Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program · 2027

Eligibility & application

Required citizenship and age: U.S. citizen or national at application; permanent residents and applicants awaiting naturalization are ineligible. Be at least 18 by May 15, 2027. This future age checkpoint is not a separate application deadline. Required enrollment: Enrolled at application in a degree-granting accredited U.S.-based institution, at undergraduate (associate/bachelor) or graduate (master/doctoral/professional) level. Graduating seniors, one-year master’s students and eligible part-time students may apply. Virtual institutes are for undergraduates only. Stand-alone, continuing-education and certificate courses do not qualify. Foreign-based degree institutions do not qualify merely through U.S. accreditation; joint/dual programs need a U.S. institution transcript. Suspended accreditation is ineligible. Overseas branches must establish the qualifying U.S. institutional degree/transcript relationship. Fall and spring status: Take at least one credit-bearing class at or through the home institution in fall 2026 and complete fall requirements in good academic standing. Only organized semester/year study abroad, a national fellowship/scholarship, or a substantive co-op/internship can support a case-by-case leave exception. If not documented on the transcript, semi-finalists need the CLS Enrollment Confirmation completed by the U.S. registrar and a signed provider letter. CLS supplies the current form and instructions after selection; an updated completion confirmation may be required. Personal/medical leaves do not receive the same exception. Dissertation-only status needs registrar confirmation. Remain enrolled in spring 2027 unless graduating in December 2026; withdrawal or loss of good standing can revoke the award. Spring confirmation may be requested. Undergraduates must complete two semesters or three quarters by summer 2027. One application and language: Apply once for one language annually; duplicate applications cause ineligibility. Seek CLS help to delete an erroneous submission instead of filing another. The nine languages and format choices are one program bundle, not nine independent applications. A prior successful CLS participant may reapply, explaining prior learning/use and the need for another award; no general returning-student preference is established. 2027 language choices: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Portuguese, Russian and Swahili. Beginner means less than one prior year; advanced beginner requires one year, intermediate two and advanced three, or equivalent proficiency by June/summer 2027. Beginner Arabic/Chinese/Japanese/Korean/Russian are virtual undergraduate options. Beginner Hindi/Persian/Portuguese/Swahili and higher levels of all nine languages are overseas. Assess coursework, self-study, tutoring, heritage/home use and all language skills accurately; being a fast learner does not waive prerequisites. One CLS summer counts as one year. Historical 2026 language-page sites do not establish a 2027 placement; applicants do not choose a guaranteed host city. Employment conflicts: Ineligibility lasts one year after relevant employment, association or service ends. State Department paid/unpaid employees, consultants, temporary/part-time staff, externs, fellows and personal-services contractors, and their immediate families, are covered; interns and their families are exempt. Self-supporting children living apart qualify only if the parent/guardian does not work directly on CLS. The ECA USA Study Abroad contractor/grantee employee and immediate-family rule has its own exemptions for interns/families, self-supporting children, or children living apart. Confirm an individual conflict rather than treating every government employee as excluded. Selection and preferences: Holistic review of commitment to language learning, preparation for intensive study, academic/professional goals, citizen diplomacy and national impact. No minimum GPA or required major; prior international experience is not expected. Veterans receive preference when other factors are equal, with DD214 or NGB-22 proof and SSN redacted; active-duty service alone does not receive veterans’ preference. Military-affiliated applicants must consult their commanding officer about passport, visa, clearance, travel and funding restrictions. Limited language access at the home institution is compatible with application, rather than a requirement to have studied abroad. Application materials: Choose the correct format/language/level; provide current enrollment, academic history, language experience/travel and up to five relevant activities/honors/jobs. Provide current courses including fall 2026 in-progress courses without inventing unfinished grades. Upload a transcript/grade list (maximum 5 MB; no password-protected or digitally signed PDF; redact SSN) or enter matching courses/grades manually if unavailable. First-term students without grades may provide enrollment proof. Report prior college coursework within five years not already reflected on the current transcript, with unofficial transcripts; older relevant institutions may be listed. All finalists later provide an official transcript; discrepancies can revoke an award. Three essays: Commitment to Language Learning, Citizen Diplomacy, and Goals and National Impact, maximum 400 words each. Follow the complete official prompts; optional worksheet brainstorming questions are not extra required questions. Use the portal’s word counter and current personal experiences/goals. The organizer cautions that chatbot/agent-generated brainstorming, structure or content can hinder review of applicant fit. Recommendation letters are not required or accepted. Campus-advisor, peer or writing-tutor feedback is encouraged rather than mandatory nomination/certification. Staff office hours do not critique application essays. Submission, consent and accessibility: Complete required privacy/data-transfer and campus-advisor acknowledgements within the official application; advisor access is limited to named contact/degree/language information. Marketing emails and statistical questions are optional and statistical answers are not shared with reviewers. Review all required fields/documents, certify truthful original work, submit and retain the email confirmation; saving alone is insufficient, and submitted applications cannot be edited. The FAQ describes the online route; the current 2027 printable application expressly permits mail when unable to submit online, with materials RECEIVED by November 17, 2026 at the stated American Councils address. Confirm accessibility and mailing procedure with CLS. The worksheet is a planning reference, not a mailed application. WIT does not collect the private application data. After selection: Semi-finalists are notified in late January 2027 and finalists/alternates/non-recipients in early March 2027; no exact day is stated. Finalists have approximately two weeks to respond to their individual offer. Selection is conditional on placement, current eligibility, documents, medical/visa requirements and the current award terms. No award deferral or guaranteed participation/host placement; formats/sites can change or be cancelled. Current pre-program and post-program deadlines come from the individual offer and must be confirmed. Source differences: The FAQ still contains May/March 2026 examples and links 2026 enrollment/passport-assistance documents; explicit 2027 eligibility and application instructions control current dates. The printable application’s passport question asks for legal-name validity through March 1, 2028 and two blank visa pages; its March 2027 procurement requirement is more specific than old FAQ wording. Its At-Large congressional list and name-field wording may differ from current district information/live portal; use the official district lookup and clarify with CLS. The linked 2026 overseas and 2025 virtual award-policy books are SAMPLE terms; their September 10, December 31 and attendance/fee rules are not automatically 2027 appointments or obligations.

U.S. applicants · overseas or virtual institutes · hybrid · open

Education level: undergraduate, graduate

Scholarship funding, not salary. Program-supported intensive language instruction, cultural activities, books/materials, ACTFL OPI certification and Bryn Mawr academic credit. Overseas benefits include domestic/international travel from the U.S. home city to the program site, applicable visa fees, room/board and program-sponsored travel. Virtual participants receive an equipment/connectivity contribution of unspecified amount; they remain responsible for necessary devices, connectivity plans, living expenses and physical/mental health expenses. A separate application-fee amount or explicit zero application fee is not established by the reviewed current instructions. Overseas applicants ordinarily pay passport procurement, medical examination/follow-up, immunizations and travel-health-clinic costs. Medical-form translation/travel and other uncovered personal costs are not reimbursed. Maintain personal medical coverage; supplemental ASPE is limited rather than comprehensive insurance, with travel/program-period restrictions. Independent pre/post-program arrangements and passport expediting, shipping or procurement travel are personal costs. Conditional 2027 passport assistance: Limited $165 reimbursement for finalists needing a first or renewed passport and demonstrating exceptional financial need. Undergraduates need Pell aid for 2026–2027; graduate students may demonstrate need with a statement of at most 250 words and an aid-office/graduate-college letter. The passport must be issued January 1–June 1, 2027. Pay upfront and submit the assistance form with passport issue-date scan and aid documentation by July 1, 2027. Status notifications are rolling no later than August 1, 2027; reimbursement is after program start on a rolling basis no later than August 2027, via the official acceptance banking details. No reimbursement if unable to travel. These conditions do not make Pell aid necessary for the main CLS scholarship. The older FAQ-linked 2026 guide has different dates and an email procedure; do not use those for the current application. Prior sample award terms describe variable incidentals stipends, missed OPI fees (then $60, subject to change), credit-transfer costs, property responsibility, possible tax liability and repayment following withdrawal/termination. Confirm current signed terms before treating those sample amounts/rules as 2027 costs. No guaranteed stipend total or wage is inferred.

Eight weeks of intensive summer language study and cultural immersion, at least 18 weekly classroom hours plus homework and activities. Exact 2027 institute dates/sites are not yet established here. Attend all required orientation, classes and activities and complete placement/testing, evaluations and official documentation. Select one virtual or overseas option; the combined listing does not require attending both. Overseas participation requires independent self-care/medication management and transport between housing/institute (possibly one hour each way), with reasonable accommodations. Complete the medical information form and physician statement reviewed by the applicant’s provider and the CLS-contracted professional, report health changes, and secure the appropriate visa/entry permissions using a U.S. passport. Host-country dual citizenship, military status, entry rules and passport-marker acceptance require organizer/consular confirmation. Virtual participation requires reliable internet and a capable camera/microphone device for scheduled live study. Request needed accommodations early. Coordinate academic-term overlaps and other awards; do not undertake a conflicting internship, unrelated classes or independent research that prevents full participation. Research needs prior approval, and host permissions/IRB/visa rules where relevant. CLS and Fulbright Critical Language Enhancement Award cannot be held in the same calendar year. Do not assume permission for late arrival, family/visitor participation, private housing or independent international travel during the program. Complete programme and post-program assessments and follow current offer-specific policies. Read and agree to the current year’s award terms and privacy/harassment/media policies within the official process. Older SAMPLE policy books describe required housing, conduct, travel, assessment, possible repayment and related-party/data sharing but do not establish the final 2027 terms. No bank, passport, medical or consent form is operated by WIT. Optional recruitment webinars/office hours are separately labeled. Their pages explicitly print EST, including October dates: calendar conversions retain literal UTC−05:00 standard time rather than silently substituting daylight time; confirm the registration page if the organizer intended local Eastern time. Event end times/durations are not published. Professional conferences on November 11–14 and November 20–22 are not applicant requirements and are excluded from the calendar bundle.

Published dates

Unannounced dates are kept pending. Dated history is included when you add a program; reminders apply to future dates. Date-only events do not have an invented cutoff time. The organizer confirms final eligibility and availability.

Official evidence