Middle Eastern College Scholarships for Arabic Learners?

I'm interested in studying Arabic at college and was wondering if there are scholarships specifically for students pursuing Middle Eastern studies or Arabic language programs. Any tips on where to look or specific scholarships to consider?

Absolutely, there are definitely scholarships intended for students pursuing Arabic language studies or Middle Eastern studies. One to consider is the National Security Education Program's Boren Awards, which offer scholarships to undergraduate students who wish to study less commonly taught languages, including Arabic. This scholarship is specifically meant to encourage the study of regions and languages critical to U.S. national security.

Another one to look at is The Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships. These fellowships are funded by the U.S. Department of Education and are administered by various universities across the U.S. They provide funding for undergraduate and graduate students who are studying less commonly taught languages and area or international studies, which can include Arabic and Middle Eastern studies.

A part of these financial aid programs' eligibility criteria is that students agree to work in the federal government for a specified amount of time post-graduation. Hence, if you're interested in public service, these scholarships can open up opportunities for government careers as well.

You can also check out the specialized scholarships at universities with robust Arabic or Middle Eastern Studies departments. For example, Georgetown University's Center for Contemporary Arab Studies offers several scholarships like Hopper-Dean Scholarship, The Hawkins Fellowship, The CCAS Scholars Program, and more.

However, the availability of these can depend on the specific school you plan to attend, so it's a good idea to check with the financial aid office of the universities you're interested in. They can offer more detailed information on what they specifically offer in terms of departmental scholarships.

Lastly, I highly recommend using Appily's scholarship database - they offer a comprehensive search tool that can be tailored to fit your needs, and could open up additional scholarship opportunities.