The State Department’s National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) provides merit-based scholarships to U.S. high school students and recent graduates interested in learning less-commonly studied foreign languages overseas.

Eligibility Requirements

All applicants must:

• Be a U.S. citizen currently enrolled in, or just graduated from, high school;
• Be 15-to-18 years old at the start of the program;
• Have a minimum GPA of 2.5.

Languages Offered

Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Hindi, Korean, Persian (Tajik), Russian and Turkish. Read more detailed information about the individual language programs.

Application Deadline

The application period for 2012/2013 programs has passed. For more information, visit the NSLI-Y program website.

NSLI-Y Alumni

NSLI-Y alumni share stories of their experiences before, during and after their exchange.

Questions?

Still have questions? Visit the frequently asked questions.

If you have additional questions, please contact American Councils, the current Department of State grant recipient for the NSLI-Y program at 1.866.790.2086 or by email.