Applications are now open for the 2025-2026 NSLI-Y summer and academic year programs!
The National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) is a merit-based scholarship funded by the U.S. Department of State. The NSLI-Y scholarship enables high school students to study a critical language abroad for a summer or an academic year. NSLI-Y offers programs for the following languages: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Indonesian, Korean, Persian (Tajiki), Russian, and Turkish. Program participants are immersed in the language and culture of their host country, giving them formal and informal language practice and sparking a lifetime interest in foreign languages and cultures. Participants receive intensive language instruction, may live with a host family for all or part of the program, and participate in a variety of cultural activities.
Find more information and the application, go to the NSLI-Y program website. The deadline to apply for 2025-2026 summer and academic year programs is November 4th at 4 PM ET.
To learn more about the program from a participant perspective, you may read alumni-produced stories and view virtual event recordings on this website.