Southeast Asian Studies Summer Institute (SEASSI)

Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship

Application deadline for Summer 2025 is: February 14, 2025

For the summer, the U.S. Department of Education has provided Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) fellowships for the study of Southeast Asian languages to eight institutions: Cornell University, Northern Illinois University, the University of California-Berkeley, the University of California-Los Angeles, the University of Hawaii, the University of Michigan, the University of Washington, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

For the summer program, a FLAS award consists of: 1) full payment of the SEASSI tuition, and 2) a $3500 summer living stipend.

Eligibility

Applicants for SEASSI FLAS awards must be United States citizens or permanent residents of the United States. Currently enrolled undergraduate and graduate students are eligible to receive a FLAS award only for language study at the second or third year level. Students demonstrating advanced proficiency in another Southeast Asian language may apply for a FLAS Fellowship at the first-year level at SEASSI. Students admitted to a graduate program for the subsequent Fall semester are eligible to receive FLAS awards for language study at the second or third year level, as well. FLAS fellowships will NOT be awarded to post-doctoral students. Because of limited funds available, not all qualified applicants can be given awards.

Application

For University of Wisconsin-Madison students, and all other applicants not attending one of the above-named institutions, all necessary information and materials for applying for a FLAS award must be submitted through UW-Madison’s FLAS portal: flas.wisc.edu. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that all application materials are complete and submitted on time.

Criteria for Selection

Applicants will be judged by the following criteria:

  • Commitment to a career relating to Southeast Asia or involving use of the language to be studied.
  • Academic performance.
  • Appropriateness of the applicant’s chosen program of academic study and experience to meet his or her stated goals.
  • Fit with SEASSI program as determined by language and level of language proposed to be studied in order to ensure appropriate enrollments in some SEASSI classes.
  • FLAS Fellowships can be awarded only to undergraduate and graduate students for 2nd or 3rd year language study. However, students demonstrating advanced proficiency in another Southeast Asian language may apply for a FLAS Fellowship to study a language at the first-year level at SEASSI.

Selection Procedure

  • Applications from students at the aforementioned FLAS-granting institutions are reviewed by fellowship selection committees at each individual FLAS-granting institution, and each of those institutions administers FLAS awards to its own students.
  • For all other students, FLAS applications for study at SEASSI are reviewed by an independent committee of Southeast Asian studies scholars. The committee ranks these applications, and awards are made in accordance with those rankings.
  • Notification of awards, of alternate status, and of rejection are intended to be sent by mid-April. Those offered an award must indicate acceptance by the date stated on the award letter. Those who have not indicated acceptance by the deadline stated on the award letter will automatically have the offer withdrawn.
  • The alternate list will be maintained even after SEASSI begins since some grantees have found it necessary to reject their awards after the beginning of the Institute.

Additional information: 2025 FLAS Flyer | flas.wisc.edu | FLAS FAQ page.

FLAS questions may be directed to the following email: awards@iris.wisc.edu

 

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