Hello~
I just stumbled upon the NSLI program, but I can’t seem to find any information of pricing? So I was just curious to see if any of you have participated and how much you ended up spending, with or without the scholarship?
Not sure if I’m too late to answer this but: NSLI-Y is a complete scholarship. All the way from flight tickets from hometown to destination, to language class tuition, to host family accommodations. Basically the only things you need to cover are any passport fees and spending money. On the NSLI-Y site, there is an FAQ that answers what costs are/aren’t covered.
Also, NSLI-Y only gives out scholarships. So if you get accepted, you automatically get the scholarship.
(I’m a current Arabic semifinalist waiting for results to come in!)
Honestly, I’m not quite sure how you research NSLI-Y and don’t realize it’s essentially free, other than costs associated with extra baggage, obtaining a passport and required immunizations, and personal spending money. It’s right on the FAQ, along with a number of things.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask me, as I’m also a semifinalist.
NSLI-Y is a full scholarship to study one of the NSLI-Y languages overseas. They pay for everything, and also give you sepdning money in country. They pay for your meals as well. I did end up spending about $400 on various souvenirs and such (althought I brought home A LOT of stuff) but that is really a case by case kind of thing, I had a friend who actually came home with 600 dirhams (about $60) left over from his stipend.
In terms of research, I recommend the facebook group NSLI-Y Applicants 2012-2013 (and no, it is not just for those years). There, you will be able to look at past posts as well as ask a large group of alumni questions about the program. They also have a compilation list of all the NSLI-Y student-run blogs. I blogged over the summer while I was in Morocco, the link for my blog is voyagelemondee.■■■■■■■■■■■■■ My blog also has a page with links to other blogs for Morocco programs and programs in other countries. Blogs are a great way to better understand the NSLI-Y experience and have a good idea of what you will be doing. Additionally, there are Alumni Representatives all over the country (I am the Atlanta/South East rep) whose job it is to spread awareness about the program as well as organize event for alumni. It you want to share you region/location, I can connect you with your region rep and they can give you more information as well as invite you to NSLI-Y events. If you (or anyone) would like to know any specific information or ask any questions about the program feel free to message me and I can give you my email and my name if you want to friend me on facebook. I can also give you tips for applying and for the interview if you would like.
@koko44 Good luck with the program!
If you have any questions as well,please feel free to message me!
Hi, hope you don’t mind me asking some questions here rather than on FB. I know it’s highly selective, but what exactly is the selection criteria? Do you have to declare a language from the start or just preference and then after you get in, you could end up with 2-nd best choice, etc? Thanks!