Boren Scholarships

About the Scholarship

Boren Scholarships fund study abroad by U.S. undergraduate students in world regions critical to U.S. interests such as Africa, Asia, Central & Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Boren Scholarships require rigorous language study and the majority of awardees spend a full academic year overseas. Applicants must be matriculated in a U.S. college or university upon application and throughout the Boren Scholarship.  In exchange for funding, Boren Scholarship recipients commit to working in the federal government for at least one year after graduation.

Maximum awards are determined by duration abroad:

  • Up to $25,000 for 25-52 weeks (preferred)
  • Up to $12,500 for 12-24 weeks
  • Up to $8,000 for 8-11 weeks (STEM majors only)

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Join us for a Boren Scholarship Drop In Hour with a Boren Awards Representative!

Friday, November 21

11:00am-12:00pm in the Student Union (STU) 300

Register here

Requirements

Eligibility Requirements

Basic Eligibility

Applicants must be:

  • U.S. citizens at the time of the national application deadline
  • A high school graduate, or have earned a GED
  • At least 18 years of age or older at the time of the national application deadline
  • Planning an overseas program in a country outside of Western Europe, Canada, Australia, or New Zealand
  • Planning to study in a country of which they are not a citizen
  • Matriculated for the duration of their Boren Awards-funded program in an undergraduate or graduate degree program located within the United States and accredited by a body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education
  • (For ROTC cadets and midshipmen and members of the military Reserves or National Guard) In inactive, non-drilling status for the duration of their Boren Awards-funded program

In addition to these basic eligibility criteria, the Boren Awards give preference to programs based on their duration, focus on intensive study of a preferred language in a preferred overseas destination, the applicant’s field of study, and to applicants with longer-term interest in a federal career.

Selection Criteria

Current matriculated USC undergraduate students who demonstrate the following traits are invited to participate in the Boren campus evaluation process. Successful applicants must demonstrate the following traits:

  • Commitment to working in the federal government. Scholarship recipients must fulfill a one-year service requirement after graduation. Preference is given to applicants who demonstrate a longer term commitment to government service.
  • Focus on national security, broadly defined. Applicant offers clear and compelling explanation of the relevance of his or her country, language, field of study, and overseas study to U.S. national security.
  • Commitment to language study. Applicant demonstrates a serious commitment to language study, before, during, and after his or her overseas study, with realistic expectations for the proficiency level that can be obtained abroad.
  • Length of study abroad program. Preference is granted to students who will study abroad for longer periods of time. If applicant cannot study abroad for at least 6 months, they must provide a compelling case for shorter study abroad period.
  • Appropriate academic preparation, cultural adaptability, flexibility and maturity. 

Endorsement

The campus evaluation and feedback meeting process is strongly encouraged to apply for a Boren Scholarship through USC and is meant to enhance the overall application.  The campus committee meeting serves two purposes:

  1. It is a chance for faculty and administrators from relevant fields to offer advice to help improve and fine-tune the overall application.  There will be time after the meeting to incorporate feedback received in the the application.
  2. The committee will complete an evaluation form addressing how the candidate meets the Boren Scholarship criteria.  The evaluation will be sent to the Boren Scholarship National Screening Committee along with the applicant’s materials.

Application

Application Components

Boren Scholarship Online Application 

  • Essay 1: National Security (800 word max): Please discuss the following points in one integrated essay, giving equal attention to each point.
    • Explain the significance of your overseas destination, region, and language to U.S. national security. You should make a specific, detailed, and focused argument relevant to your academic interests, as well as your professional goals for national security employment within the U.S. government. Priority organizations (Tier One) are the Departments of Defense, State, and Homeland Security, as well as the intelligence Community.
  • Essay 2: Motivation & Public Service Career (800 words max): Please discuss the following points in one integrated essay, giving equal attention to each point. You can discuss the points in any order.
    • Think about a previous experience that has led to growth or a personal quality. Reflect upon it and describe how it will assist you in preparing for and spending significant time overseas studying a critical foreign language and culture and, if applicable, conducting your proposed research.
    • Explain how the destination and language you selected will help you achieve your career goals, including your plans to fulfill the federal service requirement. Be specific. If appropriate, you may also include past academic, extracurricular, volunteer, internship, and professional experiences relevant to your federal career goals.
    • As you will be committing to working for the federal government for at least one year, describe what makes you interested in federal service and what you will bring as a leader in the federal workforce.
  • Study Plan Summary (250 words max): All Boren funded programs must include language study as a core element for the duration of the grant. More information on preferred languages and program structure may be found on the Selecting an Eligible Study Program section of the website.
    • Describe the basic structure of your proposed Boren-funded program, with particular focus on language acquisition.
  • Language Plan
    • Describe your plans for continuing to study and/or speak the language following your Boren Scholarship.
  • Letters of Recommendation (2-3) Who should you ask?
  • Official Transcript(s)
  • Language Self-Assessment 
  • Language Proficiency Evaluation (if applicable)

Timeline

Application Timeline

  • September-December 2025: Create an account and work on the Boren Scholarship Online Application.  Select USC as your current institution in the Eligibility and Basic Information section > save your application so you are registered through USC.
  • Wednesday, January 7, 2026: Campus Deadline to Submit Online Application & participate in a campus evaluation and feedback meeting
  • January 15 or 16, 2026: Campus Evaluation and Feedback Meeting
  • January 25, 2026:  Campus Deadline to Submit final version of Online Application
  • January 28, 2026:  Boren Scholarship National Deadline
  • Mid-Late April 2026: Boren Scholarship Recipients announced

Resources

Advising

Advising Period: Mid-October – Mid-December

Contact: Katie Capra, kcalvert@usc.edu

Scholarship Recipients