FOREIGN LANGUAGE AND AREA STUDIES FELLOWSHIPS PROGRAM

• Citation: 34 CFR Part 657
• Sections: 19

§ 657.1 What is the Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships Program?

(a) Under the Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships Program, the Secretary provides allocations of fellowships to Centers and other administrative units at eligible institutions of higher education that award the fellowships on a competitive basis to undergraduate or graduate students who are undergoing advanced training in modern foreign languages and area studies.

(b) The Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships Program contributes to the purposes of the programs authorized by part A of title VI of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, listed in § 655.5(a), especially the development of a pool of international experts to meet national needs.

§ 657.2 What entities are eligible to receive an allocation of fellowships?

The Secretary awards an allocation of fellowships (grant) to an institution of higher education or to a consortium of institutions of higher education.

§ 657.3 What are the instructional and administrative requirements for an allocation of fellowships?

(a) An allocation of fellowships must support area studies and language instruction that aligns with all of the following requirements:

(1) A geographic world area or a geographically designated region that spans multiple world areas and serves as the focus of research, teaching, training, and instruction.

(2) Languages specific to the geographic area of focus.

(3) Existing programs or proposed instructional programs that will be developed and implemented during the grant period.

(b) An allocation of fellowships must be administered according to the institution's written plan for distributing fellowships and allowances to eligible fellows for training and instruction during the academic year or summer, provided that—

(1) The fellowship types are described in the budget narrative of an application selected for funding under this part; or

(2) The Secretary has approved any proposed changes to an approved Center's or Program's plan.

§ 657.4 Who is eligible to receive a fellowship?

A student must satisfy the criteria in paragraphs (a) through (e) of this section during the fellowship period to be eligible to receive a fellowship from an approved Center or Program, and a student receiving an academic year fellowship must additionally satisfy the criteria in paragraph (f) of this section to be eligible:

(a) The student is a—

(1) Citizen or national of the United States; or

(2) Permanent resident of the United States.

(b) The student is accepted for enrollment, is enrolled, or will continue to be enrolled in the institution receiving an allocation of fellowships.

(c) The student demonstrates—

(1) Commitment to the study of a world area relevant to the allocation of fellowships; and

(2) Potential for high academic achievement based on grade point average, class ranking, or similar measures that the institution may determine.

(d) The student is engaged in modern foreign language training or instruction in a language—

(1) That is relevant to the student's educational program, as described in paragraph (c), as well as the allocation of fellowships; and

(2) For which the institution or program has developed or is developing performance goals for foreign language use, and in the case of summer programs has received approval from the Secretary.

(e) The student must engage in the type of training appropriate to their degree status:

(1) Undergraduate students must engage in the study of a less commonly taught language at the intermediate or advanced level.

(2) Non-dissertation or predissertation level graduate students must engage in the study of a modern foreign language at the—

(i) Intermediate or advanced level; or

(ii) Beginning level, provided they demonstrate advanced proficiency in another modern foreign language relevant to their field of study or obtain the permission of the Secretary.

(3) Dissertation level graduate students must—

(i) Engage in dissertation research abroad or dissertation writing in the United States;

(ii) Demonstrate advanced proficiency in a modern foreign language relevant to the dissertation project and the allocation of fellowships; and

(iii) Use modern foreign language(s) relevant to the allocation of fellowships in their dissertation research or writing.

(f) The student meets the criteria related to educational programs described in this paragraph (f)(1) or (2):

(1) The student is pursuing an educational program (including any major fields of study, general education requirements, certificates, concentrations, specializations, or minor fields of study, or other established components of an institution's curriculum) that requires or ordinarily includes—

(i) Instruction in at least one modern foreign language related to the allocation of fellowships or a demonstration of proficiency in at least one modern foreign language related to the allocation of fellowships; and

(ii) Instruction or, for graduate students, supervised research related to the allocation of fellowships in—

(A) Area studies; or

(B) The international aspects of professional fields and other fields of study, including but not limited to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields.

(2) The student is pursuing an educational program that includes all of the following:

(i) A requirement for substantial instruction in a professional field or in one or more science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields.

(ii) The option to incorporate international aspects of fields of study through instruction in area studies and at least one modern foreign language.

(iii) Courses that meet fellowship duration and purpose requirements described in § 657.30(b) and are selected under the guidance of an individual or committee who possesses area studies and modern foreign language qualifications relevant to the allocation of fellowships as well as knowledge of requirements for the student's educational program.

§ 657.5 What is the amount of a fellowship?

(a) Each fellowship consists of an institutional payment, a stipend, and any additional allowances permitted under this part.

(1) A fellowship may include additional allowances payable to a fellow in addition to the stipend, as determined by the Secretary and as allocated by an approved Center or Program.

(2) If the institutional payment determined by the Secretary is greater than the tuition and fees charged by the institution, the institutional payment portion of the fellowship is limited to actual costs.

(b) The Secretary announces the following in a notice published in the Federal Register :

(1) The amounts of the stipend and institutional payment for each type of fellow during an academic year.

(2) The amounts of the stipend and institutional payment for each type of fellow during a summer session.

(3) Whether travel allowances of any type will be permitted.

(4) Whether dependent allowances of any type will be permitted.

(5) The amounts of any permitted allowances.

(6) Any limitation on the applicability of the amounts or allowances addressed in this paragraph (b).

(c) Allowances are only permissible if the Secretary announces such allowances are permitted.

(d) If the Secretary limits the applicability of fellowship amounts or the permissibility of allowances by reference to time, including the performance period of one or more awards, in a notice published in the Federal Register and the applicability period lapses, the amounts contained in the most recent notice or notices addressing each topic will remain in force as provisional amounts until the Secretary publishes a new notice but any allowances will no longer be permitted until expressly authorized in a new notice.

§ 657.6 What regulations apply to this program?

The following regulations apply to this program:

(a) The regulations in 34 CFR part 655.

(b) The regulations in this part 657.

§ 657.7 What definitions apply to this program?

The following definitions apply to this part:

(a) The definitions in 34 CFR 655.4.

(b) The following definitions, unless otherwise specified:

Approved Center means an administrative unit of an institution of higher education that has both received an allocation of fellowships under this part and a grant to operate a Center under 34 CFR part 656.

Approved Program means a concentration of educational resources and activities in modern foreign language training and area studies with the administrative capacity to administer an allocation of fellowships under this part.

Fellow means a person who receives a fellowship under this part.

Fellowship means the payment a fellow receives under this part.

Institutional payment means the portion of the fellowship used to pay the tuition associated with a fellow's training or instruction and any associated student fees that are required of such a large proportion of all students pursuing degrees at the same degree level as the fellow at the institution receiving an allocation of fellowships or at an approved language program during the fellowship period that the student who does not pay the charge is an exception.

Stipend means the portion of the fellowship paid by the grantee to a fellow in support of living expenses and the costs associated with advanced training in a modern foreign language and area studies.

Travel allowance means the portion of the fellowship used to pay for reasonable costs associated with a fellow's travel to or from a site for language instruction or training during the fellowship term, such as transportation costs or visa fees, and other reasonable costs that directly support the safety and security of fellows during the fellowship term while outside of the United States, such as overseas medical insurance or evacuation insurance.

§ 657.8 Severability.

If any provision of this part or its application to any person, act, or practice is held invalid, the remainder of the part or the application of its provisions to any other person, act, or practice will not be affected thereby.

§ 657.10 How does an institution submit a grant application?

The application notice published in the Federal Register explains how to apply for a new grant under this part.

§ 657.11 What assurances and other information must an applicant institution include in an application?

(a) Each eligible institution of higher education, including each member of a consortium of institutions of higher education, applying for an allocation of fellowships under this part must provide all of the following:

(1) An explanation of how the activities funded by the grant will reflect diverse perspectives, as defined in part 655, and a wide range of views and generate debate on world regions and international affairs.

(2) A description of how the applicant will encourage government service in areas of national need, as identified by the Secretary, as well as in areas of need in the education, business, and nonprofit sectors.

(3) An estimated number of the students at the applicant institution who currently meet the fellowship eligibility requirements.

(b) Each applicant institution must submit the Applicant Profile Form provided in the FLAS Fellowships Program application package.

(c) Each applicant institution must submit a description of the applicant's policy regarding non-discriminatory hiring practices.

(d) Each applicant institution must submit a description of the applicant's travel policy, if one exists, and if one does not exist, a statement to that effect.

(e) Each consortium of institutions of higher education applying for an award under this part must submit a group agreement (consortium agreement) that addresses the required elements in 34 CFR 75.128 and describes a rationale for the formation of the consortium.

§ 657.12 How does a student apply for a fellowship?

(a) A student must apply for a fellowship directly to an approved Center or Program at an institution of higher education that has received an allocation of fellowships according to the application procedures established by that approved Center or Program.

(b) Individual applicants must provide sufficient information to enable the approved Center or Program at the institution to determine the applicant's eligibility to receive a fellowship and whether the student should be selected according to the selection process established by the approved Center or Program.

§ 657.20 How does the Secretary select institutional applications for funding?

(a) The Secretary evaluates an institutional application for an allocation of fellowships on the basis of the quality of the applicant's Center or program in modern foreign language and area studies training. The applicant's Center or program is evaluated and approved under the criteria in § 657.21.

(b) The Secretary informs applicants of the maximum possible score for each criterion in the application package or in a notice published in the Federal Register .

(c) The Secretary makes grant awards using a peer review process. Applications that share the same or similar area of focus, as declared by each applicant under § 657.3(a), are grouped together for purposes of review. Each application is reviewed for excellence based on the applicable criteria referenced in paragraph (a) of this section. Applications are then ranked within each group that shares the same or similar area of focus.

(d) The Secretary may determine a minimum total score required to demonstrate a sufficient degree of excellence to qualify for a grant under this part.

(e) If insufficient money is available to fund all applications demonstrating a sufficient degree of excellence as determined under paragraphs (a), (c), and (d) of this section, the Secretary considers the degree to which priorities derived from the consultation on areas of national need or established under the provisions of § 657.22 and relating to specific countries, world areas, or languages are served when selecting applications for funding and determining the amount of a grant.

§ 657.21 What selection criteria does the Secretary use to evaluate an institutional application for an allocation of fellowships?

The Secretary evaluates an institutional application for an allocation of fellowships on the basis of the criteria in this section.

(a) Scope, personnel, and operations. The Secretary reviews each application to determine one or more of the following:

(1) The extent to which the proposed allocation of fellowships meets the requirements in § 657.3(a).

(2) The extent to which the project director and other staff are qualified to administer the proposed allocation of fellowships, including the degree to which they engage in ongoing professional development activities relevant to their roles.

(3) The adequacy of governance and oversight arrangements for the proposed allocation of fellowships, and, for a consortium, the extent to which the consortium agreement demonstrates commitment to a common objective.

(4) The extent to which the institution provides or will provide financial, administrative, and other support for the administration of the proposed allocation of fellowships.

(b) Quality of curriculum and instruction. The Secretary reviews each application to determine one or more of the following:

(1) The extent to which the applicant's curriculum provides training options for students from a variety of disciplines and professional fields, and the extent to which the curriculum and associated requirements (including language requirements) are appropriate for the applicant's area of focus and result in educational programs of high quality for students who will be served by the proposed allocation of fellowships.

(2) The extent to which the levels of instruction offered for the modern foreign languages relevant to the proposed allocation of fellowships, including intensive language instruction, and the frequency with which the courses are offered, is appropriate for advanced training in those languages.

(3) The extent to which the institution's instruction in modern foreign languages relevant to the proposed allocation of fellowships is using or developing stated performance goals for functional foreign language use, as well as the degree to which stated performance goals are met or are likely to be met by students.

(4) The extent to which instruction in modern foreign languages is integrated with area studies courses, for example, area studies courses taught in modern foreign languages.

(c) Quality of faculty and academic resources. The Secretary reviews each application to determine one or more of the following:

(1) The extent to which the institution employs faculty with strong language, area, and international studies credentials related to the proposed allocation of fellowships, including enough qualified tenured and tenure-track faculty with teaching and advising responsibilities to enable the applicant to carry out the instructional and training programs in the applicant's area of focus.

(2) The extent to which the applicant provides or will provide students who will be served by the proposed allocation of fellowships with substantive academic and other relevant advising services that address compliance with fellowship requirements, the potential uses of their foreign language and area studies knowledge and training, and, as appropriate, safety while studying outside the United States.

(3) The extent to which the institution's library holdings (print and non-print, physical and digital, English and foreign language), other research collections, and relevant staff support students who will be served by the proposed allocation of fellowships.

(4) The extent to which the applicant has established formal arrangements for students to conduct research or study abroad relevant to the proposed allocation of fellowships and the extent to which these arrangements are used.

(d) Project design and rationale. The Secretary reviews each application to determine one or more of the following:

(1) The extent to which the proposed allocation of fellowships aligns with the applicant's educational programs, instructional resources, and language and area studies course offerings; and the ease of access to relevant instruction and training opportunities, including training from external providers.

(2) The applicant's record of placing students into post-graduate employment, education, or training in areas of national need and the applicant's efforts to increase the number of such students that go into such placement.

(3) The extent to which the allocation of fellowships will contribute to meeting national needs related to language and area studies expertise and support the generation of information for and dissemination of information to the public.

(4) The extent to which the proposed project will reflect diverse perspectives, as defined in part 655, and a wide range of views and generate debate on world regions and international affairs.

(e) Project planning and budget. The Secretary reviews each application to determine one or more of the following:

(1) The extent to which the process for selecting fellows is thoroughly described and of high quality, including the institution-wide fellowship recruitment and advertisement process, the student application process, the FLAS Fellowships Program selection criteria and priorities, any supplemental institutional requirements consistent with the FLAS Fellowships Program requirements, the composition of the institution's selection committee, and the timeline for selecting and notifying students.

(2) The extent to which the institution requesting an allocation of fellowships identifies barriers, if any, to equitable access to and participation in the FLAS Fellowships Program and how the institution proposes to address these barriers.

(3) The extent to which the requested amount and proposed distribution of the allocation of fellowships is reasonable relative to the potential pool of eligible students with a demonstrated interest in relevant modern foreign language and area studies training and instruction.

(f) Quality of project evaluation. The Secretary reviews each application to determine one or more of the following:

(1) The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough, feasible, and appropriate to the proposed project.

(2) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward achieving the proposed project's intended outcomes.

(3) The qualifications, including relevant training, experience, and independence, of the evaluator(s).

§ 657.22 What priorities may the Secretary establish?

(a) The Secretary may establish one or more of the following priorities for the allocation of fellowships:

(1) Instruction, training, or research in specific languages or all languages related to specific world areas.

(2) Programs of language instruction with stated performance goals for functional foreign language use or that are developing such performance goals.

(3) Instruction, training, or research related to specific world areas.

(4) Academic terms, such as academic year or summer.

(5) Levels of language offerings.

(6) Academic disciplines, such as linguistics or sociology.

(7) Professional studies, such as business, law, or education.

(8) Instruction, training, or research in particular subjects, such as population growth and planning or international trade and business.

(9) Specific areas of national need for expertise in foreign languages and world areas derived from the consultation with Federal agencies on areas of national need.

(10) A combination of any of these categories.

(b) The Secretary announces any priorities in the application notice published in the Federal Register .

§ 657.30 What are the limitations on fellowships and the use of fellowship funds?

(a) Distance or online education. Fellows may satisfy course requirements through instruction offered in person or, with the Secretary's prior approval, via distance education or hybrid formats. Correspondence courses do not satisfy program course requirements.

(b) Duration and purpose. An approved Center or Program may award a fellowship for any of the following combinations of duration and purpose:

(1) One academic year, provided that the fellow enrolls in one language course per term and at least two area studies courses per year.

(2) One academic year for dissertation research abroad, provided that the fellow is a doctoral candidate, uses advanced training in at least one modern foreign language in the research, and has a work plan approved by the Secretary.

(3) One academic year for dissertation writing, provided that the fellow is a doctoral candidate, uses advanced training in at least one modern foreign language for the dissertation, and has a work plan approved by the Secretary.

(4) One summer session if the summer session provides the fellow with the equivalent of one academic year of instruction in a modern foreign language.

(5) Other durations approved by the Secretary to accommodate exceptional circumstances that would enable a fellow to complete an appropriate amount of coursework, dissertation writing, or dissertation research.

(c) Internships. The Secretary may approve the use of a fellowship to support an internship for an eligible fellow.

(d) Program administration costs. This program does not allow administrative costs.

(e) Selection of fellowship recipients. Approved Centers or Programs must select students to receive fellowships using the selection process described in the grant application submitted to the Department or using any subsequent modifications to the selection process that have been approved by the Secretary.

(f) Study outside the United States. Before awarding a fellowship for use outside the United States, an institution must obtain the approval of the Secretary. The Secretary may approve the use of a fellowship outside the United States if the student is—

(1) Enrolled in an educational program abroad, approved by the institution at which the student is enrolled in the United States, for study of a foreign language at an intermediate or advanced level or at the beginning level if appropriate equivalent instruction is not available in the United States; or

(2) Engaged during the academic year in research that cannot be done effectively in the United States and is affiliated with an institution of higher education or other appropriate organization in the host country.

(g) Support from other Federal agencies. Recipients of fellowships under this part may accept concurrent awards from other Federal agencies, such as Boren Fellowships and Critical Language Scholarships, provided that the other Federal awards are not used to pay for the same activity or cost allocated to the recipient's fellowship. Any fellow who accepts concurrent awards from other Federal agencies that may pay for the same activity or cost must disclose the receipt of such other Federal funding to the approved Center or Program that administers the allocation of fellowships at their institution.

(h) Transfer of funds. Institutions may not transfer funds from their allocation of fellowships to any outside entity, including other approved Centers or Programs, unless the funds are transferred directly to an instructional program provider to cover the costs for the institution's own fellows to attend training programs carried out by the instructional program provider during the academic year or a summer session. The transfer of funds to any instructional program providers located outside the United Stated must be pre-approved by the Secretary.

(i) Undergraduate travel. No funds may be expended under this part for undergraduate travel except in accordance with rules prescribed by the Secretary setting forth policies and procedures to ensure that Federal funds made available for such travel are expended as part of a formal program of supervised study.

(j) Vacancies. If a fellow vacates a fellowship before the end of an award period, the institution receiving the allocation of fellowships may award the balance of the fellowship to another student if—

(1) The student meets the eligibility requirements in § 657.4 and was selected in accordance with paragraph (e) of this section;

(2) The remaining fellowship period comprises at least one full academic quarter, semester, trimester, or summer session; and

(3) The amount of available funds is sufficient to award a full fellowship for the duration described in paragraph (j)(2) of this section.

§ 657.31 What is the payment procedure for fellowships?

(a) An institution must award a stipend to fellowship recipients.

(b) An institution must pay the stipend and any other allowances to the fellow in installments during the term of the academic year fellowship.

(c) An institution may make a payment only to a fellow who is in good academic standing and is making satisfactory progress.

(d) The institution must make appropriate adjustments of any overpayment or underpayment to a fellow.

(e) Any payments made for less than the full duration of a fellowship must be prorated to reflect the actual duration of the fellowship.

§ 657.32 Under what circumstances must an institution terminate a fellowship?

An institution must terminate a fellowship if—

(a) The fellow is not making satisfactory progress, is no longer enrolled, or is no longer in good standing at the institution; or

(b) The fellow fails to follow the plan of study in modern foreign language and area studies, for which the fellow applied, unless a revised plan of study is otherwise approved by the Secretary under this part.

§ 657.33 What are the reporting requirements for grantee institutions and for individual fellows who receive funds under this program?

Each institution of higher education, each member in a consortium of institutions of higher education, and each individual fellowship recipient under this program must submit performance reports, in such form and at such time as required by the Secretary.

§ 657.34 What are an institution's responsibilities after the award of a grant for administering fellowship funding?

(a) An institution to which the Secretary awards a grant under this part is responsible for administering the grant in accordance with the regulations described in § 657.6.

(b) The institution is responsible for processing individual applications for fellowships in accordance with procedures described in §§ 657.12 and 657.30.

(c) The institution is responsible for disbursing funds in accordance with procedures described in § 657.31.

(d) The institution is responsible for terminating a fellowship in accordance with the procedures described in § 657.32.