Abroad Award
Term Length: 2 or more semesters, at least 6 months overseas. 8 weeks for S.T.E.M. students only.
Needs Institutional Endorsement
US Citizenship Required

• A U.S. citizen at the time of application
• Planning an overseas program that meets home institution standards in a country outside of Western Europe, Canada, Australia, or New Zealand.  Boren Fellowships are not for study in the United States.
• Have institutional endorsement
• In exchange for scholarship funding, all Boren Scholars must agree to the NSEP Service Requirement.

Length of Study

Boren Scholarships promote long term linguistic and cultural immersion, and therefore study abroad proposals for two or more semesters are strongly encouraged. Preference will be given to undergraduate applicants proposing at least 6 months overseas. Boren-funded programs can begin no earlier than June 1. Summer-only programs must be eight (8) weeks or more and are limited to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) students.

National Security

Boren Scholarships are funded by the National Security Education Program (NSEP), which focuses on geographic areas, languages, and fields of study deemed critical to U.S. national security. Applicants should identify how their study abroad program, as well as their future academic and career goals, will contribute to U.S. national security, broadly defined.  NSEP draws on a broad definition of national security, recognizing that the scope of national security has expanded to include not only the traditional concerns of protecting and promoting American well-being, but also the challenges of global society, including sustainable development, environmental degradation, global disease and hunger, population growth and migration, and economic competitiveness.

Maximum scholarship awards are:

• $8,000 for a summer program (special initiative for STEM students only; 8 weeks minimum)
• $12,500 for a semester
• $25,000 for a full academic year

To apply, please complete your application on the Boren site by our internal deadline, including all required elements, if you wish to receive office assistance (otherwise, feel free to apply on your own):

• Boren Scholarship Application
• Study Abroad Program Summary
• Budget
• Two essays:
  • National Security Essay #1 (800 words) — Explain Significance of Proposed Region, Country, Language to National Security (800 word). Take a broad view of what “national security” means. Detailed, focused argument, relevant of country and chose language to US national security interests. Think defense, diplomacy, environment, security and agriculture, public health and disease prevention, cybersecurity, immigration, trade and commerce, financial regulation. Craft your argument. Protects and promotes welfare of US in international context.
  • PUBLIC SERVICE CAREERS, ESSAY #2 (800 words) — Recipients must commit to minimum service requirement of 12 months with preference for long-term engagement, such as a career in government service. This essays asks applicants to reflect upon experience that demonstrates capacity to do Boren, explain how country and language acquisition will help fulfill career goals and plan for federal service specifically, and describe interest in federal service and what you will bring to that service.
• All College and University Transcripts
• Language Self-Assessment Form
• Two letters of recommendation, option of submitting a third. For our internal deadline, applicants should have their references submit their letters through Northeastern’s Internal Fellowship Portal (see application link above). Letters should be signed and on official letterhead and uploaded as PDFs.

Submit the application as a PDF as well as letters through our Northeastern University Internal Fellowship Portal.

In order to receive Northeastern’s endorsement and support, we ask that applicants please complete their applications by our internal deadline.

Contact URF@Northeastern.edu for assistance with your application.