to $10,000 for tuition and fees ($5k/semester)
    • $5,000 stipend ($2.5k/semester)
    • Undergraduate applicants should check with the Financial Aid Office to see what impact a FLAS award might have on their aid package.

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Note on award amounts:

The amount for tuition and fees may be less than the maximum listed above, depending on the student’s other funding sources. Check with your advisor or financial aid to see how the FLAS will interact with other grants or fellowships.

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All students will receive the full stipend amount

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FLAS-Eligible Languages (AY)

  • Institute of East Asian Studies
    • Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), Japanese, Korean, Mongolian, Tibetan

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  • Institute of European Studies
    • Catalan, Danish Dutch/Flemish, Finnish, French, German, Modern Greek, Irish Gaelic, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Welsh, Yiddish

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  • Institute of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies
    • Armenian, Bosnian/Croatian/Servian, Hungarian, Polish, Russian, and Ukrainian

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  • Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies
    • Nahuatl, Portuguese, Spanish

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  • Institute for South Asian Studies
    • Bengali, Hindi, Persian, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu

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  • Center for Southeast Asia Studies
    • Burmese, Filipino, Indonesian, Khmer, Thai, Vietnamese

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**Note: FLAS awards may be used to study other languages not listed here, with approval

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Lower priority is given to

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  • Students who are taking any level of Spanish, French or German (especially beginning level)

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  • Undergraduates cannot receive beginning language awards

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  • Students with lower financial need (as documented on their FAFSA)

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For center-specific priorities, applicants should consult the information provided by the National Resource Centers on the Graduate Division FLAS website

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Requirements for AY Fellows

  • Awards for language study:
    • Enroll each semester in the appropriate language course
    • Enroll each semester in an area studies course
    • Courses must be taken for a letter grade
  • Awards for dissertation research/writing:
    • “Use of language in dissertation research or writing must be extensive enough to consider the foreign language improvement facilitated by the research or writing equal to the improvement that would be obtained from a full academic year’s worth of formal classroom instruction."
  • All awards:
    • Online pre-assessment and post-assessment by your language instructor
    • Self-report via the U.S. Department of Education online (IRIS) system at the end of the award
    • Complete a tracking survey every two years after graduation, for eight years

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Notes

  • Students can receive FLAS more than once
  • Students may receive Summer and Academic Year awards (each requires a separate application)
  • Applicants should confirm with the relevant FLAS center or academic department if the language will be taught at their desired level in 2024-25
  • If the language is not offered at UC Berkeley, consult with your FLAS Center about alternative ways to study it.

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Application Requirements

  • Application
  • Statement of purpose
  • Two letters of recommendation
  • Transcripts (Graduate students who entered in Fall 2023 should include a copy of their undergraduate transcript)
  • FAFSA (page 1 of the Student Aid Report, SAR)

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Awards will be announced in June/July 2024

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Questions??

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Summer

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Summer FLAS Fellowships

  • Graduate and Undergraduate Fellowship Amounts
    • $5,000 for tuition and fees
    • $3,500 stipend
  • Applicants must be an enrolled UC Berkeley student during the term of their award. Students who graduate in May 2024 or start in August 2024 are NOT eligible.
  • Summer fellowship can be used on campus, in US, or abroad.
  • Intended to support intensive language study – not research – during the summer months

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What does ‘intensive’ mean?

  • FLAS language instruction must be equivalent to one academic year’s worth of study
  • Beginning and intermediate study
    • At least 140 hours of classroom instruction (formal lessons, not excursions, field trips, etc.)
    • At least 6 weeks in duration
  • Advanced study
    • At least 120 hours of classroom instruction (formal lessons, not excursions, field trips, etc.)
    • At least 6 weeks in duration
  • Hours may be obtained through 1 program or a combination of programs and/or private tutoring
  • Private tutoring requires approval by the US Dept of Ed (submit a syllabus and instructor’s CV, we will help you do this)

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FLAS-Eligible Languages (Summer)

  • Institute for East Asian Studies
    • Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), Japanese, Korean, Mongolian, Tibetan

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  • Institute for European Studies
    • Catalan, Danish Dutch/Flemish, Finnish, French, German, Modern Greek, Irish Gaelic, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Welsh, Yiddish

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  • Institute of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies
    • Armenian, Bosnian/Croatian/Servian, Hungarian, Polish, Russian, and Ukrainian

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  • Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies
    • Nahuatl, Portuguese, Spanish

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  • Institute for South Asian Studies
    • Bengali, Hindi, Persian, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu

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  • Center for Southeast Asia Studies
    • Burmese, Filipino, Indonesian, Khmer, Thai, Vietnamese

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**Note: FLAS awards may be used to study other languages not listed here, with approval

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Summer Language Options (1)

  • UC Berkeley Summer Sessions :
    • http://summer.berkeley.edu/courses/foreign-languages

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  • Other programs in the US (many have their own funding, you can apply for FLAS or other funds directly from the other program)
    • Central Eurasian Summer Studies Institute (CESSI), University of Wisconsin-Madison
    • Southeast Asian Studies Summer Institute (SEASSI), University of Wisconsin-Madison
    • South Asian Studies Language Institute (SASLI), University of Wisconsin-Madison
    • Intensive Nahuatl Language Study, University of Utah
    • Haitian Summer Institute, Florida International University
    • Latin American and Caribbean Programs: CLASP (claspprograms.org)
    • Indiana University Summer Language Workshop
    • Arizona State University Critical Languages Institute 
    • Summer Language Institute at the University of Pittsburgh �

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Summer Language Options (2)

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  • Overseas programs
    • There is no list of pre-approved overseas language programs.
    • Consult the FLAS Center for program suggestions
    • Overseas programs are subject to approval by the US Dept of Ed. Your FLAS Coordinator will seek approval on your behalf.
    • Overseas option is not allowed for students studying beginning levels if there is a program option in the US
    • Travel awards may be available

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Language Program

  • Your language program will be confirmed after your award is offered.
  • Once you receive an award, you will provide the following information to the FLAS coordinator:
    • Program name
    • Location
    • Program dates
    • Cost (in USD) – if the tuition/program fee includes room, board, or other costs not related to instruction, ask the program for a cost breakdown
    • Anticipated course(s) and course description(s)
    • Number of contact hours of classroom instruction

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Travel Awards

  • Travel awards may be available to help cover costs of travel to in-person programs in US or abroad, up to $1,000
  • To use a travel award, travel must comply with Fly America Act or Open Skies Agreement, because the travel will be funded with federal dollars
  • Do not make travel arrangements in advance if you want a travel award
  • Overseas travel using FLAS funds must be approved by US Dept of Ed at least 30 days before the departure date (and before purchasing your ticket!). Your FLAS coordinator will seek approval on your behalf.
  • Travel awards must be directly to and from the program (cannot include extra time or additional stops).
  • If you do not want a travel award, you can use any airline you wish.

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Notes

  • FLAS applicants should be prepared to be flexible if they cannot travel they propose for FLAS
  • Some overseas programs are held virtually
  • Students can propose to study virtually for a FLAS award, provided the program meets the FLAS criteria for intensive instruction
  • Program fees are meant to cover direct educational expenses (registration, tuition), not travel, lodging, food, or other living expenses.

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Application Requirements

  • Application
  • Statement of purpose
  • One letter of recommendation
  • Transcripts (Graduate students who entered in Fall 2023 should include a copy of their undergraduate transcript)
  • Language program information (URL)
  • FAFSA (page 1 of the Student Aid Report, SAR)

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Awards will be announced in April 2024

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Requirements for Summer Fellows

  • Online pre-assessment and post-assessment by your language instructor
  • Self-report via the U.S. Department of Education online (IRIS) system at the end of the award
  • Complete a tracking survey every two years after graduation, for eight years

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More Info

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More Information

  • FLAS Website: grad.berkeley.edu/flas/
  • Application
    • Application Link: Graduate Division Website (grad.berkeley.edu) > Financial Support > Fellowships > (scroll down to “FLAS”)
    • https://gradapp.berkeley.edu/portal/fellowships?cmd=flas
  • Contact Information

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Questions??

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