Participation Requirements

Summer and Academic Year Abroad Program Requirements

The health and well-being of participants and staff are top priorities. NSLI-Y is a rigorous overseas immersion program and may be physically and emotionally challenging. Each participant must be committed to working hard and actively engaging in the program, beginning with the mandatory pre-program language activities and pre-departure orientation to completion.

Participant Expectations

Each participant must:

• Be able to focus for up to 4 hours a day during language classes, participate in cultural activities, and comply with staff instructions for the duration of the program.
• Work effectively as a team member despite potentially stressful and challenging conditions. This may require problem-solving individually or in a group and a willingness to accept differences and compromises.
• Contribute to a safe and positive learning environment by treating others with respect in person and online.
• Effectively communicate ideas and concerns individually or in a group.
• Perform necessary self-care, including maintaining adequate nutrition and hydration, dressing appropriately for cultural and environmental conditions, maintaining personal hygiene, and managing known health conditions and medications.
• Follow detailed instructions on travel, risk management, personal care, safety, and other topics.
• Be able to navigate transportation independently between program-provided housing and the institute site, up to approximately 60 minutes each way.
• Read and agree to abide by the Terms and Conditions.

Visa Requirements

Finalists for certain program locations need to receive an appropriate visa. A valid U.S. passport is necessary for the visa application process.

• NSLI-Y staff and the U.S. Department of State will assist finalists with visa applications but cannot influence a foreign government’s decision to issue a visa. Visa decisions rest solely with the government and consular mission of the issuing country/authority.
• NSLI-Y finalists may be required to work closely with NSLI-Y implementing program staff on preparing their paperwork well in advance of regular deadlines to apply for a visa.
• Failure to meet deadlines may result in visa processing delays and not being able to participate in the NSLI-Y program.
• NSLI-Y finalists may be required to submit their passports for visa processing 2-4 months prior to the program start date and may be unable to travel internationally between the time of finalist notification and the program start date.
• A participant’s ethnic heritage, country of birth, dual citizenship, custody, and other factors may be considered by foreign governments in visa decisions.
• For some locations, the participant must also submit their birth certificates, citizenship documentation, parents/guardians’ passports, residency paperwork, or custody documentation for visa processing.
• For some locations, medical examinations and immunization documentation may be required as part of the visa application process.

Medical Review

NSLI-Y semi-finalists are required to submit a medical evaluation form for review by an independent medical professional. The medical evaluation form submission deadline is in late February; however, the medical review does not begin until after a student is selected as a finalist or alternate. The results of the medical review determine if finalists and alternates meet medical requirements necessary for NSLI-Y program placement and participation.

• Finalists will receive a disability accommodations policy at the time of acceptance. A request for disability accommodations must be submitted within 7 days of notification. 
• NSLI-Y has a history of successfully supporting students with health needs and disabilities.
• Finalists must inform the program staff of any changes in their health status after the submission of the medical evaluation forms and before the start of the program. 
• Withholding relevant health information and/or delayed responses in the medical review process may result in cancellation of the NSLI-Y scholarship or dismissal from the program.

Virtual NSLI-Y Program Requirements

Virtual NSLI-Y requires that participants be mature, self-directed learners who can actively participate in a virtual program environment with limited supervision. Attendance at all scheduled activities and completion of assignments is mandatory.

Technical Requirements

Participants must be able to access the following:

• Reliable internet
• Laptop, desktop computer, or tablet (a mobile phone is not a suitable alternative)
• Web camera
• Headset

Selected finalists who do not have access to the above due to financial need may contact [email protected] to request funding assistance.

Pre-Program Requirements

Before virtual classes begin, students are expected to complete:

• Student orientation
• Contact information updates
• Accommodation requests, if needed
• Pre-program survey
• Technical test session and teacher/classmate meeting
• Brief assignments or readings as specified by the teacher

On-Program Requirements

Virtual NSLI-Y participants are expected to:

• Complete homework assignments and projects on-time
• Complete required program surveys
• Attend all classes and program activities. If absent, students must review missed material and complete all assignments on schedule. Students may be considered for dismissal if they miss more than 3 classes (or the equivalent), are regularly tardy, or violate policies described in the Terms and Conditions.

Optional but highly encouraged: Attend additional student group meetings for community-building outside of class hours, cultural opportunities, and U.S. Department of State presentations.

Post-Program Requirements

• Complete post-program survey
• Participate in closing ceremony

Accommodations

NSLI-Y has a history of successfully supporting students with health needs and disabilities. Early communication about reasonable accommodation needs is critical.

Programs Abroad

Finalists receive a disability accommodation policy at the time of notification; classroom or disability accommodations must be requested within seven days of notification to be considered. As described in the Terms and Conditions, withholding relevant health information or not responding to requests by specified deadlines during the medical review process may be cause for termination of the scholarship, or dismissal from the program.

Virtual Programs

Finalists receive a disability accommodation policy at the time of notification; classroom or disability accommodations must be requested within seven days of notification to be considered.

After participating in NSLI-Y, I became even more fascinated by cultural immersion and diplomacy, and I hope to continue developing my skills in my target language for years to come.

Brynn, NSLI-Y Arabic Alumna