If you’re a current undergraduate student excited about the possibility of living in Asia, have a look at these fellowship programs! There are opportunities all over Asia in a variety of disciplines. If one of them looks like a fit for you, be sure to bookmark it to your ProFellow account!
The AIIS Language Program offers nine-month academic year, summer and semester courses at elementary to advanced levels in many languages, including several that are rarely taught outside of India. The eligibility requirements vary depending on the particular program. Academic-year program students may compete for full fellowships funded through the U.S. Department of Education; summer program applicants should seek funding from their home institutions or through the Critical Language Scholarships program (for Hindi, Punjabi, and Urdu), but may also be considered for a limited number of partial scholarships from AIIS.
Boren Scholarships provide funding to U.S. undergraduate students to study abroad in areas of the world that are critical to U.S. interests and underrepresented in study abroad. Boren Scholarships support study and research in areas of the world that are critical to U.S. interests, including Africa, Asia, Central & Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East, with a focus on studying less commonly taught languages. Boren Scholars represent a variety of academic backgrounds, but all are interested in studying less commonly taught languages. Max scholarship awards are $8K for a summer program (special initiative for STEM students only), $12.5K for a semester and $25K for a full academic year. Boren Scholars commit to working in the federal government for at least 1 year after graduation and receive exclusive opportunities and preferential consideration for government careers.
The Freeman-ASIA program is designed to support U.S.-based undergraduates with demonstrated financial need who are planning to study abroad in East or Southeast Asia. The program’s goal is to increase the number of U.S. citizens and permanent residents with first-hand exposure to and understanding of Asia and its peoples and cultures. Funding is available to assist the recipient with the cost of the study abroad program and related expenses, including airfare, basic living costs, local transportation, books, etc. Awards range from $3K-7K depending on length of study.
There are seven types of Japanese government-sponsored scholarships available under the Japanese Government (Monbukagakusho) Scholarship program for study in Japan: those for research students, teacher training students, undergraduate university students, Japanese studies students, college of technology students, special training students and Young Leader’s Program (YLP) students. Japanese language requirements apply. Scholarship recipients are recruited and initially screened by an Japanese embassy (or consulate general, depending on the country).