50 Top Russian Language and Cultural Studies Scholarships

Russia and Eastern Europe more broadly have long been important partners and competitors for geopolitical, sporting, trade, and cultural reasons. Individuals who study Russian language find roles in international business, law, diplomacy, cultural roles, as well as teaching and hospitality.

If you find yourself drawn to the rich and complex relationships between eastern European nations and the rest of the world, Russian language or cultural studies could be a great major or degree for you. To aim in finding the ultimate degree for you, we’ve compiled the most comprehensive list of Russian language and cultural studies scholarships anywhere online below.

 

The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program:

 

• Various
• The Benjamin a Gilman international scholarship is a grant program that enable students with a place to study or intern abroad. If you are US citizen who is receiving federal Pell grant funding at a two year or four year university then you are eligible for to participate in this program.
• Receiving a Pell Grant

 

ACTR semester and academic year Russian Language and Area Studies Program:

 

• Assistance for Study Abroad
• The American Council study abroad scholarship fund was established in order to provide students with funding to study abroad in Europe Asia Russia in the Balkans.
• College

 

Boren Scholarships for International Study:

 

• Various
• The Boren Awards are a series of scholarships and fellowships available to US undergraduate and graduate students who are interested in world regions that are critical to the United States. Awards range from $8000-$25,000. Some of the critical languages include: Arabic, Chinese, and Russian as well as a wide variety of other languages.
• College

 

Break Travel and Research Grants:

 

• Various
• The Nanovic Institute for European studies offers break travel and research grants. The purpose for these grants are for research projects in European studies and it’s open to all majors and disciplines. To be eligible for this award he must be enrolled as a freshman sophomore or junior at the University of Notre Dame.
• Notre Dame, Freshman, Sophmore, Junior

 

Dan E. Davidson Fellowships for Language Study in Russia, East Europe, Eurasia, and East Asia:

 

• $2,000-$12,000
• The American Council Dan E. Davidson fellowship supports highly-qualified individuals who would not otherwise have had the opportunity to build skills through language study and area studies coursework. The fellowship is for various amounts ranging from $2000-$12,000. To be eligible for this award you must be a US citizen who can demonstrate financial need and have completed two academic years of study at an accredited college or university.
• Need-based

 

Summer Language Abroad (SLA) Grants

 

• Various
• The Summer Language Abroad program provides funds for individuals who are studying foreign languages abroad. The amount of the award is up to $5500 which is combined with a comprehensive curriculum of international study and coursework. This program is available through the University of Notre Dame.
• Students

 

The Pushkin Grant for Advanced Language Training in Russian

 

• 8000
• The Pushkin grant for Advanced Language Training in Russian is named after the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin. This grant supports undergraduates who wish to continue the study of Russian language during their summer breaks. This grant will fund the entire cost cost of intensive course work study in Russia but the maximum award is $8000. To be eligible for this award you must be enrolled as an undergraduate at the university of Notre Dame.
• Notre Dame, Undergraduate

 

Nanovic Institute for European Studies

 

• 300
• Travel research grants are available through the Nanovic Institute. Research grants are offered over the fall winter spring and summer break. And are for first year students. Sophomores juniors and seniors are encouraged to apply to the Nanovic Institute’s break grants. This grant will cover up to $300 in research material.
• Freshmen

 

ACTR summer Russian Language and Area Studies program

 

• $500-$1000
• The American Council‘s offers the Advanced Russian Language and Area Studies Program. This program is for both graduate and undergraduate students as well as working professionals. These programs provide approximately 20 hours per week of in-class instruction in Russian grammar, phonetics, conversation, and cultural studies in Russia or Kazakhstan. The AC study abroad program recipients automatically receive a $500 scholarship towards their summer program or a $1000 scholarship towards their semester program.
• Undergraduate, Graduate

 

The Gilman International Scholarship Program

 

• Various
• The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship program is a grant intended for United States citizens who are receiving a federal Pell Grant. Students must be able to demonstrate limited financial means in order to study abroad or intern abroad.
• Receiving a Pell Grant

 

Office of Undergraduate and Post-Baccalaureate Fellowships

 

• Various
• National fellowships are highly prestigious awards that fund study, research, teaching, or internships in the US as well as abroad. To qualify for this award you must have a minimum GPA of 3.2 and be majoring in either international studies or languages. Some of the international awords include the CLS, DAAD, and a Fulbright scholarship.
• College

 

Fulbright English Teaching Assistantships:

 

• Various, Enrichment Opportunities
• Fulbright English teaching assistant ship programs are teaching assistant awards that place grantees in schools overseas in order to supplement local English language instruction. The purpose of these awards is to provide a native speaker presence in classrooms. The Fulbright English teaching assistant program is all across the world for more information on locations head to their website.
• All

 

Fulbright Research Grants

 

• Various, Enrichment Opportunities
• US Fulbright Research Grants is the traditional award opportunity where a candidate designs a proposal for a specific country research/study. The Fulbright studies research award it’s for individuals who designed their own research projects. There are field-specific award opportunities in the arts, business, journalism, and communications as well as in STEM and public health subjects. These research grants are offered across the world.
• All

 

Fulbright Critical Language Enhancement Award:

 

• Various, Enrichment Opportunities
• Fulbright Critical Language Enhancement Awards is a feature of the US student Fulbright program that provides opportunities for some Fulbright US student grantees. Grantees receive 3 to 6 months of intensive language study as an enhancement to the Fulbright Grants. The purpose of the Critical Language Enhancement Award is to cultivate higher levels of language proficiency. To be eligible for this award you must be selected for a Fulbright study/research grant by the eligible country and meet the minimum CLEA language requirement of the host country by the start of the Fulbright Grant. You must demonstrate an interest in continuing language training in future professional activities.
• All

 

Alfa Fellowship Program:

 

• Various, Enrichment Opportunities
• ALFA fellowship program is an international initiative that offers up to 18 accomplished young Americans, Briton’s, and Germans the opportunity to complete a high-level professional development program in Russia. In order to be eligible you must be a US, UK, or German citizen between the ages of 25 and 35 who already has a bachelors degree as well 2 to 3 years of relevant professional experience in business, economics, German journalism, Law, public policy or a related field. The desired applicants will have Russian language experience, a graduate degree, as well as evidence of leadership potential. The fellowship program offers round-trip transportation, as well as program-related transportation, a generous monthly stipend program, related travel within Russia, accommodation in Moscow and health insurance.
• American, Britons, Germans

 

SRAS Grants and Scholarships Page

 

• $9,000-$12,000
• The SRAS Grants and Scholarships programs cover the cost of instruction housing and medical insurance for international study abroad programming. The cost of the scholarship ranges between $9000 and $12,000. Additionally the program helps cover the cost of living which is between $35 and $110 per week for food transport and communication. Finally the program seats to cover the cost of tickets from New York City to SRAS locations which can be purchased for about $500-$1100.
• College

 

Junior Fellows Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

 

• 37000
• The Junior Fellows Program Carnegie Endowment for International Peace award is approximately 10 to 12 one-year fellowships to uniquely qualified graduating seniors and individuals who have graduated during the past academic year. Carnegie Junior Fellows work as research assistance to the endowments season senior associates. If you have begun graduate studies you are not eligible for this fellowship program. The amount for this program is a full-time position or individuals are paid $3083.33 per month or $37,000 per year. A full benefit package is also provided.
• Graduating College Seniors

 

Carnegie’s homepage

 

• Various
• The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace offers endowments for the following cities Beijing, Beirut, Brussels, Moscow, New Delhi. The purpose of the program is to advance international peace. The priorities for the Carnegie endowment include governance, disorders, Geo economics and strategy as well as technology and international affairs. Some of the fellowships include: the James C. Gaither Junior fellows program, the Carnegie-Tsinghua young ambassadors program, the Carnegie international nuclear policy conference for young professionals, the Stanton nuclear security fellowship, and the EL Erian fellowship.
• All

 

AATSEEL Internship

 

• Various
• The AATSEEL or the American Association of Teachers of Slavic and Eastern European languages offers on-going internship opportunities. Some of the programs include the summer professional internship program in Budapest, the Academy for Educational Development, the Center for Citizen Initiatives, the Council on International Educational Exchange, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, the serendipity-Russia teach English in American culture in Russia program, refugees international which offers internships on a summer semester and ongoing schedule, The Russian Academy of sciences which offers paid internship editing Russian scientific periodicals, the US-Ukraine foundation offering non-paid full or part-time internships, the Tahoe – BAIKL institute, the KPMG, the American international health alliance, the national endowment of democracy and many more.
• Slavic and Eastern European Studies

 

Critical Language Study Program

 

• Various
• The critical language scholarship program is a summer study abroad opportunity for American students enrolled in either college or university. The languages offered include Japanese Korean Russian Urdu Portuguese and others. The purpose of this program is for university students to learn languages that are essential to Americas engagement with the world. The purpose of the program is to dramatically increase the number of Americans studying and mastering critical foreign languages.
• College, American Students

 

David L Boren Undergraduate Scholarship

 

• 20000
• The David L. Boren scholarship is a $20,000 scholarship given to students who are interested in learning uncommon languages such as Russian or Swahili. The main focus of the program is for students who are studying abroad in locations such as Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. These areas are considered integral to United States security.
• Foreign Language Students

 

Sacher Undergraduate International Scholarships

 

• $500-$1,000
• President Abram Sacher through Brandeis University offers a number of scholarships for qualifying undergraduate students whose GPA is at least a 3.0. Typically these awards are range from $500-$1500. If you are interested in studying abroad check out their website.
• College

 

Ada Belle Winthrop-King Russian Summer Semester Scholarship

 

• 6000
• The Ada Bell Winthrop-King scholarships are for undergraduate students who are studying Russian abroad. This scholarship is for students of Florida State University and is valued at $6000.
• Undergraduate

 

Russian Studies Education Abroad scholarship

 

• Various
• The Education Abroad in Russian Program is brought to you by the college of arts and sciences in Modern and Classical Languages literature‘s and cultures from the University of Kentucky. The University of Kentucky offers a four week summer program in Krasnodar, Russia. This program is led by the University of Kentucky Russian studies faculty member Anna Voskresensky. This is an intensive summer semester or year long Russian language program.
• Summer Abroad

 

Miami University

 

• Various
• The University of Miami offers a number of scholarship opportunities for students intending to pursue study abroad including International Education Scholarships University Merit Scholarships and Presidential Fellow Scholarships.
• Study Abroad

 

College of St. Scholastica

 

• 26000
• The College of Saint Scholastica offers scholarship and financial support for international students. The scholarships of Saint Scholastica awards merit based scholarship funds to students based on evaluation of their application and the following materials: official transcripts and test scores. Merit level scholarships are for $26,000 a year or over $104,000 over four years.
• International Students

 

National Flagship Language Program Fellowship

 

• Various
• The language flagship program provides undergraduate students with the opportunity to pursue professional-level language proficiency in one of the following seven languages: Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Or Turkish. This is a national initiative to help Americans learn languages through a groundbreaking approach to language education.
• Undergraduate

 

Friends of Russian Culture Scholarship

 

• 250
• The Friends of Russian Culture Scholarship program is a $250 award. This award is offered each term. The purpose of the scholarship is to encourage Russian students to study Russian. To apply you must provide a short text statement that addresses is one of the following issues: your past and present experience with the Russian language, your plans for Russian cities in the future, how the scholarship will contribute to your future use of the Russian language and how you plan to apply the knowledge of Russian language and culture to help your community.
• All

 

CEA Scholarships

 

• Various
• The CEA offers scholarships for students who wish to study abroad. They are merit-based for students who are ethnically diverse as well as need-based. To apply to one of the scholarships head to their website.
• Merit, Need, Diversity

 

Boren Awards Scholarships

 

• $8,000-$25,000
• Boren Awards are prestigious awards for individuals looking to learn more about language cultures and service abroad. Recipients may engage with the African flagship language initiative the Indonesian flagship language initiative the south Asian flagship language initiative or the turkeys flagship language initiative. Additionally students design their own study abroad program. These are prestigious awards for undergraduate and graduate students that range between $8000 and $25,000.
• Undergraduate, Graduate

 

Benjamin A Gilman Scholarships

 

• Various
• The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship program is a grant program that enables students with limited financial means to study or intern abroad. This scholarship award was created in 2001 and is available in over 151 different countries.
• Receiving a Pell Grant

 

Enjoy Russian Scholarship

 

• Various
• If you want to learn Russian in Russia this is the scholarship for you. Enter this scholarship in order to experience a two-week Russian immersion trip. You will learn Russian in a group at Russian school and practice Russian 24/7 with teachers.
• Russian immersion opportunity

 

American Council’s Abroad Scholarship

 

• $500, $2,000, $3,000
• The American Council Study Abroad Scholarship is a diversity scholarship available to students who have traditionally been under represented in study abroad and educational exchange programs. This scholarship includes but is not limited to people who identify with certain racial, sexual ethnic, religious, gender disability, age, origin ancestry or veteran status. The scholarship is available to first generation college students from low income families with a history of overcoming diversity. The amount for the award ranges from $500-$2500 and $3000 is awarded to three exceptional students.
• Diversity

 

University of Cadiz Russian Studies Schoalrship

 

• Various
• The University of Cadiz Russian studies scholarship is for any individual studying at Cadiz who is studying Russian.
• Cadiz Students

 

Home and Abroad

 

• 5000
• The SRS Home and Abroad scholarships program combines intensive language study with a generous scholarship as well as a resume building internship. The scholarship applies $5000 to a semester long program in Bishkek,irkutsk, Vladivostok, Moscow, and St. Petersburg.
• Students

 

The Funding Information Network

 

• Various
• The funding information network is Candid’s network of library, community foundations, and other nonprofit resource centers that provide access and support to local nonprofits.
• For Non-profits

 

Critical Language Enhancement Awards

 

• Various, Enrichment Opportunities
• The Critical Language Enhancement award is a feature of the US student Fulbright program. This award helps to promote Fulbright program’s goal of cross-cultural exchange. To be eligible for this award you must be selected for a Fulbright study/research grant by the eligible country for what you have applied. You must meet the minimum CLEA language requirement of the host country by the start of the Fulbright grant.
• All

 

SRAS Challenge Grants

 

• Various
• The SRAS Grant Challenge Grants are stackable meaning you can apply for as many as four at a time. The following awards are available: media awards, minority serving institutions, Explore Awards, matching scholarship and honored groups, group discounts and consecutive programs. The locations include: Havana Cuba, Bishkek Kyrgyzstan, Warsaw Poland, Irkutsk Russia, Moscow Russia, St. Petersburg Russia, Vladivostok Russia, Kiev Ukraine. The amount of the award varies.
• Multiple

 

Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships (FLAS)

 

• $5,000, $10,000, $18,000
• The foreign language and area studies fellowship program provides allocations and summer fellowships to institute institutions of higher education or a consortia of institutions of higher education. Institutions conduct competitions to select eligible undergraduate students and graduate students to receive fellowships. This fellowship includes an institutional payment and a subsisting allowance.Graduate students may earn up to $18,000 and undergraduate students earn $10,000. Summer fellowship program amounts are available for $5000.
• Undergraduate, Graduate

 

Fulbright

 

• Various
• The Fulbright programs for America are a variety of programs for US students including the English Teaching Asstance, US, Student PRogram, and the US Fulbright Scholarship Program. Students who receive these awards either apply them to conduct research in various countries across the globe or to teach English abroad. Each year the US student program involves about 10 recipients of this award, and 25 English teaching assistance are selected. The US Fulbright scholar program offers 15 placements in the Russian federation annually.
• All

 

IREX

 

• Various
• The IREX is a global development and education organization. The IREX offers a number of opportunities for fellowships, international exchange, grants, mentorships and more. To find out more visit their website.
• All

 

Cohen Tucker Dissertation Fellowship

 

• 25000
• The Cohen-Tucker Dissertation Fellowship Program is for individuals studying Russian historical studies. This program supports the next generation of US scholars in Russian studies and is for a maximum stipend of $25,000 available to doctoral students and US and Canadian universities. The dissertation topic must be 19th to 21st-century Russian historical studies and the geographic focus of the dissertation should be predominantly within the current boundaries of the Russian federation. However, this does not exclude research related to other former associate republics or territories of the 19th century Russian Empire. To be selected for this fellowship you will be assessed based on your scholarly qualifications, the significance of the project, and the quality of the proposal.
• PhD

 

Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation

 

• Various
• The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation offers a number of foundations and programs including the Woodrow Wilson teaching fellowships, the Woodrow Wilson history quest fellowship, the Woodrow Wilson fellowship in education leadership, the higher education media fellowship, the Mellon emerging faculty leader’s award, and the Charlotte W Newcomb doctoral dissertation fellowship among others. For more information and to apply head to their website.
• Post-Graduate

 

ProjectGO

 

• Various
• Projects Global Officer (ProjectGO) is a collaborative initiative promoting critical language education as well as study abroad and reserve Officer training Corps opportunities. ProjectGO programs focus on language is in the Middle East, Asia, Central Asia, Africa, and South America. For more information and to apply head to their website.
• Study Abroad

 

Gilman-McCain Scholarship

 

• 5000
• The Gilman-McCain scholarship provides awards for $5000 for undergraduate children dependents of active duty service members giving them an opportunity to study or intern abroad on a credit bearing program. This scholarship is open to eligible students enrolled at an accredited US college or university and who receives any type of title IV federal financial aid.
• Military Offspring

 

FundMyTravel

 

• Various
• Fund My Travel and the School of Russian and Asian studies teamed up to devise solutions for your financial roadblock to traveling abroad. Fund My Travel is an online fundraising platform where you can build a profile and launch a campaign and reach out to your network of family and friends to help support your travel expenses.
• Study Abroad

 

Fulbright-Hayes Scholarship

 

• Various
• The Fulbright-Hayes scholarship for Russian language style study is a grant/fellowship study abroad opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students attending Sandford university currently ienrolled in the center for Russian, East European and Eurasian studies program.
• Study Abroad , Undergraduate, Graduate

 

University of Colorado Russian Study Abroad Scholarship

 

• Various
• The University of Colorado in Boulder offers the Russian scholarship and award program for Germanic and Slavic languages and literature’s study through the college of arts and sciences. This is to support Russian majors who intend to study abroad. Those interested should submit an application as well as a one page request describing the study abroad abroad program and the cost of the program including the cost of airfare room and board and any other anticipated financial needs.
• Study Abroad, UC Boulder