Title VI Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships

1. Title VI Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships Summer 2014 & Academic Year 2014-2015 Latin American & Iberian Institute University of New Mexico

2. Funding & Eligibility • Funding is provided by the U.S. Department of Education and contingent upon receipt of grant. • Full-time UNM undergraduate and graduate students in any discipline who are focusing on the study of Latin America are encouraged to apply. • Students in the professional schools and those planning a career in U.S. government service are highly encouraged to apply. • Recipients must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. • Awardees who attend a summer program outside of the U.S. are required to abide by the “Fly America Act” and travel on a U.S. air carrier. • APPLICATION DEADLINE: Monday, February 10, 2014 by 5:00 p.m.

3. Academic Year FLAS Fellowship Requirements • Academic Year FLAS Fellowship recipients are required to complete at least: 1 Latin American area studies course and 1K’iche’ Maya, Portuguese, or Quechuacourse each semester at UNM while holding the fellowship.

4. AY FLAS Fellowship Award • Provides full tuition and fees for the 2014-2015 academic year. This includes up to 12 credits for graduate students and up to 18 credits for undergraduate students. • Provides a living stipend ($15,000 for graduate students; $5,000 for undergraduate students). • Is awarded on a one-year basis, but recipients may apply for a second year of funding. • Student Health Insurance Plan is not included.

5. Latin American Area Studies Course Requirements • Approved courses are listed in the Latin American Studies course catalogue. • Eligible courses must be at least 3 credit hours and contain substantial (40%) Latin American content. • Students may petition to add Latin American content to courses not in the LAS course catalogue. • Audited courses are not eligible. • Independent Study courses may be eligible but require a carefully designed syllabus and must be approved by the LAII and the U.S. Department of Education. • Latin American Area Studies courses exclude language courses. Required language course (K’iche’ Maya, Portuguese, or Quechua) is in addition to the Latin American Area Studies course.

6. Summer FLAS Fellowship Requirements • Allows participation in intensive language programs that have been approved by the U.S. Department of Education for FLAS recipients. • Approved programs are listed at http://www.claspprograms.org/pages/detail/5/LanguagePlease look for those programs labeled “FLAS Eligible.” • Program must provide a minimum of 140 language contact hours of instruction at the beginning or intermediate level, or 120 language contact hours at the advanced level. • Undergraduate student recipients must study the language at the intermediate or advanced level. • Graduate student fellows may study the language at the beginning level.

7. Summer FLAS Fellowship • Recipients who are at the beginning level of proficiency must study at a U.S.-based program UNLESS there is no program offered in the chosen language in the U.S. • For guidance on language preference/selection, applicants are encouraged to contact the FLAS Coordinator, Amanda Wolfe (akwolfe@unm.edu; 277-7044). • Summer FLAS applicants must apply directly to their chosen language program BEFORE submitting a FLAS application to the LAII.

8. Summer FLAS Award • Provides tuition and program fees up to $5,000. • Provides up to a $2,500 living stipend. If program fees include living expenses, the stipend will be reduced accordingly.

9. FLAS Fellowship Priorities • Higher Priority Applications: • The U.S. Department of Education gives priority to candidates who are interested in careers in government service. The LAII Grants and Awards Committee will take this into account when reviewing applications. • FLAS Fellowships are intended to facilitate language and area studies training from the undergraduate level through the Master’s stage and into the early Ph.D. stage. • Lower Priority Applications: • Students who already possess highly advanced proficiency for the language they are seeking to study. • Ph.D. students who will use their award towards dissertation research/writing rather than coursework.

10. Application Materials • FLAS application form (available at http://laii.unm.edu/funding/flas.php) • Unofficial transcripts • 3 letters of recommendation from faculty members • Test scores (ACT/SAT for undergraduate students; GRE/GMAT/LSAT for graduate students) • A 2-3 page double-spaced letter of intent that outlines the relevance of the chosen language to the applicant’s academic training and career goals • Budget with information on program fees (Summer applicants only) • Verification of application to language program (Summer applicants only)

11. Letter of Intent • 2-3 pages, double-spaced • Intended language of study • Relevance of the chosen language to the applicant’s academic training and career goals, including specific information on current interests/studies pertaining to Latin America • Explanation of applicant’s Latin American expertise • Expected role that the chosen language and program of area studies will play in furthering academic and professional plans • Relevance of chosen language program for furthering language and academic goals (Summer applicants only)

12. Common Questions • Can I simultaneously hold the Title VI FLAS Fellowship and an additional assistantship or fellowship? • Yes. The maximum is a .25 FTE position, which is ten hours per week. • If I receive a Title VI FLAS Fellowship for next year, can I assume that I will receive the award automatically the following year? • No. All applications are evaluated according to the applicant pool for that year’s competition, though special consideration is given to FLAS fellows who apply for a second year of funding. • Current FLAS fellows may reapply for an additional year of funding provided that they are demonstrating satisfactory progress in their language acquisition and academic preparation. • Students must submit new application materials to the LAII. • Can I accept the academic year Title VI FLAS Fellowship for one semester? • No. Fellowships are awarded on an academic year basis and students are required to fulfill their obligations in the traditional Fall > Spring sequence. If a student is unable to complete both semesters, he/she forfeits the remaining funding.

13. Common Questions • Can I hold the Academic Year Fellowship while studying abroad? • No. Academic Year FLAS Fellows are required to study and complete courses at UNM during the fellowship period. • Can I pursue a language that is being offered by another university through distance education technology? • No. The U.S. Department of Education currently does not approve distance learning for language instruction. • If I need to demonstrate a certain proficiency level to qualify for the fellowship (i.e. undergraduates must be at the intermediate level for academic year or summer fellowships; undergraduate and graduate students must generally be at the intermediate level to attend a summer program outside of the U.S.), must my transcript support my stated proficiency? • Typically, yes. Officially transcripted courses are the best way for the selection committee to ascertain expected levels of proficiency. However, if you have developed your proficiency outside of the formal classroom, you could submit a letter from a UNM language faculty member who has assessed your proficiency level.

14. Title VI FLAS APPLICATION DEADLINE All application materials must be received at the LAII no later than Monday, February 10, 2014 at 5:00p.m.

15. Contact Info Amanda Wolfe Associate Director for Program Development Latin American & Iberian Institute MSC02 1690 801 Yale Blvd NE University of New Mexico Albuquerque, NM 87131 Email: akwolfe@unm.edu