Boren Scholarship – National Security Education Program

Website: http://www.borenawards.org/

For More Information Contact: National Scholarships Office – nsepboren@umd.edu

Who Can Apply: US Citizens – Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors – GPA of 3.4 or higher recommended – All Majors – Scholarship must be used before graduation

IMPORTANT: Boren/NSEP Scholarships CANNOT be used for study abroad in Western Europe, Canada, Australia, or New Zealand.

IMPORTANT: Summer-only study abroad programs are limited to students majoring in the sciences or in engineering (regardless of class year) AND to freshmen or sophomores with outstanding qualifications. Applications for a summer-only program will be considered only if the program is eight (8) weeks or longer and is designed as a language immersion program.

IMPORTANT: All candidates for Boren Scholarships must be evaluated by their college or university. Please contact the National Scholarships Office for information about the University of Maryland evaluation process. The Maryland deadline is January 17, 2014 (see below).

Description: The Boren/NSEP Scholarship program provides awards to American students for study abroad in world regions critical to U.S. national security. These regions include Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin American & the Caribbean, and the Middle East. (The countries of Western Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are excluded.) The Boren/NSEP program uses a broad definition of national security, including the traditional concerns of protecting and promoting American well-being as well as the challenges of global society, including: sustainable development, environmental degradation, global disease and hunger, population growth and migration, and economic competitiveness. A full list of countries and languages eligible for Boren/NSEP study abroad scholarships can be found at: http://www.iie.org/programs/nsep/undergraduate/preferences.htm

African Languages Initiative: Boren Fellowship applicants will have the opportunity to deepen their knowledge of, and proficiency in, African languages and cultures. Through the initiative, supplemental funding will be available for Boren Fellows to study one of the following languages at the University of Florida’s summer 2014 program prior to commencing their overseas Boren Scholarship funded program: Akan/Twi, Swahili, Wolof, Yoruba, and Zulu. In addition, African Languages Initiative overseas programs are available for intensive language and cultural study during fall semester 2014 in the following countries: Tanzania (Swahili), Mozambique (Portuguese), Nigeria (Yoruba), and South Africa (Zulu).

Program Preferences: IMPORTANT: The Boren/NSEP Scholarship Program strongly prefers applicants planning two semesters of study abroad (summer and fall or fall and spring), but well-qualified applicants may apply for a single semester of study abroad, or in special cases (see above), for a summer of intensive language study abroad.

Preference will be given to applicants planning to study languages at any level (where applicable).

Preference will be given to students with a strong interest in working for the US Government.

Service Obligation: Boren/NSEP Scholarship recipients must agree to seek employment in an agency of the federal government involved in national security.

Award Amount: Up to $20,000 for an academic year of study abroad, $10,000 for an academic semester, or $8,000 for summer study.

Duration: Proposals for two consecutive semesters of study abroad (summer and fall or fall and spring) are strongly preferred. Well qualified applicants may also seek a single semester of study. Summer programs are eligible for students in designated fields (see program preferences above).

UMCP Campus Deadline: January 17, 2014 – All Maryland applicants must complete their on-line applications and submit all hard-copy supplementary materials to the National Scholarships Office (2403 Marie Mount Hall) by this date.

National Deadline: February 5, 2014