The languages listed below have been pre-approved by US/ED as eligible languages for the Graduate Academic Year FLAS Fellowships for AY2025-26. Language lists differ slightly for the three types of fellowships; this list applies to Graduate Academic Year FLAS Fellowships only.
Only less commonly taught languages (LCTLs) in the six (potentially seven) world regions for which U-M has a FLAS grant are eligible. The six world regions (and their Area Studies Centers) are:
East Asia (EANRC)
Latin America & the Caribbean (LACS)
Middle East & North Africa (CMENAS)
Russia, Eastern Europe & Eurasia (CREES)
South Asia (CSAS)
Sub-Saharan Africa (African Studies Center - ASC)
If your language is listed in two or more world regions, you should apply to the Area Studies Center whose regional focus more closely matches your interest. If your study involves cross-regional and/or regional border research and you need proficiency in languages of different regions, please contact the FLAS Coordinator to determine which Area Studies Center to apply. You may apply to only one Area Studies Center. As a general rule, only languages that are widely used in a world region and regularly taught at U-M are approved for that world region. However, if your academic course of study requires a language listed below but not in your world region, a one-time exception to study the language through your world region may be appropriate. Such exception requires pre-approval from US/ED and are only given in very limited and specific circumstances. Interested applicants must consult with a FLAS Coordinator and receive approval before beginning their application. Commonly taught languages (Spanish, French, German) are NOT eligible at any level for any world region.
Students should check the list of eligible languages carefully to determine if the language and the level they plan to study is eligible. Questions regarding language eligibility should be addressed to the FLAS Coordinator. Because not all language levels are taught every year, students should make sure that the language level in which they plan to enroll will be offered during AY2025-26.
FLAS awards are generally given only for the study of modern languages (defined as languages that are currently in use today). Awards in classical or literary forms of the language (e.g., literary Chinese, classical Japanese, Sanskrit, classical Tibetan, etc.) may only be given in the context of the study of modern languages and are only made in very rare, specialized situations. If you are interested in studying a classical language, please consult with the FLAS Coordinator and get approval prior to starting your application.
Arabic: CMENAS; ASC
Armenian: CMENAS, CREES
Bengali: CSAS
Bosnian: CREES
Chinese: EANRC; No beginning level exceptions
Croatian: CREES
Czech: CREES
Hebrew: CMENAS
Hindi: CSAS
Japanese: EANRC; No beginning level exceptions
Korean: EANRC
Nahuatl: LACS
Persian: CMENAS, CSAS
Polish: CREES
Portuguese: LACS; ASC
Important Note: Portuguese is approved only for its use in the Latin America & the Caribbean and Sub-Saharan Africa; applicants whose regional specialization is Europe are NOT eligible to apply for Portuguese through LACS.
Punjabi: CSAS
Quechua: LACS
Russian: CREES
Serbian: CREES
Swahili: ASC
Tamil: CSAS
Turkish: CMENAS
Ukrainian: CREES
Urdu: CSAS
Uyghur: EANRC, CREES
Uzbek: CMENAS, CREES
Yiddish: CREES
Yoruba: LACS, ASC
Important Note: Yoruba is approved only for its use in the Latin America & the Caribbean and maybe approved for Sub-Saharan Africa; applicants whose regional specialization is sub-Saharan Africa are NOT eligible to apply for Yoruba through LACS, but should apply through ASC and will be eligible if the grant is received.
Applicants for Graduate Academic Year FLAS must have sufficient language proficiency to enroll in intermediate level (2nd year level) or above as taught at the University of Michigan during the fellowship year. Exceptions for beginning level language awards are allowed in very limited and specific circumstances; ultimately, all beginning level language awards are subject to the approval of US/ED Program Officer prior to the beginning of the fellowship period.
In order to qualify for a beginning language level award, applicants must demonstrate that they already possess advanced proficiency in at least one other foreign language of the same world region, either by completion of prior coursework, by living and/or working in-country, by language heritage, or by a language placement or proficiency test. As long as this foreign language is spoken in the same world region as the award language, it need not be taught at the University of Michigan, or designated as a less commonly taught language (LCTL) or a US/ED high priority language. English is not considered a foreign language. Applicants must also explain in their statement of purpose compelling academic and/or career reasons for study of a new language at the beginning level.
Beginning with AY2016-17 awards, this policy on beginning level language awards is very strictly enforced by US/ED. Exceptions to this policy are made on a case-by-case basis and only in extremely limited circumstances. In general, students in PhD and academically oriented master’s programs (MA/MS degrees) will not be granted an exception. Students interested in applying for a beginning level language award must consult with a FLAS Coordinator prior to application.