University of Notre Dame Summer Language Abroad (SLA) Grant Program, 2015

University of Notre Dame, USA

University of Notre Dame is inviting applications for SLA grant program available for both undergraduate or graduate students. Applicants may propose any foreign language study abroad program that is rigorous, reputable and has been chosen with the help of a Notre Dame SLA Program Faculty Advisor. On average, SLA Grant recipients demonstrate gains of 1.58 levels on the ACTFL OPI language proficiency scale after a mere 6-weeks abroad–a degree of improvement equivalent to nearly two semesters of foreign language coursework. Funding for SLA Grant proposals is limited to essential travel, housing and program tuition. The application deadline is January 23, 2015.

Study Subject(s):

Applicants may propose any foreign language study abroad program that is rigorous, reputable and has been chosen with the help of a Notre Dame SLA Program Faculty Advisor.

Course Level:

Grant is available for undergraduate or graduate student to pursue foreign language study abroad program.

Scholarship Provider:

University of Notre Dame, USA

Scholarship can be taken at:

Abroad

Eligibility:

The following criteria are used to establish basic eligibility for the SLA Grant Program. Undergraduate or graduate applicants who feel that they have a compelling rationale for additional exemptions should submit their requests to Dr. Denise Ayo.

-Academic Class: Both graduate and undergraduate students are eligible to apply. You may receive one SLA award as an undergraduate student and one SLA award as a graduate student.

-A&L Major/Minor: Undergraduate applicants must have a declared major, supplementary major, or minor in the College of Arts & Letters. A documented intent to declare a major/minor will also be accepted. Graduate student applicants may apply from any College/School and area of study.

-One Year of Language: Applicants should have at least one year of college foreign language study or its equivalent at the time that their summer language study will begin. Graduate students are exempt from this requirement.

-Academic Standing: Applicants should be in good academic standing and enrolled in Notre Dame coursework during the semester following summer language study (i.e. no graduating seniors).

-Commitment to Post-Program Language Coursework: Undergraduate applicants should be prepared to commitment to taking at least one foreign language course immediately after their SLA Grant study period.  All SLA Grant recipients will be required to sign a Commitment to Language Coursework form, which includes an approval signature from their departmental or FYS advisor. Graduate students are exempt from this requirement.

-3.0 GPA in Language: Applicants should have a GPA of 3.0 or higher in the foreign language upon which their proposal is based.

-Less Common Languages: SLA Grants are also available for the study of less commonly taught languages (e.g. Swahili, Hindi, Vietnamese, etc). In these circumstances, the requisite year of prior foreign language coursework can be waived.

Scholarship Open for International Students:

Students of USA can apply for this SLA grant program.

What does it cover?

Funding for SLA Grant proposals is limited to essential travel, housing, and program tuition. In cases where room and board are combined as a part of an all-inclusive program of study, meal costs may be included in the proposal budget. It also includes:

-Award Levels: Meritorious proposals will be funded according to demonstrated need via itemized budgets and availability of funds up to a maximum of $5,500. However, many awards will be for less than this maximum, and all budgeted costs should be justified and demonstrate modest estimations for spending.

-Exceptional Awards: In some exceptional cases, funding may exceed this $5,500 threshold; however, such instances are exceedingly rare and should not be anticipated in the proposal development process.

-Financial Need: While all proposals, and subsequent award decisions, are evaluated purely on the merits of their content and according to the SLA Grant rubric, funding levels for a minority of awards may receive a slight increase for students who have demonstrated federal financial need status.

-Coordinated Awards: The CSLC coordinates with other institutional funding partners in order to ensure that no applicant receives summer language study awards from more than one program in excess of the $5,500 maximum (with some rare exceptions) and also to guarantee that all applicants receive appropriate funding from eligible programs even if they do not apply to them. Thus, students who apply for summer language funding through multiple campus institutes, centers, or grant programs will receive a single coordinated award up to a maximum of $5,500.

Selection Criteria:

The review committee will utilize the SLA Grant Evaluation Rubric to evaluate individual proposals. Please take a moment to review these criteria as you develop your proposal.

Notification:

Awards will be announced by Monday, March 2, 2015.

How to Apply:

Applications may be submitted under the Application tab. Documents to be submitted along with the application form:-

-Two 250-500-word Essays

-An Itemized Budget

-Faculty Recommendation Letter

Scholarship Application Deadline:

The application deadline is January 23, 2015.