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Welcome to the Boren Scholarship and Fellowship Overview

For a concise description of the entire worldstudy.gov project, visit Frequently Asked Questions and choose "about this site." This Overview covers general information about Boren grants available to students. More detailed information is available in the FAQ.

Eligibility

You are eligible for a Boren Scholarship or Fellowship if you are an undergraduate or graduate student who is:

1. A citizen of the United States at the time you submit your application; and

2. Matriculated in a degree program at an accredited U.S. college or university located in the U.S

Preferences

Preference is given to students who will study countries, languages, and fields identified as critical to U.S. national security. Students who will study abroad for a full academic year and who will make a commitment to a career in federal service also have preference.

Location of Study/Countires

Countries

With a Boren Scholarship or Fellowship, you can study in and about areas of the world critical to U.S. national security where most U.S. students do not study. These regions include Africa, Asia, Eastern and Central Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Middle East. You may not study in Western Europe, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand on a Boren award.

Boren awards cannot be used for study abroad if a State Department travel warning is in place for a country. Information about travel warnings is available at http://travel.state.gov/travel/warnings.html.

Students interested in countries that are not on this list must make a compelling argument in their application that increased understanding and appreciation of a particular country or region represents an important contribution to U.S. national security.

Languages

If you apply for a Boren award, you are required to study a language as part of your program. You do not need previous experience in a particular language. In fact, many of the preferred languages are not widely taught in the United States. However, you will find that previous study of any language will help you learn a new one.

Preferred Languages of Study*

*Spanish and French, while commonly spoken in Latin America and the Caribbean and in some parts of Africa, are not preferred languages of study. If you apply to study in a Spanish- or French-speaking country you must have advanced proficiency in the language. This requirement is in place because opportunities to study Spanish and French are widely available across the United States.

Fields

If you are majoring or studying one of these fields you will be more competitive for a Boren award.

Preferred Fields of Study

Students majoring in fields of study not emphasized above may submit an application, provided they present a compelling case for study abroad that links their field of study and future career goals to U.S. national security.

Length of Study

The trend in U.S. study abroad is to study for short periods of time, generally six weeks or less. However, the greatest gains in language proficiency and cultural expertise emerge when students can immerse themselves in overseas study for a year.  For this reason, preference is given to applicants proposing full academic year study.

Summer-only programs are limited to freshmen, sophomores, and applied science and engineering majors, regardless of class standing. Applications for summer-only programs will only be considered if the program is eight (8) weeks or longer and is designed as a "language immersion" program.

Funding

Boren Scholarships and Fellowships provide significant funding for study abroad. The numbers below reflect maximum funding amounts.

*Funding is available for study in the U.S. or overseas. Generally domestic study is helpful for students to prepare for their overseas study. For example, students may take Russian language classes to prepare them for research in Russia. Alternatively, funds may be used for domestic study when travel to a country or region is prohibited (i.e. Iran and North Korea). Funding for domestic study may only be used on language and area studies courses.

Languages

If you apply for a Boren grant, you are required to include the study of a language as part of your program; however, your program may or may not focus primarily on language acquisition.

Expanding Definitions of National Security

The David L. Boren Scholarships and Fellowships are administered by the National Security Education Program (NSEP). Funded by Congress in 1991, NSEP’s role is to strengthen our national security by helping educate U.S. citizens to better understand and more effectively communicate with other world cultures and languages. Your global study as a Boren Scholar/Fellow must have a justifiable connection with national security. You’ll be asked to make the case that your immediate and long-term plans benefit the interests of the U.S.

Today's security environment is dynamic and uncertain. Problems that once seemed quite distant — resource depletion, rapid population growth, environmental damage, food security, new infectious diseases, refugee migration — have significant implications for the United States. NSEP has played a major role in developing a broader meaning of U.S. national security that includes other factors that affect our country’s economic, military, social, and/or political well-being.

Service Requirement/Opportunity

Have you ever thought about working for the federal government? Do you know how many different types of opportunities there are across the federal government? As a Boren Scholar/Fellow you will incur a requirement to "make a return" on this federal investment in you by working either in the federal government or higher education. The Boren service opportunity can help you find employment after you complete your degree. The duration of the service requirement is roughly equivalent to the length of your study as a Boren Scholar/Fellow. The service opportunity may also be fulfilled at a U.S. college or university.

Take Action

Still unsure whether a Boren Scholarship or Fellowship from the National Security Education Program is for you? Ask your on-campus representative, or write to us today at info@worldstudy.gov. If you’re ready to apply right now, visit Netlinks, keyword "funding" on this site.

For more information about NSEP and the David L. Boren Scholarships and Fellowships, explore our Frequently Asked Questions.

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