FLAS
The Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowship is a highly competitive U.S. Department of Education grant that provides graduate and undergraduate fellowships for students to pursue intensive training in modern languages and related area or international studies. These fellowships provide tuition and a substantial stipend for living expenses. You must be a U.S. citizen or national or permanent resident of the United States to apply for FLAS.
We are committed to providing equal access and treatment for students who are members of traditionally underrepresented groups, including racial and ethnic minority groups, women, persons with disabilities, gender non-conforming individuals, and the elderly, in compliance with Section 427 of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA). If you have questions about applying for FLAS, or would like consultation about possible program accommodations, please contact Denisse McCoy at LLILAS FLAS.
Check out this FLAS PowerPoint for more info. Click here.
Attend a virtual info session to learn more.
Log on to Zoom on Thursday, January 19, 2023, at 4 p.m.
Zoom link: https://bit.ly/flas-info | Meeting ID: 953 2680 8642 | Passcode: 275624
Summer 2025 | Academic Year 2024–2025
Application opens November 1, 2024. The application deadline is December 20, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. Letters of recommendation are due January 20, 2025. Apply here.
Requests will be considered for the study of Portuguese, K'iche', Nahuatl, Kaqchikel, Quechua, Haitian Creole, Chatino, and other Latin American modern languages as approved by the Department of Education. A limited number of awards may be provided to graduate students for the advanced study of Spanish. The application will open on November 1, 2024.
For more information, continue reading or download an excerpt from the FLAS Program Admin Manual (PDF, 136K).
Approved Languages
Portuguese, Quechua, K'iche', Nahuatl, Kaqchikel, Haitian Creole, Chatino, and other indigenous or Latin American languages as approved by the U.S. Department of Education. Preference will be given for Portuguese and Quechua.
Eligibility Requirements
Students from all fields of study, and from all departments, colleges, and schools, are eligible to apply for FLAS funding, as long as the student:
- Is a citizen, or a national or permanent resident of the United States;
- Is in a program of study that combines modern foreign language training with an area or international studies emphasis, or;
- Is engaged in research and training in the international aspects of professional and other fields of study related to the region of Latin America;
- Is enrolled in a program of modern foreign language training (please refer to the approved language list above);
- For Graduate Students: Is enrolled in master’s or PhD coursework, preparation for dissertation research, or, in certain cases, dissertation research abroad, or dissertation writing at UT Austin. For graduate students, awards for beginning-level language studies will not be made unless the student has advanced proficiency in another Latin American language and can clearly justify why the new language is necessary for their research.
- For Undergraduate Students: Is enrolled in a program of modern foreign language training at the intermediate or advanced level. Spanish is not allowed.
Please Note: Awards will not be made to native speakers of the language nor to those who possess fluency equivalent to educated native speakers in the language for which the award is sought.
Summer Awards
The Summer FLAS fellowship provides a $3,500 stipend (paid in monthly increments) plus cost of tuition and course-related fees up to $8,000 for domestic or overseas intensive language programs. Summer FLAS recipients must enroll in an approved domestic or overseas intensive modern Latin American language study program for which the fellowship is granted.
For ideas of language programs outside of UT, visit the Consortium of Latin American Studies (CLASP) language page. For more information on overseas programs, see below. The student is responsible for successfully applying for the Summer FLAS intensive language study program.
Academic Year 2023–2024 Awards
Graduate students: The Academic Year FLAS fellowship provides a nine-month stipend (paid in monthly increments) of $15,000 and pays tuition and course-related fees (up to a maximum of $18,000). During the fellowship period, FLAS recipients must:
- Be enrolled in at least three hours of language instruction and at least one relevant area studies course during each long semester, or,
- Be engaged in dissertation research abroad, or,
- Be engaged in dissertation writing at UT Austin.
Undergraduate students: The Academic Year FLAS fellowship includes a nine-month stipend (paid in monthly increments) of $5,000 plus cost of tuition and course-related fees up to $10,000 per academic year (up to a maximum of 15 hours per semester). During the fellowship period, FLAS recipients must be enrolled in at least three hours of language instruction and at least one relevant area studies course during each long semester.
Overseas Study (All Programs)
FLAS can be used for study abroad under the following conditions:
FLAS fellowships may be awarded for academic yearoverseas programs, if
- Student enrolls in one language course AND one area/international studies course per semester, and
- Undergraduates must be at the intermediate or advanced level of study in a less commonly taught language.
FLAS fellowships may be awarded for summer domestic or overseas programs, if
- The program includes at least 6 weeks of language instruction (120 contact hours for advanced level of study and 140 hours for the beginning or intermediate levels);
- Instruction must be performance based (i.e., for credit or certification and with grading);
- Note: Field trips and excursions cannot be used to fulfill contact hour requirements. A student may meet the required number of weeks and contact hours by attending one program, attending more than one program, or supplementing hours with private tutoring, as long as the required total number of weeks and contact hours is obtained. If a student’s plan of study includes private tutoring, the FLAS coordinator must submit a syllabus for the tutoring and the instructor’s CV.
FLAS fellowships may be awarded for dissertation research
Overseas Study (All Programs)
FLAS can be used for study abroad under the following conditions:
FLAS fellowships may be awarded for academic yearoverseas programs, if
- Student enrolls in one language course AND one area/international studies course per semester, and
- Undergraduates must be at the intermediate or advanced level of study in a less commonly taught language.
FLAS fellowships may be awarded for summer domestic or overseas programs, if
- The program includes at least 6 weeks of language instruction (120 contact hours for advanced level of study and 140 hours for the beginning or intermediate levels);
- Instruction must be performance based (i.e., for credit or certification and with grading);
- Note: Field trips and excursions cannot be used to fulfill contact hour requirements. A student may meet the required number of weeks and contact hours by attending one program, attending more than one program, or supplementing hours with private tutoring, as long as the required total number of weeks and contact hours is obtained. If a student’s plan of study includes private tutoring, the FLAS coordinator must submit a syllabus for the tutoring and the instructor’s CV.
FLAS fellowships may be awarded for dissertation research
