Persian Flagship Scholarships and Funding

For assistance applying to these and other national scholarships, visit the National Scholarships office at 2403 Marie Mount Hall.

Information about general UMD domestic scholarships can be found at the UMD Financial Aid office.

LANGUAGE FLAGSHIP SCHOLARSHIP AWARD

You may also receive additional merit and need-based scholarships depending on the strength of your application or financial situation.

LANGUAGE FLAGSHIP SCHOLARSHIP ELIGIBILITY

Language Flagship-certified students qualify for the scholarship if you meet certain eligibility criteria:

1. You must meet the admissions requirements to your degree program of choice.
2. Your must complete your Language Flagship studies by the time of enrollment, though you may be currently studying during the time of application.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply and receive The Language Flagship scholarship:

1. Submit your application for one of our degree programs by the next priority deadline. Please indicate that you're affiliated with Language Flagship when prompted on the online application.
2. You may also waive your application fee at go.miis.edu/LFwaiver.

Requirements: Current student or Alumni of The Language Flagship Program

Deadline: Depends on program

Minimum GPA: N/A

Amount: $16,000

Fulbright U.S. Student Program

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers research, study and teaching opportunities in over 140 countries to recent graduates and graduate students. A network of nearly 1,600 volunteer Fulbright Program Advisers on campuses nationwide assist in the recruitment. More than 3,600 candidates are recommended by 157 subsections of the National Screening Committee, composed of 457 senior faculty or field of study professionals.

Fulbright awards are offered to students and recent graduates to pursue further research or for teaching abroad in a country where the target language is predominantly spoken.

Requirements: U.S. Citizenship,

Deadline: August

Minimum GPA: N/A

Amount: Round trip flights, medical insurance, room, board and incidental costs all covered

Gilman Scholarship

The U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship is a grant program that enables students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad, thereby gaining skills critical to our national security and economic competitiveness. The Institute of International Education has administered the program since its inception in 2001.

Requirements: Pell Grant recipient, Applying to overseas program in country where target language is predominantly spoken

Deadline: Varies based on program timeline

Minimum GPA: 

Amount: Up to $8,000

Critical Language Scholarship

The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is a fully funded summer overseas language and cultural immersion program for American undergraduate and graduate students. With the goal of broadening the base of Americans studying and mastering critical languages and building relationships between the people of the United States and other countries, CLS provides opportunities to a diverse range of students from across the United States at every level of language learning.

The CLS Program is a program of the U.S. Department of State.

Location: Dushanbe, Tajikistan

Requirements: One year of Persian Study before program begins, U.S. Citizenship

Deadline: November

Minimum GPA: N/A

Amount: Full cost of attendance provided

Persian Studies Essay Awards

Made possible by a generous gift from the Iranian-American philanthropist, Mr. Hossein Amirsaleh, in 2010, The Persian Studies Essay Award is an endowed fund to recognize outstanding undergraduate student essays submitted in partial fulfillment of a Persian Studies course requirements.  

Requirements: Submit an original essay that was written as part of coursework in a Persian Studies course

Deadline: March

Minimum GPA: N/A

Amount: $500, amount varies by year

Amouzegar Undergraduate Scholarships

Established in 2006 by His Excellency Dr. Jamshid Amouzegar, the Ulrike and Jamshid Amouzegar Undergraduate Scholarship in Persian Studies (AMUS) is an endowed fund to provide annual scholarships for freshman or sophomore students who are seeking a double major, major or minor in Persian Studies.

Requirements: First and Second year students only, Persian Studies Major or Minor

Deadline: March

Minimum GPA: 3.25

Amount: $1,000, amounts may vary by year

Roshan Institute Undergraduate Scholarship for Excellence

The Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute Fund of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation established the Roshan Institute Undergraduate Scholarship for Excellence in Persian Studies in June 2007 to provide undergraduate scholarships through the Roshan Institute Center for Persian Studies.

Requirements: UMD students

Deadline: March

Minimum GPA: N/A

Amount: $1,000, amount may vary from year to year

Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship

The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans program honors the contributions of immigrants and children of immigrants to the United States. Each year, we invest in the graduate education of 30 New Americans—immigrants and children of immigrants—who are poised to make significant contributions to US society, culture or their academic field. Each Fellow receives up to $90,000 in financial support over two years, and they join a lifelong community of New American Fellows.

Requirements: Must be a naturalized U.S. Citizen or a native-born U.S. citizen who is the child of two immigrants, Under 31 years of age

Deadline: April/November

Minimum GPA: N/A

Amount: Up to $90,000 for up to two years of study

Iranian American Academics and Professionals

Iranian American Academics and Professionals (Washington DC) Student Scholarship Award program was established in 2005 and since then severalIranian graduate and undergraduate students have received the award.The main goal of the award is to acknowledge the accomplishments by fellow Iranians students in the greater Washington DC metropolitan area, and further motivate them to serve the Iranian communities through active participation in cultural and scientific activities.

Requirements: Persian Heritage

Deadline: October

Minimum GPA: 

Amount: $500, may vary from year to year

Persian Scholarship Foundation

The Persian Scholarship Foundation is a non-profit foundation with the mission to recognize academic excellence among students of Iranian descent studying in the United States—especially those who through their activities and leadership help to disseminate knowledge about the Persian culture, history and heritage within the United States.

Requirements: Publication of an essay / article within your school’s newspaper or a local / national newspaper in which you discuss themes relating to the history, culture, literature and or heritage of the Iranian people or the achievements of scholars, scientists and leaders of Iranian descent.

Deadline: December

Minimum GPA: N/A

Amount: $1,000

Financial Assistance Scholarship

Every year at least ten scholarships for amounts up to $1,000 (US dollars) each, will be awarded. The deadline for receiving the application is June 30th of each year.

The Financial Assistance Scholarship is available to all graduating high school students and current college students of all levels (undergraduate, graduate and PhD) and of Iranian descent regardless of citizenship or country of residency.
Requirements: Persian Heritage

Deadline: June

Minimum GPA: 3.0

Amount: Vary from $250 - $1,000

Scholastic Achievement Scholarship

Every year at least three scholarship for an amount of $1,000.00 dollars will be awarded. The deadline for receiving the application is June 30th of each year.

Scholastic Achievement Scholarship is available to students that are graduating from high school and are citizens or permanent residents of United States.

Requirements: Graduating from High School and enrolling at an accredited college, Persian Heritage

Deadline: June

Minimum GPA: 3.5

Amount: $1,000

ISF Undergraduate Scholarship

The Iranian Scholarship Foundation’s Undergraduate Scholarship is one of the most generous scholarships available to Iranian-American students in America. This is a need-based renewable scholarship for undergraduate students with demonstrated need who have achieved excellence in their academic performance and community service.

Requirements: Persian heritage, Undergraduate

Deadline: May

Minimum GPA: 3.5

Amount: up to $10,000

Excellence in Community Service Scholarship

Each year, ISF awards an Excellence in Community Service Scholarship to one student with an outstanding record of community service. The student must have a proven record of community service and have maintained a GPA of 3.5 or better. The award determination for this scholarship is not based on financial need.

Requirements: Persian Heritage

Deadline: May

Minimum GPA: 3.5

Amount: $3,000

Dr. Ali Jarrahi Merit Scholarship

In the Fall of 2007 ISF received a major contribution to its endowment form Dr. Ali Jarrahi of North Carolina. Dr. Jarrahi requested that the interest received from his endowment donation be used to provide two Merit scholarships to two top Iranian American students in the U.S. The principal of his donation to the ISF endowment can not be spend or touched. Hence the ISF Board of Trustees voted to name the ISF Merit Scholarship the “Dr. Ali Jarrahi Merit Scholarship”.

Requirements: Persian Heritage

Deadline: May

Minimum GPA: 4.0

Amount: $2,000, amount may vary

 

Iranian American Society

Founded by a group of compassionate women in 1991, the Iranian American Association (IAS) is now California's most revered resource for domestic violence of victims of Iranian and Near-Eastern descent and for recent Iranian immigrants arriving in the U.S. without any means.

Requirements: Undergraduate student, Demonstrate financial need, U.S. Citizen or permanent resident

Deadline: June

Minimum GPA: 3.0

Amount: Amounts vary

The Houtan Scholarship

Iran, which was once the birthplace of the Persian Empire – the oldest and largest empire in the world – undoubtedly has one of the richest histories and cultures in the entire world. In an attempt to spread the word of the abundant Iranian culture, the Houtan Foundation offers scholarship to students from all origins – Iranian and non-Iranian – who have high academic performance and proven interest in promoting Iran’s great culture, heritage, language and civilization. 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.

Requirements: Intermediate level of Persian, Pursuing Graduate degree

Deadline: June

Minimum GPA: 3.5

Amount: $3,500

Iranian American Scholarship Fund

Since its establishment in 1997, the IASF has gained recognition among donors and applicants. Hundreds of applications are reviewed and tens of thousands of dollars are awarded to undergraduate and graduate students annually. To date, IASF has awarded 250 scholarships, a special scholarship to a PhD candidate, and six writing awards – in collaboration with Unique Zan Foundation – to young women of Iranian heritage.

Requirements: Sophomore Standing, Persian Heritage, U.S. Resident or citizen, Demonstrate financial need

Deadline: June

Minimum GPA: 3.5

Amount: Award amounts vary

Children of Persia

Children of Persia (COP) was established in 1999 with the objective of promoting the well-being of the disadvantaged Iranian children thru providing healthcare, education, and social services assistance. In 2006, Children of Persia, through its generous donors, started its scholarship program with a focus on assisting students with financial need to meet their goal of attaining higher education. COP truly believes that knowledge is power. Over the years, we have realized that those we help become strong advocates when it comes to helping others and as such, we hope to inspire the younger generation to help themselves and help others through their success. This year, for a third year in a row, we are partnering with the Iranian American Medical Society (IAMS) of Washington Metropolitan Area, to add one additional scholarship with a focus on students in health related fields.

Requirements: Sophomore Standing, Persian Heritage, U.S. Resident or citizen, Display financial need

Deadline: May

Minimum GPA: 3.0

Amount: $2,000