Frequently Asked Questions

2. Who can apply?

1. Undergraduate students that are expecting to enroll in a Less-Commonly-Taught Foreign Language at the third-semester level or higher.
2. Full-time students (minimum of 12 credits throughout the fellowship period).
3. Students with United States Citizenship status or students that have permanent residency.
4. Recommended: students who have a completed FAFSA on file with UWM’s Financial Aid Office.

3. What CIE-Eligible Less Commonly Taught Languages are offered at UWM?

1. Arabic, Chinese, Hebrew, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian and others upon approval from the US/ED.

4. How much aid can students be awarded?

1. The Summer fellowship is valued at up to $7,500 total for intensive summer study either at an approved U.S. or overseas language program. Of this total, students are eligible for up to $5,000 for tuition/required program fees and a $2,500 stipend.
2. This fellowship does consider other scholarships and grants awarded to a student. If a student has already received a different scholarship for tuition for that same term, the FLAS fellowship award will be adjusted to ensure the student is not given more than $5,000 a semester towards tuition fees.

5. What are the course requirements for students selected to receive the fellowship? What qualifies as an Area Studies course?

1. Summer Fellows must be enrolled in an intensive language instruction only. Intensive language study is at least 6 weeks in duration with at least 140 contact hours at the intermediate level, or 120 contact hours at the advanced level.

6. How do I find eligible Summer Intensive Language Programs?

1. It is up to the student to research potential summer programs and include all required information in the application.
2. Here is a reference document of possible intensive language programs. NOTE: these programs still require approval from The Department of Education and the FLAS coordinator.

7. In addition to the coursework, what else is expected of FLAS recipients?

1. All FLAS Fellows are required to report online to the U.S. Dept. of Education and will be surveyed every two years following their award for a period of up to 8 years. All Fellows must take pre- and post-award language proficiency assessments and be in contact with their FLAS coordinator throughout their fellowship period.

8. Can a FLAS recipient enroll in an independent study to fulfill a requirement?

1. An independent study may be used in special circumstances to fulfill a FLAS requirement with the approval of the US/ED Program Officer. However, if there are appropriate area studies and language courses at your level, you must enroll in those courses. Please talk to your FLAS Coordinator for more details.

9. As an undergraduate, can I work while I am receiving a FLAS Fellowship?

1. Yes, recipients are able to work but keep in mind that you must be a full-time student.

10. What should be included in the Personal Statement?

1. Identify the courses you plan to take during each term, including whether the courses will be taken at UWM or overseas. Use your best guess if course availability is unknown. These should include language courses and area studies courses, or detailed information about the intensive language program.
2. Explain in detail how the foreign language and area studies courses relate to your academic or career goals and how you envision utilizing these combined skills in future career and employment aspirations using specific examples.

11. Who is an acceptable person to write a Letter of Recommendation and what should they discuss in their letter?

1. One letter must be from a foreign language faculty member that is familiar with your language and academic abilities.
2. The 2nd letter does not have to be from a UWM professor. Past fellows have utilized TA and former UWM work supervisors. Transfer students have had a former professor from their former university write a letter for them. 
3. Recommenders should be familiar with your language proficiency and be able speak to your ability to maintain a good academic standing.

12. Is there a limit on the number of FLAS fellowships I receive?

1. No; however, a student cannot receive more than one FLAS fellowship during a single fiscal year. In other words, if a student received CIE’s AY 2021-22 fellowship, they cannot be awarded CIE’s summer 2022 fellowship.

13. If a student received the FLAS fellowship last year and they wish to reapply this year, do they need to completely rewrite their application or are they able to use the same application from the previous year? Do potential fellows need to get two new letters of recommendation, and if so, can they be from the same professors from the last application?

1. You will need to start a completely new application; however, you may reuse and adjust your personal statement. Note: we highly suggest updating it with more current information, such as providing newer details about your academic/career goals, especially now that you have more language/area studies training.
2. You will need two new letters of recommendation, but they can be from the same people.

14. What are the application deadlines?

1. For Summer 2023, the deadline is February 17, 2023, at 11:59 PM

15. How does the selection process work?

1. Applications will be reviewed by a committee composed of UWM faculty from a variety of departments. The committee will consider the student’s academic record, personal statement, and letters of recommendation.

16. When will students find out if they were chosen as a FLAS Fellow?

1. Students awarded the fellowship will be notified the week of March 13, 2023, to be able to finalize study plans before study abroad and fall course registration deadlines.