Scholarships

The Boren Scholarship is for undergraduate students who are U.S. citizens to study abroad in regions of the world that are critical to U.S. interests and underrepresented in study abroad programs. Russian Flagship students who receive a Boren-Flagship scholarship to participate in the Russian Overseas Flagship will be awarded up to $25,000. Students who receive additional funding, such as university scholarships or other federal awards, must report those awards to their Boren advisor.

As a condition of the scholarship, Boren Scholars commit to one year of U.S. federal government service following graduation. Boren alumni have gone on to serve in a wide range of departments and agencies, including: Department of War, Department of Homeland Security, Department of State, U.S. Agency for International Development, the Intelligence Community, Department of Commerce, Department of Energy, U.S. Congress, Center for Disease Control, Department of Agriculture, and many others. In addition to funding, Boren Scholars receive additional advantages and support when seeking federal employment.

Students planning to apply for the Boren Scholarship must meet with the UW–Madison Boren campus representative, Kate Hamoonga, before applying. Students can also contact the Boren Scholarship Team with questions. Applications must be submitted by the campus deadline, which is earlier than the scholarship’s national deadline. Watch for announcements!

A strong application should clearly and thoroughly explain how the applicant’s proposed language study, country of study, and academic or professional goals contribute to U.S. national security interests and demonstrate a commitment to public service.

Deadline (Campus): Early December, 2026 (Exact Date TBA)

The Language Flagship Scholarship provides merit-based funding to defray the costs of participating in approved Russian language study and immersion experiences.

For All Russian Flagship Students
Scholarship funding may be used to support participation in:

• Intensive summer Russian language courses at UW–Madison or another approved intensive summer Russian language program.
• Summer study abroad on an approved program
  • Summer Russian Language and Area Studies Program (RLASP) in Almaty, Kazakhstan and Yerevan, Armenia, administered by American Councils for International Education
  • Summer Immersion in Russian Language, Culture, and Communities in the Baltics (IRLCCB) in Riga, Latvia, administered by the University of Georgia

For Contracted ROTC Cadets

Contracted ROTC cadets in good standing are eligible for the Language Flagship ROTC Scholarship, which covers all direct costs associated with participating in the programs listed above, as well as the Russian Overseas Flagship Capstone Program in Almaty, Kazakhstan, administered by American Councils for International Education.

 Application Process

The Language Flagship Scholarship and UW–Madison Russian Flagship Scholarship use the same application form.

Russian Flagship Scholarship Application Deadlines

• ROTC students: January 20
• All other students: March 20

The UW–Madison Russian Flagship Scholarship provides modest scholarship funding through a limited number of awards to help defray the costs of participating in the following activities:

• Intensive summer Russian language courses at UW–Madison
• Approved summer study abroad programs
  • Summer Russian Language and Area Studies Program (RLASP) in Almaty, Kazakhstan and Yerevan, Armenia, administered by American Councils for International Education
  • Summer Immersion in Russian Language, Culture, and Communities in the Baltics (IRLCCB) in Riga, Latvia, administered by the University of Georgia
• Russian Overseas Flagship Capstone Program in Almaty, Kazakhstan, administered by American Councils for International Education

Contracted ROTC students are not eligible for the UW–Madison Russian Flagship Scholarship because they are fully funded through the Language Flagship ROTC Scholarship.

The UW–Madison Russian Flagship Scholarship and the Language Flagship Scholarship use the same application form.

Russian Flagship Scholarship Application Deadlines

• ROTC students: January 20
• All other students: March 20

The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, provides awards of up to $5,000 to students with high financial need to support study abroad on summer or academic-year programs.

Russian Flagship students may apply for the Gilman Scholarship to support participation in:

• The Russian Language and Area Studies Program (RLASP) in Almaty, Kazakhstan, or Yerevan, Armenia.
• The Immersion in Russian Language, Culture, and Communities in the Baltics (IRLCCB) program in Riga, Latvia.
• The Russian Overseas Flagship (ROF) Capstone Program.

Students studying Russian may also be eligible to apply for the Gilman Critical Need Language Award, which provides up to $3,000 in additional funding.

Students preparing to participate in the Russian Overseas Flagship Capstone Program should also consider applying for the Gilman-McKeown Scholarship, which can supplement Gilman Scholarship funding and Pell Grant support to make year-long study abroad more financially feasible for qualified students. The Gilman-McKeown Scholarship gives priority to students from or studying in Minnesota and Wisconsin, although applications are accepted from students nationwide.

Deadlines: October 1, 2026 @11:59pm PST

The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) program of the U.S. Department of State is a fully funded overseas language and cultural immersion program for undergraduate students who are U.S. citizens. CLS programs focus on the study of federally identified critical foreign languages, including Russian. Students of Russian must be at the intermediate or advanced level of proficiency to be accepted to the program. The CLS program fulfills the Russian Flagship Program pre-capstone study abroad requirement.

Deadline: Fall 2026 (Exact Deadline TBA)

Study abroad is an integral part of a UW–Madison education and can be one of the most rewarding experiences of a student’s college career. To help make international study more accessible to a wider range of students, the Office of International Academic Programs (IAP) offers Study Abroad Scholars awards beginning at $2,500 for IAP short-term and summer programs, $5,000 for IAP semester programs, and $8,000 for IAP year-long programs.

IAP gives special consideration to Russian Flagship students for these awards. Students planning to participate in the Russian Language and Area Studies Progam (RLASP) to fulfill the pre-capstone study abroad requirement or in the Russian Overseas Flagship (ROF) Capstone Program are strongly encouraged to apply.

You apply for Study Abroad Scholars through the IAP Study Abroad Scholarship Conditional Application in the Wisconsin Scholarship Hub (WiSH). This same application also automatically considers you for IAP’s other general study abroad scholarships.

Deadlines: For Summer, Fall, and Academic Year programs, applications open in early January and are due in late February or early March. For Spring programs, applications open in early September and are due in late September.

Beyond Study Abroad Scholars (see above), IAP offers a number of additional general study abroad scholarships to help fund your time abroad. You don’t apply to these individually. Completing the IAP Study Abroad Conditional Scholarship Application in the Wisconsin Scholarship Hub (WiSH) automatically considers you for every general IAP scholarship you’re eligible for, including Study Abroad Scholars.

Deadlines: For Summer, Fall, and Academic Year programs, applications open in early January and are due in late February or early March. For Spring programs, applications open in early September and are due in late September.

IAP’s Fall/Year Promise Scholarship provides up to $6,000 for undergraduate students in a UW–Madison Promise Program (Bucky’s Tuition Promise, Bucky’s Pell Pathway, BANNER, Wisconsin Tribal Education Promise, or Badger Promise) participating in a fall-semester or academic-year study abroad program, including the Russian Overseas Flagship Capstone year. Visit IAP’s Promise Scholarship page for full eligibility details.

Deadline: Fall 2026 (Exact Deadline TBA)

The Alice D. Mortenson Undergraduate Research Award is open to all UW–Madison undergraduates conducting research on a topic related to Russian history. Awards may support either a research project to be completed at UW–Madison or overseas language study followed by the completion of an essay on Russian history or culture based on the use of Russian-language sources.

Each year, up to three awards of $3,000 are granted to deserving students. Russian Flagship students may apply for this scholarship to  support participation in the Russian Language and Area Studies Program (RLASP) to fulfill the pre-capstone study abroad requirement or in the Russian Overseas Flagship (ROF) Capstone Program.

Students interested in applying should review the award requirements and application procedures through the Department of History.

Deadline: TBA

The David M. McDonald Writing Prize in Russian History and Sports History awards $500 for the best undergraduate paper in Russian History or Sports History. Submissions are evaluated on the quality of their research and writing, with particular attention to the accessibility of the prose.

There are no restrictions on the paper’s geographic or chronological scope,  although preference is given to papers focused on the history of Imperial Russia. The prize is open to both History majors and non-History majors.

Deadline: Late March, (Exact Date TBA)

Summer Term offers the Undergraduate Scholarship for Summer Study, a need-based award given to high-achieving undergraduate students seeking financial support to attend Summer Term at UW–Madison.

Russian Flagship students may apply for this scholarship to support their participation in intensive summer Russian language courses at UW–Madison.

Deadline: April 2027 (Exact Date TBA)

Summer Term offers Summer Housing Boost, which helps students cover the cost of living in UW–Madison residence halls during the summer.

Russian Flagship students may apply for this award to support their participation in intensive summer Russian language courses at UW–Madison .

Deadline: April 2027 (Exact Date TBA)

CALS Study Abroad Scholarships assists students in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) reduce the financial burden of studying abroad. CALS students are encouraged to apply for scholarship funding to support their participation in approved study abroad programs.

Through the generosity of CALS faculty and alumni donors, as well as the College’s sponsorship of study abroad, the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences awards over $150,000 annually through its study abroad scholarship programs. 

Deadline: Varies by award

The Global Gateway Initiative helps make study abroad and study away opportunities accessible to students with demonstrated financial need. Global Gateway Fellowships offer a $10,000 fellowship that may be applied toward program fees for any UW–Madison-approved semester or year-long study abroad program.

Applicants must demonstrate financial need by having a Student Aid Index (SAI) of $8,000 or less or by participating in Bucky’s Pell Pathway during the current or previous academic year.

Deadline: Spring 2027 (Exact Date TBA)

The WISLI Tuition Scholarship covers 50% of tuition for language study at one of the Wisconsin Intensive Summer Language Institutes (WISLI). The scholarship is applied directly to students’ tuition accounts.

This scholarship can typically be combined with the Central Eurasian Studies Summer Institute (CESSI) Tuition Remission Scholarship and other awards.