Applicants must meet all of the following criteria to be eligible to receive a FLAS Fellowship.
Citizenship: Applicant must be a US citizen or US permanent resident at the time of application.
Student Status:
Students who are currently enrolled in an undergraduate degree program at the University of Michigan on the Ann Arbor campus may apply for FLAS Fellowships.
Students who are graduating in Fall 2024, Winter 2025, or Summer 2025 are not eligible.
Students planning to graduate in Fall 2025 are eligible to apply but will be given lower priority than students who plan to enroll for a full year. [Note: Fall 2025 graduating seniors who intend to continue in a graduate program at UM-Ann Arbor beginning in Winter 2025 may apply for a Graduate Academic Year FLAS award if they meet all eligibility criteria for that fellowship program.
Incoming undergraduate students who will be beginning their studies at U-M in Spring, Summer, or Fall 2025 as freshmen or transfer student are not eligible.
UM-Dearborn and UM-Flint students are not eligible.
Language Proficiency:
Native speakers of the language are not eligible to apply for a FLAS in that language, but may apply for a FLAS in another language provided they meet all other eligibility criteria. Heritage speakers of a language are eligible to apply in that language unless they have native-level proficiency in all four language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing).
Students who already possess language fluency at the level of an educated native speaker in the language for which a fellowship is sought are eligible but will be given lowest priority in the selection of fellowship recipients. Students who have completed most available language courses at the advanced level should consult with the FLAS Coordinators prior to application.
Commitment to Area Studies: Applicants must demonstrate interest in and commitment to the study of the world region in which the language is spoken. Study of the world region is broadly defined to include both academic and professional topics but must include subjects other than language and linguistics.
Study Abroad: Students who plan to use an Undergraduate Academic Year FLAS Fellowship for study abroad for one or both terms must enroll in an eligible study abroad program. Only study abroad destinations in regions in which the language of the award is widely spoken are allowed; study abroad in English-speaking countries or third party countries (where the language in daily use is different from language of the fellowship award) is not eligible. To be eligible, study abroad programs must meet the following criteria:
Program must be offered through a University of Michigan study abroad office (e.g., Center for Global and Intercultural Study, International Programs in Engineering, Ross Global Initiatives, Art & Design Study Abroad).
Program must provide University of Michigan academic credit.
Students must be able to meet all FLAS Fellowship requirements, including full time registration, language requirement, area studies requirement, and the instructor proficiency evaluation requirement.
Program must provide proficiency-based language instruction by qualified instructors.
Language curriculum must be at least equivalent to the University of Michigan.
Study abroad requires prior approval from US/ED at least 30 days prior to departure. US/ED does not approve study abroad in locations under the US State Department Travel Warning. Students should be aware that study abroad plans may be cancelled or modified at any time when the location is placed under U-M international travel restriction or warning.