FLAS FAQs

The U.S. Department of Education Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowship Program provides academic year fellowships to institutions of higher education. The grant to GWU was written by the Institute for Middle East Studies and the Sigur Center for Asian Studies. The fellowship provides support to graduate students (MA and doctoral) in the following GW schools:

The Elliott School of International Affairs (ESIA)
The Columbian College of Arts & Sciences (CCAS)
The Graduate School of Education & Human Development (GSEHD)

Executive education students are not eligible for FLAS. Purely online programs are not eligible (regular coursework delivered through virtual instruction due to the COVID-19 pandemic will be covered by FLAS). Graduate students in other GW schools (CPS, GWSB, Law, Milken, Nursing and SMHS) are not eligible for the FLAS Academic Year Fellowship but can still be considered for the FLAS Summer Fellowship. Interested applicants from other schools should follow up with their respective deans’ offices.

Fellowship recipients (Academic year awards only) must enroll in one eligible language course (in Arabic, Mandarin, Hebrew, Japanese, Korean, Persian, or Turkish) and one eligible area studies course (that covers the Middle East or East Asia) each semester.

Committee decisions are final. Due to the high volume of applications received for this fellowship, feedback on decisions cannot be provided to applicants. We will not make exceptions on late submissions.

Academic Year (AY) FLAS Awards

What is included in the AY award?

The award will cover up to 20 credits (or $18,000, whichever is lower) of tuition at GW for the academic year and provides a $20,000 living stipend.

Who is eligible to receive an AY FLAS award?

The AY FLAS fellowship is open to all graduate (M.A./M.S., Ph.D.) students in the following schools:

The Elliott School of International Affairs (ESIA)
The Columbian College of Arts & Sciences (CCAS)
The Graduate School of Education & Human Development (GSEHD)

All applicants must be a current or incoming student and be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States.

May I apply for the fellowship if my degree is not in the language or area studies?

Yes. Graduate students in the Elliott School, Columbian College of Arts & Sciences, or the Graduate School of Education & Human Development are eligible for the Academic Year FLAS fellowship as long as they enroll in one eligible language course (in Arabic, Chinese, Hebrew, Japanese, Korean, Persian, or Turkish) and one eligible area studies course (that covers the Middle East or East Asia) each semester. Undergraduate and Graduate students from any program are eligible for the Summer FLAS, which covers the costs of summer language study in Arabic, Chinese, Hebrew, Japanese, Korean, Persian, or Turkish.

I see that I need to be enrolled in one language course and one area studies course. For the remainder of my credits, may I enroll in any classes that I want? Do these courses have to be graded?

As long as you enroll in one eligible language course (in Arabic, Chinese, Hebrew, Japanese, Korean, Persian, or Turkish) and one eligible area studies course (that covers the Middle East or East Asia) each semester, the remaining courses you take are at your discretion. Your eligible language and area studies courses must be taken for credit and you must receive a formal letter grade (they cannot be taken pass/fail).

Does the area studies course have to be taken in a particular department?

The area studies course does not need to be offered by any particular department, but to be eligible the course should typically have the region in its title (ie, “Middle East” or “Arab World” or “Korean Peninsula” or “East Asia” etc). If the course title does not reflect the regional focus you should inquire with the relevant FLAS coordinator to see if the course will satisfy the requirement. For students studying the Middle East please contact: imes_flasgwu [dot] edu For students studying East Asia please contact asiagwu [dot] edu Please obtain a copy of the syllabus or course description from the faculty member leading the course and supply this to the FLAS coordinator so they can make a timely decision.

Is a FLAS fellow allowed to work during the award period?

Students are permitted to undertake work totaling no more than 20 hours a week during the fellowship period (on or off campus).

Can I use the Academic Year FLAS to cover study abroad tuition for one semester?

Yes. However, Academic Year winners using the FLAS award abroad must remain enrolled at GW through a formal study abroad partnership or ensure their study abroad credits transfer to GW. This is determined by the Office of Study Abroad. All programs abroad must also be approved by the U.S. Department of Education prior to departure. Fellows should submit their program choices to their FLAS coordinators to secure Department of Education approval. For students studying the Middle East this contact is: imes_flasgwu [dot] edu (imes_flas[at]gwu[dot]edu) For students studying East Asia this contact is: asiagwu [dot] edu (asia[at]gwu[dot]edu)

What if GW doesn't offer a language class that matches my proficiency level (i.e. my level is too advanced)?

If you study any of the FLAS-eligible languages at a level that is over what is currently offered at GW, you may consult directly with a language instructor at GW to design an independent study course which matches your skill level while fulfilling award requirements. The syllabus and schedule of the course, as well as the instructor’s CV, must then be sent to your FLAS coordinator for approval by the Department of Education. For students studying the Middle East this contact is: imes_flasgwu [dot] edu (imes_flas[at]gwu[dot]edu) For students studying East Asia this contact is: asiagwu [dot] edu (asia[at]gwu[dot]edu)

I want to take a course to fulfill the area studies requirement that isn’t explicitly about the area of study, but a research project is required that will make up 50% of the final grade and can be about the region in question. Is this allowed?

Yes, these courses may be approved on a case-by-case basis by the FLAS coordinator and Department of Education. Awardees should forward information about the course and final project to their coordinator before the semester begins. For students studying the Middle East this contact is: imes_flasgwu [dot] edu (imes_flas[at]gwu[dot]edu) For students studying East Asia this contact is: asiagwu [dot] edu (asia[at]gwu[dot]edu)

Summer FLAS Awards

What is included in the Summer FLAS award?

The Summer FLAS awards will cover up to $5,000 in tuition for a summer language program and includes a $3,500 living stipend. Remaining costs must be covered by the student.

In addition, for Arabic, Hebrew, Persian and Turkish only, funding for overseas airfare is available up to $2,000.

Who is eligible to receive a Summer FLAS award?

The Summer FLAS award is open to all graduate (M.A./M.S., Ph.D.), professional (JD, MPH, DrPH, MBA and MD), and undergraduate students at the George Washington University.

All applicants must be a current or incoming student and be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States.

What kind of language program can I attend?

The Summer FLAS award supports formal language study at either a domestic or overseas program. Applicants may propose any summer programs as long as it is at least 6 weeks in duration and consists of 140 contact hours for beginning or intermediate study and 120 contact hours for advanced study (meaning formal instruction in a classroom), according to federal regulations.

FLAS Fellows have recently attended programs including: The American University in Cairo, The Arab American Language Institute in Morocco, Sijal Institute, Center Sidi Bou Said for Languages, Middlebury Language Schools, Qasid Arabic Institute, and Aspirantum Persian Language Summer School.