Study Abroad with Funding

An vital component of your personal, academic, linguistic and cultural growth in the Flagship program comes from studying abroad. The Russian Overseas Flagship Academic Year at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University in Almaty (Kazakhstan) provides you with:

• One direct-enrollment course at the university
• Home-stay experience
• Extended overseas immersion
• Specialized tutors and conversation partners
• Professional internships that combine practical use of language with career interests

To prepare for the intensive full-year program abroad, you need to complete a summer study abroad experience in a Russian-speaking country. You have some flexibility as to what specific program you use to meet this requirement.  Some PSU Flagship students have fulfilled this requirement by studying abroad on the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) program; others have studied in Russian-speaking countries on summer or academic year programs through the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y). ROTC students can fulfill the requirement with Project GO. Many Flagship students participate in American Council's Summer Russian Language and Area Studies Summer Programs, which take place in Armenia, Georgia, Estonia, and Kazakhstan.

In planning your study abroad experiences, you will work closely with both the Flagship Program director and PSU's Office of Education Abroad. For the current academic year, Rachel Landers will be the Education Abroad contact person.

This combination of study abroad experiences provides you with the best opportunities to develop your language and intercultural communication skills. Through internships, homestays, and interactions with native speakers of Russian, you will gain new insights into how to look at the world around you. At the end of your year abroad on the Russian Overseas Flagship, you can expect to achieve Superior Level (ILR Level 3) proficiency in Russian.

Internships

Internships are an integral part of the study abroad experience. By combining intensive language classes with substantive internships students, while studying abroad, gain invaluable insight into the global workplace that furthers their ability to use Russian in a professional context.

Study Abroad Scholarships

The Language Flagship can provide scholarships to help you afford to study abroad.  For approved overseas summer programs, you can receive up to $10,000 in scholarship support. You are strongly encouraged to apply for additional scholarships to help cover all the costs of studying abroad. Below you will find some of the scholarships that Flagship students typically compete for.

For general information about studying abroad, this Student Guide can be helpful.   And Flagship students should work closely with both the Flagship Program director and PSU's Office of Education Abroad.

Boren Scholarships
Boren Scholarships are available to undergraduates for languages and cultures that are of priority to U.S. national security (broadly conceived). Since priority is given to students participating in semester or year-long abroad programs, Flagship students often apply for this funding to cover their costs for the Russian Overseas Flagship program. We are very proud to report that several PSU Flagship alumni have received Boren Scholarships in recent years. Information sessions are usually held on the PSU campus during Fall Term, with applications usually due in very early January. Applicants for Boren Scholarships must be U.S. citizens at the time of the application.

Critical Language Scholarship 
CLS is a program of the U.S. Department of State and provides fully-funded group-based intensive language instruction and structured cultural enrichment experiences for seven to ten weeks for U.S. citizen undergraduate and graduate students. Flagship students usually apply for this scholarship to provide their summer study abroad. The application period typically opens in mid-September and closes in early November.

Gilman Scholarships
Provides undergraduates who qualify for PELL grants with additional funding to use for study abroad. Deadlines vary throughout the academic year.

PSU Specific Scholarships

Students can apply for these scholarships through PSU's Scholarship Universe. Various deadlines apply.

Farrens Endowed Study Abroad Scholarship
The competition for this scholarship is conducted by the PSU World Languages and Literatures Department. The scholarship offers $5000 to Juniors and Seniors with high academic achievement (GPA’s of 3.0 and above) and demonstrated financial need.

Sandra G. Freels Endowed Scholarship for the Study of Russian
The competition for this scholarship is conducted by the PSU World Languages and Literatures Department. The Sandra G. Freels Endowed Scholarship for the Study of Russian is awarded to Russian Flagship students or Russian majors on the basis of academic performance followed by financial need and can be used for an academic year, semester, or summer study abroad. The award is not renewable.  Priority will be given to Flagship students who have been admitted to Russian Overseas Flagship; followed by Flagship students admitted to the Russian Language and Area Studies Program (RLASP) for a semester; followed by Flagship students admitted to RLASP for a summer.

WLL Study Abroad
The competition for this scholarship is conducted by the PSU World Languages and Literatures Department.  It awards one scholarship per year in the amount of $1,000 for a term, semester, or year of study abroad in an academic program that includes a component of language study.

Lawrence Levy and Pamela Lindholm-Levy Scholarship
Scholarship offering a minimum of $500 for full-time PSU undergraduate or graduate students studying abroad anywhere in the world on an education abroad program. (GPA’s of 3.0 or higher)

Other National Scholarships

Foundation for Global Scholarships
Awards $2,000 three times a year for seven different scholarships to eligible and enrolled students with GPAs of 2.5 or above.

Fund for Education Abroad
Offers up to $10,000 to students seeking funding for high-quality, rigorous education abroad programs.

HI USA Travel Scholarship
Awards $2,000 to support a study abroad experience that includes an educational or service component.

Phi Kappa Phi Study Abroad Grants
Offers $1000 grants for undergraduates with high academic achievement. (GPA’s of above 3.75)

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