Foreign Language Scholarships
When applying for a job, being able to speak a second language will set you apart from others vying for the same position. Fluency in (or even a working knowledge of) another language will also greatly increase your employment opportunities – they’re not give the big promotion at the Hong Kong office to someone who only speaks English – so majoring in a foreign language is a great way to initially bump up your resume’s attractiveness and keep your name at the top of your employer’s short list.
As a foreign language major, you have possibly the widest range of careers to choose from including education, business, hospitality, politics and social work. Pairing a language major with the aforementioned or other majors or minors is extremely beneficial, as it will give you a better understanding of how to blend both fields of study together (imagine taking an advertising class...in Spanish!). You can also further your knowledge by immersing yourself in the culture by studying abroad and maybe even interning abroad as well to get the full experience of what life after college will be like.
To ease the often high cost of college, foreign language scholarship awards are available for students majoring in nearly every language. But not all foreign languages are created equal: Students fluent in Coptic, Ancient Greek, Latin and Sanskrit aren’t going to have employers and foreign language scholarship providers banging down their doors with offers because these languages are not used every day. (The exception to this rule is if you're planning a career in academia.) There isn’t one “best” language to major in but some are more useful than others in certain careers. For example, Mandarin Chinese, German and Japanese are good choices for those interested in international business, French is excellent for anyone planning on doing social work in Africa, Arabic is a sought-after skill for those wanting to work for the government and Spanish is useful in just about every profession in the United States.
As for funding your education, countless options are available. The U.S. Department of Education
offers a Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship Program while the Critical Language Scholarship Program conducts intensive summer language institutes overseas in 13 critical need foreign languages but there are many, many more. Here are just a few foreign language scholarships in the Scholarships.com database. For more foreign language scholarship opportunities customized to your unique situation, conduct a free scholarship search today. ¿Comprende?
Nellie Martin Carman Scholarship Fund
Application Deadlines:
March 01, Annually
Applicants for the Nellie Martin Carman Scholarships must:
- Be a graduating senior from a public high school in the county of King, Pierce or Snohomish in the state of Washington in the year of appointment
- Be a United States citizen
- Plan to attend a college in the state of Washington on a full-time basis
Application forms are only available through the high schools in the counties [...] More
DAAD German Studies Research Grant
Application Deadlines:
Varies
DAAD awards highly qualified undergraduate and graduate students for short-term research in a field of German Studies in either North America or Germany.
The program is designed to encourage research and promote study of cultural, political, historical, economic and social aspects of modern and contemporary German affairs from inter- and multidisciplinary [...] More
Thomas G. Labrecque Smart Start Scholarship Program
Application Deadlines:
January 17, Annually
Each year, 10 high school graduating seniors across New York City become part of the Thomas G. Labrecque Smart Start Scholarship Program. Since 1992 the Scholarship program has had an impact on over 450 students throughout the five boroughs of New York City by providing education, work-related and financial benefits.
Scholarship recipients receive a full-tuition scholarship (less financial aid) [...] More
Direct Marketing Educational Foundation (DMEF) Scholarship Awards
Application Deadlines:
May 31, Annually
Each year, the Direct Marketing Educational Foundation (DMEF), awards scholarships on a competitive basis to undergraduate and graduate students who show a commitment to pursuing careers in direct/interactive marketing. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic excellence and demonstrated interest in the direct/interactive marketing field.
To be eligible for this award, applicants must:
[...] More
DAAD Undergraduate Scholarships
Application Deadlines:
January 31, Annually
Highly qualified undergraduate students are invited to apply for scholarships funding study, senior thesis research and/or internships in Germany. The goal of this program is to support study abroad in Germany and at German universities. Preference will be given to students whose projects or programs are based at and organized by a German university. Scholarships are available either as part of [...] More
IES Merit-Based Scholarships
Application Deadlines:
Varies
IES Merit-Based Scholarships are awarded for meritorious achievements in a variety of disciplines for students who are stuyding abroad on an IES Program.
Eligibility:
* Open to students who have been traditionally under-represented on study abroad programs. This group includes, but is not limited to, students from under-represented racial and ethnic groups, first generation to college [...] More
NSEP Boren Undergraduate Scholarships
Application Deadlines:
February 05, Annually
NSEP Boren Scholarships provide up to $20,000 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, including Africa, Asia, Central & Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America and the Middle East. The countries of Western Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are excluded.
Boren Scholarships are funded by [...] More
Army Staff Sgt. Special Agent Richard S. Eaton Jr., Scholarship
Application Deadlines:
January 31, Annually
Please read fully, and do not send postal mail, use our web form at the website for asking for more information and getting a quicker answer. Also, please review other scholarships we have on our website.
The Army Staff Sgt. Richard S. Eaton Jr., Scholarship provides $1,000 in honor of Staff Sgt. Richard Eaton, a United States Army Counterintelligence Special Agent and Bronze Star recipient who [...] More
GRCF Audrey L. Wright Scholarship
Application Deadlines:
April 01, Annually
Student must be a Kent County resident (three-year minimum) pursuing an undergraduate degree in foreign language or education. Must have financial need and a minimum 3.0 GPA.
For more information on this and other Grand Rapids Community Foundation scholarships, please visit our website. [...] More
Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals
Application Deadlines:
December 01, Annually
The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) for Young Professionals is a full-year work-study fellowship program with a strong focus on cultural exchange. CBYX annually provides 75 young Americans with an understanding of everyday life, education, and professional training in Germany. The program begins in July and includes two months of intensive German language training in Germany (no prior [...] More
Bache Renshaw Fellowship
Application Deadlines:
January 14, Annually
The ISI Bache Renshaw Fellowship awards each recipient $12,000 toward doctoral study in education that will influence the discipline with the ideas, values, and institutions that are fundamental to America’s Western tradition.
Successful candidates will intend to pursue doctoral study so that they may teach future teachers, shape and influence curricula, and contribute to the larger dialogue on [...] More
Western Civilization Fellowship
Application Deadlines:
January 14, Annually
The ISI Western Civilization Fellowship awards each recipient $20,000 for graduate work related to Western Civilization studies. Two of these graduate fellowships are awarded annually.
The ISI Western Civilization Fellowship Program is designed to address our culture’s loss of memory by supporting at the graduate level the study of the institutions, values, and history of the West.
For more [...] More
Jim & Anna Hyonjoo Lint Scholarship
Application Deadlines:
July 31, Annually
The Jim & Anna Hyonjoo Lint Scholarship is offered to help further the education and career development of scholars, especially in the areas of International Affairs, Counterintelligence and National Security. Workers in these fields and their children are encouraged to apply with the goal of improving national security and global understanding.
Based upon availability, a minimum of one [...] More
Linda Cowden Memorial Scholarship
Application Deadlines:
March 14, Annually
The Linda Cowden Memorial Scholarship is a yearly scholarship for continuing education of D/deaf or Hard of Hearing students or hearing students who are preparing to work in a profession serving the D/deaf community. D/deaf or Hard of Hearing students will be given priority.
To be eligible for this award, applicant must be a D/deaf/HoH person who has been accepted into a program to continue his [...] More
Texas Classical Association Scholarships
Application Deadlines:
Varies
The TCA offers four scholarships. Applications for these scholarships are posted online at http://www.txclassics.org/?page=scholarships when ready:
TCA Professional Scholarship
All teachers and professors are greatly encouraged to apply for the $500 TCA Professional Scholarship. This scholarship is intended to support projects undertaken by members of the association who have at least two years [...] More
TEACH Grant
Application Deadlines:
Varies
The Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program will provide grants of up to $4,000 per year to students who intend to teach in a public or private elementary or secondary school that serves students from low-income families.
In exchange for receiving a TEACH Grant, the student must teach for at least four academic years within eight calendar years of [...] More