A Program of the 
We are pleased to announce that approximately 500 finalists were selected for the opportunity to study critical languages through the overseas CLS Program and through its virtual initiative, CLS Spark.
We applaud all applicants for the 2023 CLS Program for their commitment to language learning and congratulate the finalists and alternates selected from this impressive pool of students.
Finalists for the 2023 CLS Program were selected from a diverse pool of over 5,000 applicants, 245 higher education institutions across the United States, of which 13 are community colleges and 47 are Minority-Serving institutions such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Hispanic-serving Institutions. Finalists come from a diverse range of backgrounds, education levels and fields of study, and include residents of all fifty states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico. For the 2023 cohort, 54% of CLS finalists self-identify as racial or ethnic minorities; 27% studied science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM); 35% were recipients of Pell Grants; and 24% are first-generation college or university students. 8% of finalists are veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Finalists have until March 20 to accept their award. Finalists can find more information about their program in their notification messages. If you were notified as a semifinalist in January and have not received a final notification of your selection status, please ensure that the notification email has not been caught in a spam filter. If you have any questions, you can contact us at cls@americancouncils.org. Our office hours are 9-5 ET Monday-Friday.