Scholarships
Aggarwal Endowed Presidential Scholarship in Indian Studies for Undergraduates
Amount: Varies, up to $2500
Administered by the South Asia Institute. The Aggarwal Endowed Presidential Scholarship in Indian Studies was established by the Board of Regents of The University of Texas System on March 11, 2010, for the benefit of the College of Liberal Arts. Gift funds were provided by J.K. Aggarwal, Ph.D. of Austin, TX and Shanti J. Aggarwal, Ph.D. of Austin, TX.
- Must be a junior or senior undergraduate student
- Must have at least 45 hours in residence
- Minimum UT GPA of 3.25
- Must be enrolled full time (at least 12, preferably 15 hours) in both the fall and spring semesters of the following academic year (during the tenure of the award)
- Strong preference in selection criteria (though not required): Commitment to about South Asian histories languages, and cultures either through current coursework, or future plans.
- Must be a student majoring in the College of Liberal Arts, specifically relating to Indian Studies.
Interested students who meet the eligibility requirements can apply for this scholarship by submitting the below materials to the South Asia Institute at sai@austin.utexas.edu:
- Academic Summary (from Registrar’s Office) or informal UT Transcript.
- One letter of recommendation from a faculty member.
- One-page personal statement (350 words or less) that addresses one's interest in India and future plans for the study of South Asian languages, histories, and cultures at UT and beyond.
Please Note: If you are applying for the Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship, we will accept your two FLAS recommendation letters to apply for the Aggarwal Endowed Presidential Scholarship in Indian Studies!
- Applications to apply open on Wednesday, November 1, 2023.
- Deadline to Apply: Friday, December 1, 2023
Foreign Language & Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowship
The highly competitive Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowship is funded by the U.S. Department of Education through its Title VI grant. The fellowship assists meritorious graduate and undergraduate students undergoing intensive training in modern languages and related area or international studies. Learn more about FLAS fellowships in this information session video.
For more detailed information and to apply, please click here to visit the FLAS page.
Download the FLAS Fellowship FAQ (PDF) for more details and frequently asked questions.
Academic Year Awards - Undergraduate and Graduate Students
Graduate Students
The academic year FLAS fellowship provides a nine-month stipend of $20,000 and pays for in-state tuition and required fees (up to $18,000 and a maximum of 9 credit hours in most cases). 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 semester. Both courses must be taken on a letter-grade basis. Graduate FLAS Fellows receive a supplementary payment from UT Austin to cover health insurance.
Undergraduate Students
The academic year FLAS fellowship includes a nine-month stipend of $5,000 plus cost of in-state 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 semester. Both courses must be taken on a letter-grade basis. FLAS Fellows are responsible for their own health insurance coverage.
Summer Awards
 - for Undergraduate and Graduate Students
The summer FLAS fellowship provides a $3,500 stipend and institutional payments (tuition and course-related fees) up to $5,000. Summer FLAS recipients must enroll in an approved intensive modern South Asian language study program for which the fellowship is granted. SASLI (at the University of Wisconsin) and AIIS (in various places in India) are the most common programs used, but you may attend other universities in the US or other institutions in India, such as the Landour Language School for Intermediate Hindi, if the syllabus is approved and there are at least 150 class contact hours during the fellowship period. The student is responsible for successfully applying for the Summer FLAS intensive language study program.
Three popular summer programs are:
- UT Austin Summer Language Program
- South Asia Summer Language Institute (SASLI at University of Wisconsin-Madison)
- American Institute of Indian Studies (AIIS in India)
Summer FLAS recipients studying internationally must adhere to the Texas Global International Travel Process and apply for Restricted Region Travel Approval, if applicable. Students will register with Texas Global, and will be enrolled in mandatory overseas insurance through On Call International. Fellows must cover fees for insurance.
SAI offers academic year funding for the following languages:
- Bengali (Bangla)
- Hindi
- Kannada
- Malayalam
- Persian (if it relates directly to the study of South Asia)
- Tamil
- Telugu
- Urdu
- Other approved contemporary South Asian languages
Important FLAS Fellowship Dates:
- Application to Summer 2024 and Academic Year 2024-25 FLAS Fellowships open on Wednesday, November 1, 2023.
- Deadline to Apply: Friday, February 16, 2024
- Notifications of awards for Academic Year 2024-2025 and Summer 2024 will be sent out in March 2024.
Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Scholarship
In honor of Mahatma Gandhi, an annual scholarship of $500 will be awarded to two undergraduate students at The University of Texas at Austin based on academic excellence and dedication to the study of India.
To be eligible a student must have taken a minimum of nine semester credit hours in courses relating directly to India and/or a minimum of two semesters of an Indian language.
- Students must submit the application (click here to download).
- An informal transcript of their undergraduate work.
- Two letters of recommendation from professors who are familiar with the applicant's work in the area of Indian Studies. (Recommendation letters can also be those used on the current FLAS application for SAI)
Letters ,transcripts, and application can be sent to sai@austin.utexas.edu
- Applications to apply open on Wednesday, November 1, 2023.
- Deadline to Apply: Friday, February 2, 2024
