SFOP0010328: FY 2025 Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program
Closed
This grant is closed. Who won this program's grants before is below, and similar open grants are at the end of the page. It is in our archive of Bureau Of Educational and Cultural Affairs notices from 2024.
Bureau Of Educational and Cultural Affairs offered grants of up to $9.0 million (at least $9.0 million) to nonprofits and colleges and universities. It expected to make one award. Applications closed on June 3, 2024.
From the official notice on Grants.gov, last changed March 29, 2024. Checked November 7, 2026.
- Award ceiling$9.0 million
- Award floor$9.0 million
- Expected awards1
- Cost sharingNot required
- Funding typeCooperative Agreement
Key dates
| Posted | March 29, 2024 |
|---|---|
| Deadline | June 3, 2024 |
| Archived by Grants.gov | July 3, 2024 |
Who can apply
This opportunity was open to nonprofits and colleges and universities.
- Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
- Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- Private institutions of higher education
- Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)
Please see announcement.
Is this a realistic fit?
- Past Academic Exchange Programs - Undergraduate Programs awards averaged $3.5 million; this notice allows up to $9.0 million per award.
- Most of the program's money (79% over five years) went to nonprofits.
- No cost sharing or match is required.
What the grant funds
The U.S. Study Abroad Branch (ECA/A/S/Q) in the Office of Global Educational Programs in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), U.S. Department of State, is pleased to announce an open competition for proposals to administer the FY 2025 Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program. The CLS Program is a component of the U.S. Department of State’s effort to increase the number of Americans who learn critical foreign languages in support of the U.S. foreign policy goals of bolstering national security; promoting U.S. competitiveness and economic prosperity; and building mutual understanding with critical regions of the world. The CLS Program started in 2006 as part of the interagency National Security Language Initiative. The award will fund approximately 522 U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to study critical languages through intensive overseas language institutes organized on behalf of ECA, in countries and locations where the target languages are widely spoken and through virtual programming. The award supports programming for all CLS alumni since the program’s inception in 2006.Only one proposal will be considered by ECA from each applicant organization. In cases where more than one submission from an applicant appears in grants.gov, ECA will only consider the submission made closest in time to the NOFO deadline; that submission would constitute the one and only proposal ECA would review from that applicant. Please see the NOFO for additional information.
Who has won Academic Exchange Programs - Undergraduate Programs grants before
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Academic Exchange Programs - Undergraduate Programs (19.009) awarded $230 million across 66 grant awards, an average of $3.5 million per award.
| Recipient | State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| International Research and Exchanges Board Inc. | District of Columbia | 6 | $77.6 million |
| World Learning Inc. | Vermont | 8 | $41.3 million |
| American Councils for International Education: Actr/Accels, Inc. | District of Columbia | 5 | $39.4 million |
| Virginia Community College System Office | Virginia | 4 | $23.3 million |
| University of Montana | Montana | 2 | $14.3 million |
Applying now
This notice no longer takes applications. Agencies often post the same opportunity again under a new number, so check the program's notices on Grants.gov and the similar open grants below.
The notice on Grants.gov keeps its full text and attachments, which is useful for planning a resubmission.
Questions people ask
Is SFOP0010328 still open?
No. It closed on June 3, 2024.
Who can apply for FY 2025 Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program?
Bureau Of Educational and Cultural Affairs accepted applications from nonprofits and colleges and universities. The notice adds further conditions, so read its eligibility section.
What is the deadline for FY 2025 Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program?
Closed June 3, 2024. Applications are no longer accepted; the program's newer notices are on this page when there are any.
How much funding is available?
Awards of up to $9.0 million each.
Who has won Academic Exchange Programs - Undergraduate Programs grants before?
The largest recipients over five fiscal years were International Research and Exchanges Board Inc., World Learning Inc., American Councils for International Education: Actr/Accels, Inc. The program made 66 awards worth $230 million in that time.
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