Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program

2027 Application

The 2027 CLS Program application is now available.
Applications are due Tuesday, November 17, 2026, at 8:00 PM U.S. Eastern Time.

This website will connect you with the online application for the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program.

Application PDFs

You may download a detailed set of instructions and PDF versions of the application form to review before starting an application online. All applications should be complete and submitted using the online form, unless otherwise not possible:

About the CLS Program

The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is a U.S. Department of State program with funding provided by the U.S. Government and supported in its implementation by American Councils for International Education.

U.S. leadership abroad — in commerce, global affairs, and security — rests on Americans who can navigate other languages and cultures with expertise and fluency. The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program delivers intensive summer language instruction to high-achieving undergraduate and graduate students, selected through a competitive, merit-based process. Offered in nine languages overseas or virtually, the program condenses a full academic year of language study into eight weeks of rigorous instruction and cultural immersion. Since 2006, the CLS Program has equipped more than 10,000 U.S. participants with the linguistic skills, regional knowledge, and global networks to advance U.S. interests worldwide.

For more information about the CLS Program, please visit: www.clscholarship.org

Contact Us

Contact CLS Program staff during normal business hours Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time, at:

Email: cls@americancouncils.org
Telephone: USA 877.257.9922 (toll free) / Outside USA (+1) 202.833.7522

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