FLAS Funding

FLAS fellowships are open to graduate and undergraduate students who wish to learn an African language, however undergraduates must demonstrate a commitment to African Studies by enrolling in one of the African Studies minors or its certificate program. Further, it is strongly recommended that students submit a FAFSA, as consideration is made for students with demonstrated financial need. Approved language courses include:

  • Akan/Twi
  • Arabic (focusing on Arabic-speaking African regions)
  • Bamana
  • Kinyarwanda
  • Swahili/Kiswahili
  • Wolof
  • Yoruba
  • Zulu/IsiZulu

Other languages, on approval (usually summer only)

FLAS eligibility

Only U.S. citizens or permanent residents may apply for FLAS fellowships. Award recipients must be full-time students during the award period, be enrolled in an African language, and take at least one Africa-focused area studies course each semester. The Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies website has more details about the FLAS application.

FLAS FAQs

Yes. According to U.S. Department of Education guidelines, students enrolled at institutions that do not have an allocation of FLAS fellowships may only apply for programs offered by FLAS granting institutions. This rule pertains to U.S. based and overseas programs.

It means that your area focus should be the African continent, not any other world area or program of study where knowledge of Arabic is important.

Yes. If you have applied for a FLAS award from African Studies in a previous year, please contact Marilyn Estep (estepm@indiana.edu) with a detailed list of the documents that you would like us to use for your current application. This list may include academic transcripts and letters of recommendation from other institutions. If you enrolled at IU since you submitted your previous application, you should also submit the most recent IU transcript and at least one recommendation from an IU professor. We encourage you not to use more than one old recommendation.

No. In the case of IU transcripts only, we will accept a print-out generated by you through One.IU that includes your past record and courses in which you are currently enrolled.

Yes, we will accept copies of your official transcripts if they come to us directly from another IU department. However, it is your responsibility to ask the departmental graduate secretary to send these via campus mail to Marilyn Estep, Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies, GA 3072.

Yes, if you cannot find three referees to write by the deadline. At least one, if not more, current references are encouraged so that the referee can speak to your current interests, activities, and performances. If you are using a past letter of reference, it is your responsibility to have the relevant IU department or school send a copy to the African Studies Program for use in the FLAS application.

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