Summer 2026 Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships
Deadline: Wednesday, April 15, 2026, by 11:59 pm
The Latin American & Iberian Institute (LAII) announces a call for applications for the Summer Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships. Funding is provided through a generous Title VI grant from the US/Department of Education.
Summer Fellowships are awarded to undergraduate students for intensive language training in a less commonly taught language, such as Nahuatl, Quechua, Portuguese, Yucatec Maya, or any other Latin American language, at a domestic or international FLAS-approved program. The fellowship provides up to $5,000 in tuition and fees and a $3,500 stipend. Travel support of up to $1,000 may be available, subject to funding availability and U.S. Department of Education approval. CNM and NMSU students, as well as students from other minority-serving institutions, are welcome to apply for this funding opportunity.
If you have questions regarding the competition, eligibility, or program requirements, please contact LAII FLAS Coordinator, Lenny A. Ureña Valerio, at lurena@unm.edu.
The 2026 Summer Fellowships will be awarded to undergraduate students for intensive training in a less commonly taught language, such as Nahuatl, Quechua, Portuguese, Yucatec Maya, or any other Latin American language, at a FLAS-approved program in the United States or abroad. Awards includes up to $5,000 in tuition and fees and a $3,500 stipend.
- US citizens, nationals, and permanent residents
- UNM undergraduate students in any discipline who are focusing on the study of Latin America may apply.
- UNM undergraduate students in professional schools and STEM fields and those planning a career in US government service are highly encouraged to apply
- FLAS recipients must be prepared to study one of the approved languages at the intermediate or advanced level.
- Summer FLAS recipients must enroll in a summer intensive language program that is at least six weeks long, and that teaches the equivalent of one academic year (two terms) of the language. FLAS fellows studying the language at the intermediate level must enroll in programs that offer a minimum of 140 contact hours of instruction. FLAS fellows studying the language at the advanced level must enroll in programs that offer a minimum of 120 contact hours of instruction.
- Students with or without financial need are encouraged to apply; however, among equally qualified students, preference will be given to those who can demonstrate financial need. As such, applicants should submit their FAFSA to UNM’s Office of Financial Aid at the earliest date possible and fill out a Financial Need Analysis Request Form (select UNM Department from the dropdown menu)to have their financial need information shared with LAII.
For more information on the FLAS Fellowship, applicants are encouraged to contact the FLAS Coordinator, Lenny A. Ureña Valerio (lurena@unm.edu).
- Fill out the online FLAS application form
- CV/Resumé
- Unofficial transcripts
- 2 letters of recommendation from faculty (one of the letters should address the applicant’s linguistic skills or ability to learn a foreign language)
- 2-3 page double-spaced statement of purpose that outlines the relevance of the chosen language to the applicant’s academic training and career goals. If you are a graduate student applying to study a language at the beginning level, include a statement that addresses your demonstrated advanced proficiency in another language spoken within Latin America
- 2025-2026 UNM Office of Financial Aid’s Need Analysis Form to be submitted to UNM Office of Financial Aid, requesting the analysis to be sent to the Latin American and Iberian Institute (laiibusiness@unm.edu).
- Summer Program Information and Budget (please include the name of the program, location, dates, and program cost)
Application Submission
Applicants must submit their materials electronically via Qualtrics at https://unm.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_07LQznIvpkx3KzI. Faculty should submit their recommendation letters directly to LAII via email at laiibusiness@unm.edu.
The LAII asks that funding recipients formally acknowledge the Institute's role in supporting their scholarship. Please review our complete Expectations for Acknowledgement for more details.
