Through support from the US Department of Education, the UF Center for Latin American Studies offers Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Summer Fellowships. FLAS Summer Fellowships support participation in an intensive study program of a less-commonly-taught Latin American language (i.e., Brazilian Portuguese, Haitian Creole, Maya, Quechua, etc.). The fellowship covers the majority of program-related fees. When possible, the award also includes a travel stipend.
Priority will be given to students pursuing a Master’s degree, graduate certificate, or undergraduate minor/certificate in Latin American Studies at UF. UF professional school students are also encouraged to apply.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents currently enrolled full-time at UF as undergraduate or graduate students. Applications will also be accepted from non-UF graduate students with citizenship or permanent residency who are planning to attend the UF Language and Culture Program in Rio de Janeiro. Non-UF undergraduate students cannot apply.
UF undergraduate applicants must have at least intermediate proficiency in their selected language of study. There is no proficiency requirement for graduate students. However, graduate students proposing to study a language at the beginning level in a FLAS-eligible program must demonstrate that they already possess advanced proficiency in at least one other Latin American language. They should also address in their statement of purpose the reasons for studying the new language in connection to their academic and/or career goals.
Graduate students with approval to pursue language study at the beginning level must select a program in the US, unless there is no domestic program offered in the target language. Applicants with intermediate or advanced proficiency can select programs in the US or abroad.
Selected language programs must provide a minimum of 140 contact hours of instruction at the beginning and intermediate levels or 120 contact hours at the advanced level. (The UF Language and Culture Program in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil meets these requirements.) Programs must be at least six weeks in length.
Applicants who would like to attend the UF Language and Culture Program in Rio de Janeiro with a Summer FLAS Fellowship must have completed two semesters of introductory Portuguese or one semester of accelerated Portuguese (the latter is offered at UF in fall, spring and summer A.)
Fellowship Requirements
Recipients are required to complete an online report as well as take a language proficiency exam both before and after the fellowship period. After the fellowship period is completed, recipients will complete a short survey about their job placement every two years.
Application Deadline
February 2, 2025
Application Materials
To apply for the FLAS Summer Fellowship, please submit the following:
- FLAS Summer Fellowship Application
- Two-page statement of purpose describing how the study of the less-commonly-taught language will benefit your program of study and career plans
- One academic letter of recommendation accompanied by Release Form. For graduate students, the letter should be from your main adviser.
- One Language Recommendation Form
- Official academic transcripts
- Budget with information on program fees (not required for UF Language and Culture Program in Rio de Janeiro)
- Determination of Financial Need - FLAS Fellowship form -OR- copy of most recent FAFSA form (if submitted to UF for financial aid)
For questions regarding the application process, stipend and tuition processing, and health insurance, please contact:
Po Echeguren
Phone: 352-273-4709
Fax: 352-392-7682
E-mail: secheguren@latam.ufl.edu