A Program of the 
We are pleased to announce that the application for the 2023 Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is now open! We welcome American undergraduate and graduate students to apply now to study a critical language next summer on a fully funded virtual or overseas language program. The application is available online at: https://clscholarship.org/apply
The application deadline is November 15 at 8pm Eastern Time.
The CLS Program is an intensive overseas language and cultural immersion program for American undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities. Students spend eight to ten weeks over the summer studying one of 14 critical languages (Arabic, Azerbaijani, Bangla, Chinese, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Swahili, Turkish, and Urdu). The program is designed to promote rapid language gains through intensive language instruction, host community engagement, and structured cultural activities in a cohort-based setting.
Under the CLS Program, CLS Spark, provides virtual opportunities for American undergraduate students enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities to study Arabic, Chinese, and Russian at the beginner level over the summer. Designed to leverage best practices in online language learning, CLS Spark provides participants the opportunity to study critical languages virtually at the absolute beginner level when they may not have access to these languages on their campuses.
We encourage applicants to watch our application tips videos which walk you through the application essays for the CLS Program at institutes abroad and CLS Spark, a virtual program. The CLS Program will host frequent webinars, Q&A sessions, and alumni panels for students and advisors over the next few weeks. A full calendar of events and corresponding registration links is available on our web site: https://clscholarship.org/events
The CLS Program is a program of the U.S. Department of State, and part of a wider government initiative to expand the number of Americans studying and mastering foreign languages that are critical to national security and economic prosperity. The CLS Program plays an important role in preparing students for the 21st century's globalized workforce and increasing national competitiveness.
If you have any questions, please contact us at: cls@americancouncils.org.