Humanities Week: The Critical Language Scholarship

Earn a year of language credit in just eight weeks with the U.S. Department of State’s fully funded Critical Language Scholarship.

Language is more than vocabulary; it’s a window into how people live, think and understand one another. During Humanities Week 2025 (October 20–24), ASU celebrates the human story across cultures and time. 

For students eager to experience that story firsthand, the Critical Language Scholarship Program offers a fully funded, intensive summer abroad to learn a language that can change a life and a career.

Funded by the U.S. Department of State, the CLS Program offers eight-week immersive language programs abroad, giving participants a year’s worth of language study in just two months while living and learning with native speakers.

Languages offered include Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Portuguese, Russian and Swahili. With some languages: Hindi, Persian, Portuguese and Swahili, requiring no previous study. Each program combines classroom learning with cultural experiences such as homestays, community engagement and one-on-one language partnerships.

CLS participants receive full funding for tuition, travel, housing and meals, making it one of the most accessible international opportunities for U.S. students. Since its founding in 2006, more than 10,000 participants have completed the program, forming a global alumni network dedicated to cross-cultural dialogue and professional collaboration. Earlier this year, a record number of ASU students were awarded a Critical Language Scholarship.

For students in the humanities, the CLS experience brings coursework to life. Studying literature or history is one thing; reading, writing and thinking in another language is transformative. It turns academic insight into empathy and understanding into action.

The Lorraine W. Frank Office of National Scholarships Advisement (ONSA) guides students through the application process with personalized advising and feedback. The CLS application is now open and is due on November 18, making Humanities Week the ideal time to begin exploring how language study can shape your future.

Learn more at clscholarship.org or contact [email protected]