Boren Fellowships will be awarded to a matriculated student in a graduate degree program at a U.S. college or university as of the Boren Fellowships start date. Applicants do not have to be matriculated in a graduate program at the time of application. The National Security Education Program (NSEP) awards fellowships to students committed to long-term overseas study and to public service. Boren awardees receive funding to study the languages most critical to our nation's security in the following regions: Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East. All applicants must plan to study language in an eligible world region and must be able to complete Boren-funded programs before graduation. Boren Award applications must include study of a foreign language appropriate to the proposed country or region, incorporating opportunities to advance language proficiency both inside and outside the classroom. With the exception of French and Spanish, there are no minimum language requirements. However, applicants must demonstrate a commitment to the language and a strategy for continuing language study beyond the award. Applicants must demonstrate a strong desire to work in the federal government; proposals for overseas destinations, languages, and fields of study critical to U.S. national security; and proposals for long-term study abroad. Preference is given to those studying overseas for 25 weeks or longer, though some go for a semester. The Boren Fellowships application requires three Letters of Recommendation. Applicants are also encouraged to include a Language Evaluation of the Boren language, which should be filled out by a recent instructor in that language. Please visit the fellowship's website for more information.