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Boren Fellowship – National Security Education Program

Website: http://www.borenawards.org/

For More Information Contact: National Scholarships Office – nsepboren@umd.edu

Who Can Apply: U.S. Citizens – Seniors and recent graduates applying to graduate school; graduate students – all majors – GPA of 3.2 or higher recommended

IMPORTANT: Boren/NSEP Fellowships CANNOT be used for study in Western Europe, Canada, Australia, or New Zealand.

IMPORTANT: Support for domestic study is limited to language or area studies that enhance a degree program; it is not intended to support the general tuition costs of obtaining a degree.

IMPORTANT: We encourage all candidates for the Boren Fellowship to participate in the University of Maryland's evaluation process. Please contact the National Scholarships Office to learn more.

Description: The National Security Education Program's (NSEP) Boren Fellowships enable U.S. graduate students to add an important international and language component to their graduate education through specialization in area study, language study, or increased language proficiency. NSEP supports students studying languages, cultures, and world regions EXCEPT Western Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Boren Fellowships are intended to support U.S. graduate students who will pursue the study of languages and cultures deemed critical to U.S. national security, and who are highly motivated by the opportunity to work in the federal government.

Fellowships enable both master's and doctoral level students representing a broad range of academic and professional disciplines to add a significant language and international dimension to their curricula. Students already enrolled in internationally oriented programs are encouraged to intensify their study of areas, languages, and cultures through overseas study and domestic tuition support. A full list of countries and languages eligible for Boren/NSEP study abroad scholarships can be found at:
http://www.iie.org/programs/nsep/graduate/preferences.html

Applicants for Boren Fellowships must be enrolled in or applying to a graduate degree program at an accredited U.S. college or university located within the United States. To receive the award you must provide evidence of admission and enrollment in such a program.

African Flagship Languages Initiative: Boren Fellowship applicants will have the opportunity to deepen their knowledge of, and proficiency in, African languages and cultures. Through the initiative, supplemental funding will be available for Boren Fellows to study one of the following languages at the University of Florida’s summer program only: Akan/Twi, Wolof, and Zulu. The following languages include the domestic summer session as well as an overseas program in the fall: French (Senegal) and Swahili (Tanzania). A spring overseas program is optional.

Indonesian Flagship Language Initiative: Boren Scholarship applicants will have the opportunity to study Bahasa Indonesia through a summer and fall combined program. The summer portion includes study in the U.S., at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.  The fall portion will take place in Indonensia. A spring overseas program is optional.

South Asian Flagship Languages Initiative: Boren Fellowship applicants will have the opportunity to study Hindi or Urdu through a summer and fall combined program. The summer portion includes study at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. The fall portion will take place in India--Hindi in Jaipur and Urdu in Lucknow. A spring overseas program is optional.

NEW! Turkish Flagship Language Initiative: Boren Fellowship applicants will have the opportunity to Turkish through a summer and fall combined program. The summer portion includes study at in the U.S. (TBD). The location of the fall portion will take place is also TBD. A spring overseas program is optional.

Program Preferences: The Boren/NSEP Fellowship Program prefers applicants with strong academic records and potential to succeed in the proposed language or foreign study programs; with a strong commitment to international education to fulfill academic and career goals; with focused language interests and aptitudes; and with clear commitment to service in the federal government.

Service Obligation: Boren/NSEP Fellowship recipients must agree to seek employment in an agency of the federal government involved in national security for a minimum of one year.

Award Amount: Fellowships provide support for overseas or domestic study, or a combination of both. A maximum of $25,000 is available for overseas study. A maximum of $12,000 is available for a program of domestic study only.

Campus Deadline: There is no campus deadline for Fellowship applicants but they are encouraged strongly to contact our office well in advance of the national deadline.

National Deadline: January 27, 2021


National Scholarships Office
2403 Marie Mount Hall, University of Maryland
College Park, MD
email: scholarships@umd.edu | phone: 301.314.1289 | fax: 301.314.0085