Middle Eastern and Mediterranean Language Institute

Funding

Please find some funding opportunities listed below. We will continuously update this page as we find more opportunities.

Please note: these resources are meant to give you a hand in starting your search for funding, either as it relates to funding participation in MEDLI or another portion of your academic career. We cannot offer individual assistance in finding funding, but we hope that these links can help in the pursuit of educational funding.

The Summer 2023 WISLI Tuition Scholarship competition is now closed

Application Opens: January 13, 2023

Application Deadline: March 1, 2023

WISLI is pleased to offer the WISLI Tuition Scholarship, which covers half payment of tuition for language study at CESSI, MEDLI (formerly APTLI), MULTI, NORD, SASLI, SEASSI, or SIPI for Summer 2023.  The purpose of the WISLI Tuition Scholarship is to broaden support for learning less commonly taught languages.

AWARD DETAILS

The WISLI Tuition Scholarship covers 50% of the tuition for summer 2023 language study at one of the WISLI summer language institutes.  See Tuition and Fees for information about estimated costs for Summer 2023.

The WISLI Tuition Scholarship does not cover expenses such as segregated fees, textbooks, living expenses, housing, incidentals, travel or other costs.  International students are required to have UW–Madison approved health insurance coverage, and may need to enroll in the UW Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) if not able to get a waiver. Students who have not previously attended UW–Madison will be charged a one-time official document fee of $130.00.

ELIGIBILITY

All applicants to a WISLI summer language institute are eligible to apply for a WISLI Tuition Scholarship, including:

  • Domestic and international students
  • Students in degree programs at UW-Madison and students from other institutions of higher learning, such as community colleges
  • Adult lifelong learners and non-degree seeking students

Because of limited funds available, not all qualified applicants can be awarded WISLI Tuition Scholarships.  See the WISLI funding page for additional resources and suggestions for identifying other funding sources for language study.

APPLICATION PROCESS

To apply for a WISLI Tuition Scholarship:

  • Complete the WISLI Tuition Scholarship application form.
  • Submit a one-page (approximately 500 words) statement of purpose describing your intended personal/academic/professional goals and the broader impact of these goals for language study at a WISLI Institute.
  • Provide two letters of recommendation with your application.  You can opt to have your Institute recommendation letters applied to your WISLI Tuition Scholarship application, or you can submit your letters or have your recommenders submit their recommendation letters via the WISLI Tuition Scholarship recommendation submission form.

Applicants must complete separate applications if applying for a WISLI Tuition Scholarship in multiple languages hosted at different Institutions. If you are applying to multiple languages within the same Institution, please address that where indicated on your application. 

Applicants are responsible for ensuring that all application materials are complete and submitted on time.

Students should expect to receive information regarding the status of their scholarship by April. Those offered an award must indicate acceptance within two weeks of receiving the award letter. Those who have not indicated accepted by the two-week deadline stated on the award letter will automatically have the offer withdrawn.

Once a student is accepted by their summer language institute and enrolled in their language courses for summer 2023, the WISLI Tuition Scholarship will be applied directly to tuition costs.

Students who accept the WISLI Tuition Scholarship are expected to complete the entire 8-week program with a passing grade.

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS?

Contact us at funding@lpo.wisc.edu for questions about the WISLI Tuition Scholarship.

FLAS fellowships are funded by the U.S. Department of Education and administered by the UW’s National Resource Centers to assist students in acquiring foreign language and either area or international studies competencies. FLAS awards are only available for specific languages and are contingent on federal funding.

Applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents of the United States. Applications by students in professional fields are encouraged. Preference will be given to applicants with a high level of academic ability and with previous language training. Academic year and summer FLAS awards are two separate competitions requiring separate and complete applications.

MEDLI students may be eligible to apply for Foreign Language & Area Studies (FLAS) fellowships for summer language study. See flas.wisc.edu for details and contact the coordinator of the specific Area Studies Center that offers your language. Note that many centers require a specific regional focus. Students are also encouraged to apply for scholarships at their home institution or inquire about applying their financial aid package toward summer language studies.

https://flas.wisc.edu/languages.htm

Summer awards are for intensive language programs either domestically or abroad. Details on minimum contact hours and duration of allowable summer programs are outlined on the FLAS FAQ page. Summer FLAS awards may be used for study at UW-Madison by non-UW students.

 

Through the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Adult Career and Special Student Services, scholarships are available for admitted UW–Madison nontraditional and returning adult students. Thank you to the generous contributions from our donors.

Application opens: November 16; Closes: February 10

To apply for these scholarships, please complete the following steps:

1) Access the scholarship application through Wisconsin Scholarship Hub (WiSH). Using the filter, select Division of Continuing Studies scholarships, then sign in to complete the application. Submit just one common scholarship application for all of the scholarships that you are interested in applying for.

2) Submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Please review these tips to help you complete your scholarship application.

The Madison Gateway Scholarship application is open to any currently enrolled Madison Area Technical College (MATC) student applying to the Middle Eastern & Mediterranean Language Institute (MEDLI, formerly APTLI). The scholarship covers full MEDLI tuition to study Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, or Turkish language at any level.

The Madison Gateway Scholarship was created with the goal of increasing Less Commonly Taught Language (LCTL) learning for people of underserved populations and create a pathway for success for MATC language students to attend MEDLI.

Eligibility:

  • Applicants must be Madison Area Technical College students

Scholarship app requirements: Madison Gateway Scholarship applicants must submit the following materials to medli@lpo.wisc.edu. 

  • 1 Letter of Recommendation
  • Statement of Purpose: Applicants should demonstrate need for the language and their academic, professional, and/or personal reason(s) for studying it. (approx. 500 words)
  • Deadline to Apply: March 15, 2023

If someone will be sponsoring you to attend MEDLI (i.e. paying your tuition), please review the following procedures:

In order to create a third party payment, the UW-Madison Bursar’s office needs a letter of authorization from the sponsoring organization. You will need to have your sponsor send the following information on department or university letterhead:

  • Your Name
  • Your University of Wisconsin-Madison Student ID number
  • The Duration of Sponsorship
  • Amount to be invoiced
  • Your Sponsor’s Contact Name and Address
  • How payment will be made (Check or wire transfer)
  • *Special Invoice Instructions (Where and who the invoice must be addressed to)

The letter of authorization should be forwarded immediately to thirdparty@bussvc.wisc.edu. If the sponsor’s letter of authorization is received before the tuition and fee bill is generated, the amount of charges deferred to a third party sponsor is indicated on the bill.

*If possible, please have your sponsor copy MEDLI at medli@lpo.wisc.edu when sending the letter.

Once your sponsor has completed these steps, you can log on to your MyUW account (opens in new tab) and select the Financial tab to view your Tuition and Fee Student Account activity; you should be able to determine that your charges have been deferred to a third party sponsor for payment. Please allow a minimum of 5 business days for processing.

If the sponsor is not paying the entire tuition and fee cost, you must pay the remaining balance before the tuition due date in order to avoid a late payment fee.

PLEASE NOTE: If the sponsor’s authorization is not received prior to the tuition due date, you will be held responsible for payment of the late payment fee.

Once the authorization letter has been received a third party deferral is applied to the student’s account. The third party invoice will be issued by approximately mid-July for the Summer semester. The sponsor needs to notify the University in writing should a student be removed from sponsorship.

If you have any additional questions, please contact MEDLI via email at medli@lpo.wisc.edu.

Project GO (Global Officer) is an initiative of the Defense Language and National Security Education Office which is administered by the Institute of International Education (IIE). Project GO provides fully funded scholarships to students commissioning through Air Force, Army, and Naval ROTC to study critical languages domestically and abroad. ROTC students (from UW-Madison or other campuses nationwide) are eligible to apply for Project GO @ UW-Madison full funding to study Turkish at MEDLI.

Applications for Project GO Summer 2023 open October 3rd, 2022. The deadline to apply for PGO’s domestic programs is March 8, 2023.

 

The Turkish Flagship Language Initiative (TURFLI) is a special initiative of the Boren Awards for International Study offering awardees the opportunity for intensive language study of Turkish and for cultural immersion by participating in domestic and overseas language programs. Participants in TURFLI may start with no language proficiency through advanced proficiency in Turkish. The TURFLI program is administered through the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Applications for TURFLI 2023 have closed. 

The Gilman Scholarship is a need-based program through the U.S. Department of State that’s designed to allow students who might not otherwise be able to study abroad the opportunity. You select the program you want to participate in, so there’s flexibility with regards to language and location. Scholarship winners come from all over the United States and travel all over the world.

Also, if you receive this scholarship, you’ll have a competitive advantage for certain federal jobs for the next 12 months by being allowed to apply for jobs only open to federal employees.

Eligibility:

  • United States citizen
  • Undergraduate student in good standing at an accredited institution of higher education in the United States (including both two-year and four-year institutions)
  • Receiving a Federal Pell Grant during the time of application or provide proof that they will be receiving a Pell Grant during the term of their study abroad program or internship
  • In the process of applying to, or accepted to, a credit-bearing study abroad or internship program. Proof of program acceptance is required prior to award disbursement
  • Applying for credit-bearing study abroad programs in a country or area with an overall Travel Advisory Level 1 or 2, according to the U.S. Department of State’s Travel Advisory System, or is on the list of approved Travel Advisory Level 3 countries/areas. However, certain locations within these countries or areas may be designated within the Travel Advisory as either “Do not travel to” (Level 4) or “Reconsider travel to” (Level 3) locations, as such; students will not be allowed to travel to these specific locations

Deadline:

  • March 2023 Deadline application will open in mid-January 2023 for applicants whose in-person programs or internships start between May 1, 2023 to April 30, 2024
  • Application deadline is March 7, 2023 at 11:59pm PT
  • Advisor certification deadline is March 14, 2023
  • Cycle includes Summer 2023, Fall 2023, Academic Year 2023-2024, and Spring 2024 programs or internships

Click here to learn more and/or apply.

Industry Arabic is a translation company that focuses on providing services focusing on the Arabic language. They award scholarships of $2,000 to support tuition and living expenses for 1-2 students pursuing advanced, immersive Arabic study. They are looking to support the next generation of superior Arabic linguists regardless of field (linguistics, area studies, literature, anthropology, political science, etc).

Eligibility:

  • Limited to U.S citizens
  • Students enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program that incorporates advanced Arabic language skills. A major/concentration in Arabic in not necessary.

Scholarships will be awarded on the basis of practical skill as demonstrated in the sample translation, as well as overall academic merit.

Click here to learn more and/or apply.

The Houtan Scholarship awards one student $3500 towards a graduate school education for the selected applicant. The candidates for the award must demonstrate leadership ability and the desire to make a difference in the society where they reside. The Houtan Foundation has a strong interest in each of these students’ achievements throughout the scholarship period and beyond, as the foundation’s goal is to participate in each student’s success.

Eligibility:

  • Do you write, speak and read Parsi, at least at intermediate level?
  • Can you demonstrate your active interest in the promotion of Persian Culture through formal documents?
  • Are you attending a graduate school or have you received an admission to a graduate school?
  • Have you been considered a distinguish student throughout your academic career?

If you answered yes all of these questions, you are eligible!

Click here to learn more and/or apply.

We would like to provide students with the tools they need to succeed. Below is a list of relevant databases that students can search on an individual basis in order to find funding opportunities that would best fit their situation. 

  • COS Pivot: Offers several databases for approximately 25,000 private and federal funding sources. Grants in the non-science areas are included. (Note: You must set up a personal login account using your wisc.edu email – free to UW-Madison clientele – through the COS Workbench feature for some of the COS Pivot services, however, a login is not necessary to use the database.)

Funding resources for students of different educational standing: