Homepage - Critical Language Scholarship Program
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Archived: 2026-04-23 17:10
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A Program of the
U.S. Department of State
Feb 25, 2026
Announcing the 2026 CLS Program Awards
Approximately 315 U.S. undergraduate and graduate students were selected for the 2026 Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program.
Feb 17, 2026
CLS Alumni Highlight: Addison Miller
Addison Miller (2024 CLS Chinese) leveraged her experience to shape her path toward a career in international and comparative education.
Feb 05, 2026
CLS Alumni Highlight: Sam Bowden
Sam Bowden (2024 CLS Russian) leveraged his interests to build meaningful international connections and launch a career in foreign policy.
The CLS Program provides immersive summer programs for U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to learn languages of strategic importance to the United States’ national security and economic prosperity.
The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is a program of the
U.S. Department of State
with funding provided by the U.S. Government and supported in its implementation by
American Councils for International Education
.
The CLS Program provides immersive summer programs for U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to learn languages of strategic importance to the United States’ national security and economic prosperity. Participants receive the equivalent of one year of language study in eight weeks, through intensive language instruction and cultural activities that reinforce both language learning and intercultural competence. Since 2006, the CLS Program has supported over 10,000 U.S. undergraduate and graduate students. CLS alumni represent all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
What Alumni Say About the CLS Program
Key Benefits
Develop Key Expertise
The CLS Program provides its scholars
intensive language and cultural instruction
in an environment designed to maximize
their language gains at every level.
Career Ready Skills
Alumni apply their critical language
skills in a variety of professional fields
in public and private sectors as well as
government, helping to support America’s
competitiveness across the board.
Citizen Diplomacy
CLS scholars represent the breadth of the United States. Through personal engagement they help to spread American values and develop mutual understanding with the people of other countries.
Languages Offered
Arabic
Chinese
Hindi
Japanese
Korean
Persian
Portuguese
Russian
Swahili
See the full list of languages offered by the CLS Program
CLS News and Stories
Announcing the 2026 CLS Program Awards
Congratulations to the approximately 315 U.S. undergraduate and graduate students selected for the 2026 Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program! We commend all applicants for their commitment to critical language study and congratulate the finalists and alternates selected from an exceptionally…
February 25, 2026
CLS Alumni Highlight: Addison Miller
Addison Miller, a 2024 CLS Chinese Program participant in New Taipei City, Taiwan, leveraged her experience to shape her path toward a career in international and comparative education. Her CLS experience played a pivotal role in connecting her academic interests with real-world experience. In 2026…
February 17, 2026
CLS Alumni Highlight: Sam Bowden
Sam Bowden, a 2024 CLS Russian Program participant in Tbilisi, Georgia, leveraged his personal and academic interests in Russian language, literature, and geopolitics to build meaningful international connections and launch a career in foreign policy. His experiences with CLS helped bridge the gap …
February 05, 2026
Beyond the Lab: The Value of Studying Abroad for STEM Students
Alex Graber is a Biology major at Vassar College in New York. Alex participated in the 2025 CLS Japanese Program hosted by Okayama University in Okayama, Japan.
This past summer, I participated in the CLS program at Okayama University in Okayama, Japan. I am currently an undergraduate student at V…
January 12, 2026
CLS in the Press
Academic honors abound for students and faculty across the global network
Each year, Northeastern celebrates students and faculty who have demonstrated excellence in scholarship, research, or teaching.
Shared from Northeastern Global News, April 16, 2026
Doctoral candidate receives Critical Language Scholar award to study Swahili
Driven by a passion for human-animal interaction and local conservation efforts, a Colorado State University doctoral student has received a Critical Language Scholarship to travel to East Africa for an immersive language-learning program.
Shared from The Rocky Mountain Collegian, April 15, 2026
Grayslake Central grad lands prestigious federal language scholarship abroad
Adam Syed, a University of Illinois student and Grayslake Central High School alum, has been awarded a prestigious U.S. State Department Critical Language Scholarship to study Mandarin in Taiwan.
Shared from , April 15, 2026
Critical Language Scholarship Program | Homepage
Skip to Content
Menu
Apply Now!
Home
Events & Webinars
News & Stories
Contact Us
A Program of the
U.S. Department of State
Feb 25, 2026
Announcing the 2026 CLS Program Awards
Approximately 315 U.S. undergraduate and graduate students were selected for the 2026 Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program.
Feb 17, 2026
CLS Alumni Highlight: Addison Miller
Addison Miller (2024 CLS Chinese) leveraged her experience to shape her path toward a career in international and comparative education.
Feb 05, 2026
CLS Alumni Highlight: Sam Bowden
Sam Bowden (2024 CLS Russian) leveraged his interests to build meaningful international connections and launch a career in foreign policy.
The CLS Program provides immersive summer programs for U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to learn languages of strategic importance to the United States’ national security and economic prosperity.
The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is a program of the
U.S. Department of State
with funding provided by the U.S. Government and supported in its implementation by
American Councils for International Education
.
The CLS Program provides immersive summer programs for U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to learn languages of strategic importance to the United States’ national security and economic prosperity. Participants receive the equivalent of one year of language study in eight weeks, through intensive language instruction and cultural activities that reinforce both language learning and intercultural competence. Since 2006, the CLS Program has supported over 10,000 U.S. undergraduate and graduate students. CLS alumni represent all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
What Alumni Say About the CLS Program
Key Benefits
Develop Key Expertise
The CLS Program provides its scholars
intensive language and cultural instruction
in an environment designed to maximize
their language gains at every level.
Career Ready Skills
Alumni apply their critical language
skills in a variety of professional fields
in public and private sectors as well as
government, helping to support America’s
competitiveness across the board.
Citizen Diplomacy
CLS scholars represent the breadth of the United States. Through personal engagement they help to spread American values and develop mutual understanding with the people of other countries.
Languages Offered
Arabic
Chinese
Hindi
Japanese
Korean
Persian
Portuguese
Russian
Swahili
See the full list of languages offered by the CLS Program
CLS News and Stories
Announcing the 2026 CLS Program Awards
Congratulations to the approximately 315 U.S. undergraduate and graduate students selected for the 2026 Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program! We commend all applicants for their commitment to critical language study and congratulate the finalists and alternates selected from an exceptionally…
February 25, 2026
CLS Alumni Highlight: Addison Miller
Addison Miller, a 2024 CLS Chinese Program participant in New Taipei City, Taiwan, leveraged her experience to shape her path toward a career in international and comparative education. Her CLS experience played a pivotal role in connecting her academic interests with real-world experience. In 2026…
February 17, 2026
CLS Alumni Highlight: Sam Bowden
Sam Bowden, a 2024 CLS Russian Program participant in Tbilisi, Georgia, leveraged his personal and academic interests in Russian language, literature, and geopolitics to build meaningful international connections and launch a career in foreign policy. His experiences with CLS helped bridge the gap …
February 05, 2026
Beyond the Lab: The Value of Studying Abroad for STEM Students
Alex Graber is a Biology major at Vassar College in New York. Alex participated in the 2025 CLS Japanese Program hosted by Okayama University in Okayama, Japan.
This past summer, I participated in the CLS program at Okayama University in Okayama, Japan. I am currently an undergraduate student at V…
January 12, 2026
CLS in the Press
Academic honors abound for students and faculty across the global network
Each year, Northeastern celebrates students and faculty who have demonstrated excellence in scholarship, research, or teaching.
Shared from Northeastern Global News, April 16, 2026
Doctoral candidate receives Critical Language Scholar award to study Swahili
Driven by a passion for human-animal interaction and local conservation efforts, a Colorado State University doctoral student has received a Critical Language Scholarship to travel to East Africa for an immersive language-learning program.
Shared from The Rocky Mountain Collegian, April 15, 2026
Grayslake Central grad lands prestigious federal language scholarship abroad
Adam Syed, a University of Illinois student and Grayslake Central High School alum, has been awarded a prestigious U.S. State Department Critical Language Scholarship to study Mandarin in Taiwan.
Shared from , April 15, 2026