Critical Language Scholarship Program | Passport Assistance
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Passport Assistance

The CLS Program is proud to announce the availability of limited funds to support U.S. passport procurement for students who demonstrate exceptional financial need. The CLS Program will issue a reimbursement of $165 for U.S. passport application fees (excluding fees to expedite processing and shipping costs) for CLS finalists applying for a first-time passport or a passport renewal in order to participate in the CLS Program. Please note that fees to expedite the application process and costs related to shipping or traveling to procure a passport are not reimbursable.

Eligibility

The purpose of passport assistance is to cover the cost of a regular U.S. passport for finalists selected for the CLS Program with exceptional financial need who must procure or renew a passport for the purpose of participating in the CLS Program. For that reason, passports must be procured/renewed during the eligibility period of January 1, 2025 – June 1, 2025. Passports procured before or after this period are not eligible for reimbursement.

All applications for reimbursement must be submitted by July 1, 2025. Applications submitted after that will not be reviewed.

To demonstrate financial need, undergraduate students must have received a Pell grant for the 2024-2025 academic year.

To demonstrate financial need, graduate students must write a short explanation of no more than 250 words describing their need and submit a letter or other document from their current graduate college or financial aid office confirming their financial need.

How to Apply

Applicants should send the following documents to cls@americancouncils.org with the subject line “Last Name, Language, Passport Assistance” (e.g., “Smith, Arabic, Passport Assistance”) no later than July 1, 2025. Notification will be issued to each applicant individually on a rolling basis but no later than August 1, 2025.

  • A scan of the issued passport clearly showing the date of issue (between January 1, 2025 and June 1, 2025).
  • FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS: A scan of student’s financial aid award from their current institution indicating Pell eligibility.
  • FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS: A written statement describing the financial need of no more than 250 words AND a letter confirming that need from the student’s current institution’s office of financial aid or graduate college.

Reimbursement

CLS passport assistance functions as a reimbursement system. Finalists will need to pay for the cost of the passport up front and then submit materials for a reimbursement made via an ACH transfer to the bank account indicated in the acceptance materials for the student stipend.

Reimbursements will be issued after the start of the program on a rolling basis but not later than August 2025.

If a finalist is unable to travel for any reason, passport reimbursement will not be issued.