About

The National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) is a fully funded, merit-based scholarship program administered by the U.S. Department of State that sends American high school students abroad for intensive study of critical foreign languages. The summer program runs 6–7 weeks, typically departing in mid-to-late June, and places students with host families while delivering a minimum of 120 hours of classroom language instruction. No prior language experience is required for most programs.

Languages offered for the summer program include Arabic (Morocco, Jordan), Mandarin Chinese (China, Taiwan), Korean (South Korea), Russian (Latvia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan), Hindi, Bahasa Indonesian, Persian, Turkish, and Tajiki — though availability by language and location varies by year. Students rank up to two language preferences in their application; final placement is determined by NSLI-Y. The program is entirely free: the scholarship covers international and domestic flights, housing, meals, tuition, and a living stipend. Students must be U.S. citizens currently attending high school who have completed at least freshman year, and applicants may not be at Advanced-Mid or higher proficiency in their target language.

NSLI-Y is highly selective. Approximately 750 semi-finalists are selected from the full applicant pool across all languages, with overall acceptance rates averaging below 20% and varying significantly by language. The application — due in mid-November for summer programs — includes essays, short-answer questions, a recommendation, and a legal guardian statement; semi-finalists complete an additional timed online assessment with an audio component. Selection criteria emphasize motivation for language learning, cultural awareness, and readiness for immersive study abroad.

The summer program is intensive and highly structured. Students take 4–5 hours of language class daily, complete daily homework, participate in cultural activities and peer language partner sessions, and live with host families — with no independent travel permitted and no family visits allowed during the program. Students who complete the summer program are eligible to apply for NSLI-Y's 8–10 month academic year program in the same language.

For a motivated high school student committed to learning a strategically important language, NSLI-Y is among the most distinctive and generous scholarship programs in existence — fully funded international immersion at the high school level is exceedingly rare.