National Security Education Program (NSEP)

About the program

The National Security Education Program (NSEP) was established by the David L. Boren National Security Education Act (NSEA) in 1991, signed into law by President George H. W. Bush. The NSEA mandated that the Secretary of Defense create the NSEP to award scholarships to U.S. undergraduate students for study abroad in areas critical to U.S. national security. The NSEP was also created to grant fellowships to U.S. graduate students to study languages and world regions critical to national security. Finally, it provides grants to U.S. institutions of higher education to develop programs of study regarding countries, languages, and international fields critical to national security yet underrepresented in U.S. study.

The NSEP aims to fulfill these goals through nine initiatives:

• David L. Boren Scholarships
• David L. Boren Fellowships
• The Language Flagship
• English for Heritage Language Speakers
• National Language Service Corps (NLSC)
• Project GO
• Pilot African Languages Initiative
• Pilot Flagship/ROTC Initiative
• Language Training Centers

For more information about the NSEP initiatives, view the NSEP website.

Who should apply

Undergraduate students interested in pursuing a career associated with national security are encouraged to apply. Students should be interested in study abroad and areas critical to U.S. national security.