Scholarships
Critical Language Scholarship (Full Scholarship and Study Abroad Program)
The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is a summer intensive overseas language and cultural immersion program for American students enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities. Students spend eight to ten weeks abroad studying one of 15 critical languages. The CLS Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government. It is administered by American Councils for International Education.
The CLS Persian Program is held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Students take courses in the Farsi and Tajiki dialects. No prior study of the language is currently required.
Boren Awards
The Boren Awards fund the intensive study of language and culture abroad by U.S. undergraduate or graduate students. All eligible applicants have the option to either apply for a Regional Flagship Language Initiative or select/design their own study program. For Persian, students must propose and apply separately to a study abroad program, such as the American Councils Eurasian Regional Language Program in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
Boren Scholarships are for U.S. undergraduate students. Maximum awards are determined by duration abroad:
- Up to $20,000 for 25-52 weeks (preferred)
- Up to $10,000 for 12-24 weeks
- Up to $8,000 for 8-11 weeks (STEM majors only)
- Boren Fellowships are for U.S. graduate students. Maximum awards are determined by duration abroad:
- Up to $24,000 for 37-52 weeks abroad (preferred)
- Up to $20,000 for 25-36 weeks abroad (preferred)
- Up to $12,000 for 12-24 weeks
- + Up to $12,000 for domestic language study (optional)
Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS)
The National Resource Center on the Middle East and North Africa (NRC-MENA) is pleased to offer Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships. FLAS Fellowships are available for the study of modern Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, and Turkish.
The fellowships aim to provide training in these languages in order to meet the national need for specialists on the Middle East region. Successful applicants should demonstrate long-term interest in the MENA region and show potential for superior academic achievement based on academic record.
Fellowship Types and Amounts:
- Academic Year (Undergraduate): $10,000 for tuition + $5,000 stipend (Total $15,000)
Not eligible for travel award - Academic Year (Graduate): $18,000 for tuition + $20,000 stipend (Total $38,000)
Not eligible for travel award - Summer (Undergraduate and Graduate): Up to $5,000 for tuition + $3500 stipend (Total up to $8,500) Eligible for travel awards up to $1,000.
ELIGIBILITY
Applicants must be:
- A U.S. citizen or permanent resident
- Enrolled full-time and a continuing student
- At the intermediate level in a MENA FLAS language*
- Undergraduate students must demonstrate financial need**
* Graduate students who have already obtained proficiency in at least one Middle Eastern language may apply for a FLAS to study another Middle Eastern language at the beginner level.
** The FLAS selection process considers both merit and financial need. Undergraduate applicants, in particular, must demonstrate financial need.
Fulbright-Hayes Fellowships
Provided by the U.S. Department of Education and administered by American Councils, Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad fellowships are available to advanced-level Persian language speakers who plan to participate in the American Councils’ Eurasian Regional Language Program in Dushanbe. Eligible participants must have a strong commitment to teaching Persian in universities or K-12 schools, or to applying their language skills in government, international development, or other professional fields.
Fulbright-Hays fellowships are awarded based on financial need and academic merit; fellowship awards are made in the amount of $9,000 for the semester and $5,000 for the summer.
Title VIII Language Fellowships
Applicants who hold a Bachelor’s degree or higher and plan to participate in the Eurasian Regional Language Program are eligible to apply for a Title VIII Language Fellowship, provided by the U.S. Department of State and administered by American Councils.
Title VIII fellowships are awarded on the basis of financial need and academic merit. In the past, awards have covered as much as 75 percent of total program costs; however, awards may be considerably smaller depending upon the number and quality of applicants for a given program.
To be eligible for Title VIII funding, applicants must:
- Meet the requirements of their selected program;
- Have completed their undergraduate studies by the time their program starts;
- Be enrolled or demonstrate intent to enroll in graduate study in a field relevant to the formulation of U.S. policy in the region;
- Be U.S. citizens;
- Demonstrate academic excellence.
To be considered for Title VIII funding, simply indicate your wish to be considered for financial aid when completing the application for your selected program and complete all of the questions and forms that follow.
Awards and Prizes
Dr. Mehrdad Mashayekhi Foundation Research Paper Prize
The Mashayekhi Foundation is delighted to launch its second annual prize competition, in collaboration with Persian Language Program at Georgetown University.
This is an opportunity developed specifically for students participating in different levels of the Persian Language Program at Georgetown University. The winner of the competition will receive a $150 prize. The subject of Research Paper changes annually and should promote the Critical Social Sciences.
Paper submissions for consideration of the prize should be original, English-Language papers with a video presentation of the research paper in Farsi Language. The Research Paper should be at least 5 pages, not exceed a length of 1,500 words and Farsi video presentation should be presented within 3 to 5 minutes.
Study Abroad Programs
In addition to the following programs, students in Persian Studies have also studied abroad during the academic year at UK universities offering Persian language and content courses, including the University of St. Andrews and SOAS.
Eurasian Regional Language Program (Dushanbe, Tajikistan)
The Eurasian Regional Language Program (ERLP) administered by American Councils offers intensive, highly-individualized instruction in more than 15 Eurasian languages, including Armenian, Azerbaijani, Dari, Farsi, Georgian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Romanian, Turkish, Ukrainian, and Uzbek.
The program in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, offers courses in Persian in the Farsi, Tajiki, and Dari dialects. Financial aid and scholarships are available, including but not limited to the Fulbright-Hayes Fellowship and Title VIII Language Fellowship for graduate and doctoral students.
Persian Language Study in Armenia
Aspirantum offers 3- and 6-week intensive Persian language summer school in Yerevan, Armenia. There are also 3-week intensive Persian language courses offered in the winter.
Summer Persian Courses
The Persian Studies summer courses offer students the opportunity to acquire or master skills in reading, writing, listening, and speaking in Persian. Language instruction is proficiency-oriented and imparts cultural experiences and knowledge. The materials used are broad-based and help students develop skills for communication. Students learn how to accomplish language tasks in formal and informal situations. Assessments reflect the model of an educated native speaker as well as proficiency (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language: ACTFL) guidelines.