Boren Awards

Award Amount
Application deadline
Awarded By:

National Security Education Program

Number of Awards & Eligibility: The number of awards varies.
In order to qualify, students must meet the following criteria:
  1. Must be a U.S. citizen.
  2. Must be enrolled or planning to enroll in a study abroad program.
  3. Must be an undergraduate or graduate student at the time of application.
  4. Must be pursuing one of the preferred fields of study. Additional information about eligible majors is available at the program website.

In order to qualify, students must meet the following criteria:

Description: The Boren Awards promotes long-term linguistic and cultural immersion. It provides funding for U.S. students who are studying abroad. Preference is given to students who are studying STEM fields, language, and social sciences. A full listing of eligible majors is available at the provider's website.

Application requirements for the Boren Awards are:

  • Essay
  • Recommendation letter
  • Application form
  • Personal statement
  • Official Transcript
Additional Information: Boren Awards funding must cover a continuous period of overseas study. Short mid-program trips out of the country of study are allowed but will need to be pre-approved by IIE. Multiple, sequential programs in the same language and country are eligible for Boren Awards funding and may be necessary to reach the desired award threshold. Study tours of several countries, such as a semester at sea, are not eligible for Boren Awards funding. The minimum duration of an eligible program is 12 weeks for most Boren Awards applicants. (A special exception to this rule exists for undergraduate STEM majors, who may propose summer programs of 8 weeks or longer.

Award Amount: The award is for study abroad for one semester or more in an important location for US National Security. Winners receive $8,000, $10,000 or $20,000 depending on the length of their study abroad program. Boren Awards funding in the 2020 application cycle may be applied to programs starting as early as June 1, 2020 or as late as March 1, 2021.  The total dollars awarded for this scholarship is $20,000.

Deadline Information:

Deadline for this scholarship is Friday, February 5

Deadline Information:

Deadline for this scholarship is Friday, February 5

To apply, applicants fill out an online application. They must make an especially strong argument for the value of their language study to U.S. national security and public service in their application essays. A complete application includes 2 letters of recommendation, a 250 word essay describing their plans for curricular / noncurricular language immersion and a 250 word essay that describes the proposed Boren funded program. A longer essay of 800 words must explain the import of your proposed country, region, and language to U.S. national security. The Boren Awards recognize a broad definition of national security, but you should make a specific, detailed, and focused argument.
About National Security Education Program:
Contact Information: Boren Awards, -
Address: - - -, -- Not Applicable -- -
Email:

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