- What does EHLS stand for?
- What is a heritage language?
- Who provides the funding for the EHLS Program?
- When is the application deadline?
- Where should I send my application materials?
- How will I know if my application has been accepted?
- I do not have an email account. Do I need to create one in order to apply for the EHLS Program?
- My email address will change before the admissions decisions are made. What should I do?
- Who must take the language tests?
- I live outside the DC metropolitan area. If I am selected for language testing, will I be reimbursed for travel costs to DC?
- In which languages will I be tested?
- What kinds of computer skills are required for the EHLS Program?
- Who is awarded a scholarship for the EHLS Program?
- How do I apply for a scholarship?
- What does an EHLS scholarship provide?
- Will my dependents be covered by my student health insurance?
- What is the EHLS service requirement?
- What is the duration of the service requirement?
- Am I guaranteed a job after I am finished with the program?
- What am I required to do to find a job that fulfills a service requirement?
- How can I identify opportunities that will satisfy the service requirement?
- Will I be forced to take an overseas assignment or asked to work in my country of origin?
- How much time will I have to fulfill the service requirement?
- What if I fail to fulfill the service requirement?
- What kinds of job offers do EHLS graduates receive upon graduating?
- Which positions satisfy the service requirement?
- As an EHLS scholar, will I have the same privileges as other Georgetown University students?
- Do EHLS continuing education units count towards a degree program at Georgetown University?
- Are EHLS instructors Georgetown University faculty?
- How flexible is the class schedule? Can I take only the courses I need, or adjust my schedule to accommodate personal commitments?
- Can I work part-time or study in another academic program while I attend EHLS?
- Does Georgetown offer child care facilities for scholars?
- Does Georgetown offer prayer facilities for scholars?
- Can I park my car in a campus lot?
- What is the best way to commute to Georgetown’s campus?
- What type of housing is available for EHLS scholars?
Background Information about the EHLS Program
What does EHLS stand for?
EHLS stands for the English for Heritage Language Speakers Program.
What is a heritage language?
A heritage language is a person’s home or ancestral language. It may be the language spoken by the person’s family in the past and passed down through generations or the language spoken now in the person’s home or community.
Who provides the funding for the EHLS Program?
EHLS is funded by the National Security Education Program (NSEP),which is administered by the Defense Language and National Security Education Office (DLNSEO).
Applying for the Program
When is the application deadline?
EHLS 2022 application is now closed.
Where should I send my application materials?
You must submit all of your application materials electronically through the online application system. We do not accept paper applications.
How will I know if my application has been accepted?
If your application has been selected to move forward to the language testing stage, you will receive an email from the EHLS Program in September.
I do not have an email account. Do I need to create one in order to apply for the EHLS Program?
Yes. In order to start your online application, you must have an email address. Program staff will use this email address to communicate with you about the status of your application, so be sure to check it regularly.
My email address will change before the admissions decisions are made. What should I do?
We recommend that you do two things:
- Set up an automatic message on your current email with your new email address, and
- Contact IIE and provide your new email address.
Testing
Who must take the language tests?
All provisionally selected applicants must participate in formal language testing.
I live outside of the DC metropolitan area. If I am selected for language testing, will I be reimbursed for travel costs to DC?
No. Admissions testing travel expenses are the responsibility of the applicant.
In which languages will I be tested?
You will be assessed in both English and your native language. Read a detailed description of these tests in Step 4 of the Application Process.
What kinds of computer skills are required for the EHLS Program?
You need at least basic computer skills, such as typing, using a laptop trackpad, and creating and saving files and folders. To learn more about the required skills, review the Computer Skills Self-Assessment.
Your technology skills will be tested as part of the writing test. You should be prepared to utilize the following skills: file management, word processing (including accurate keyboarding), presentation software, internet navigation, and emailing.
EHLS Scholarships
Who is awarded a scholarship for the EHLS Program?
All applicants who are offered admission to the program are awarded a scholarship.
How do I apply for a scholarship?
Complete the EHLS program application and an English OPI to be automatically considered for a scholarship. Read the How to Apply section of this website for specific instructions.
What does an EHLS scholarship provide?
A scholarship provides a stipend of $3,600 per month during the intensive part of the program (January-June), and $1,200 per month during the part-time portion (July-August). All tuition and fees for the program are covered for every scholar, and reimbursement of up to $1,000 in relocation costs is available for scholars from outside the metropolitan Washington area. Additionally, Georgetown University provides each scholar with student health insurance and a laptop computer.
Will my dependents be covered by my student health insurance?
Georgetown pays for EHLS scholars’ individual health insurance. You may choose to add your dependents to your health insurance policy at your own expense.
The Service Requirement
What is the EHLS service requirement?
The service requirement is a commitment you make when you accept an EHLS scholarship. When you have completed the EHLS Program, you must seek federal employment and work for one year in a position with national security responsibilities.
What is the duration of the service requirement?
The duration of the service requirement is one year.
Am I guaranteed a job after I am finished with the program? Will there be a job waiting for me?
EHLS does not place you in a job or guarantee you a job after completion of the program; the job search is your responsibility. It is unlikely that there will be a job waiting for you immediately after the intensive portion of the program.
That said, as an EHLS scholar, you will have several advantages over other applicants to federal jobs. During the program, you will have opportunities to meet hiring authorities from different federal agencies, and you will have support in developing a résumé and applying for positions. You will also receive ongoing assistance from NSEP after you graduate and be eligible for special federal hiring exceptions that you will learn about during the program. The vast majority of EHLS Program graduates find federal employment that allows them to complete the service requirement successfully.
What am I required to do to find a job that fulfills the service requirement?
You must create and routinely update an online résumé that will be made available to hiring officials in relevant federal departments and agencies. You must also document your specific efforts to identify employment opportunities in the federal government that would fulfill the EHLS service requirement. These actions will satisfy your obligation to make a full and good faith effort to secure a position in the federal government.
How can I identify opportunities that will satisfy the service requirement?
In the Career Skills Development course that is part of the intensive program, you will receive guidance on finding and applying for federal job opportunities. In addition, you will receive assistance from the National Security Education Program (NSEP) during and after the program to help identify appropriate federal job opportunities.
Will I be forced to take an overseas assignment or asked to work in my country of origin?
Since you are in control of your own job search, you only need to apply for jobs that you are interested in and comfortable doing.
How much time will I have to fulfill the service requirement?
You must begin to fulfill the service requirement no later than three years after you graduate from the EHLS Program. You must complete the service requirement within five years of the date you begin your service.
What if I fail to fulfill the service requirement?
EHLS graduates who fail to demonstrate a full and good faith effort to fulfill the service requirement are required to reimburse the U.S. government for the full amount of assistance provided from the scholarship.
What kinds of job offers do EHLS graduates receive upon graduating?
Past EHLS graduates have been offered positions as linguists, language teachers, cultural advisors, translators, analysts, financial analysts, accountants, and administrators, among others.
Which positions satisfy the service requirement?
Federal positions with national security responsibilities fulfill the service requirement. Any position in the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, and State, or in the Intelligence Community, satisfies this requirement. If you are not successful in identifying positions in these three priority departments or the Intelligence Community, you may pursue employment in any other federal agency, but any position you accept must include national security responsibilities. You may choose to satisfy the service requirement by accepting a suitable paid or unpaid full-time, part-time, temporary, or internship position. Employment in the federal government prior to participating in the program does not count toward fulfilling the service requirement.
Attending Georgetown University
As an EHLS scholar, will I have the same privileges as other Georgetown University students?
Yes, EHLS scholars receive a GU identity card and access to student services. See Campus Life.
Do EHLS continuing education units count towards a degree program at Georgetown University?
No, these are continuing education units leading to a professional certificate and cannot be applied to degree programs.
Are EHLS instructors Georgetown University faculty?
Yes, they are faculty from Georgetown’s English Language Center.
How flexible is the class schedule? Can I take only the courses I need, or adjust my schedule to accommodate personal commitments?
You must attend all classes as scheduled to fulfill the EHLS Program requirements. Individual scheduling requests cannot be accommodated. Scholars are evaluated on class attendance and participation, among other factors.
Can I work part-time or study in another academic program while I attend EHLS?
During the first six months of the program (January-June), scholars are not permitted to hold any form of employment or to study in another academic program. The scholarship terms include these restrictions so that you can concentrate on your EHLS responsibilities. However, during the part-time online portion of the program (July-August), you may work or study in an outside program, if you choose.
Does Georgetown offer child care facilities for scholars?
No, child care facilities are not provided by Georgetown.
Does Georgetown offer prayer facilities for scholars?
Yes. Find detailed information on prayer facilities here.
Can I park my car in a campus lot?
Georgetown does not have a campus lot at the downtown campus; however, SCS partners with parking vendors to offer students with GU identity cards preferred daily and semester parking rates.
What is the best way to commute to Georgetown’s campus?
Washington, DC, has a variety of convenient public transportation options, including buses, metro rail, and bicycle sharing.
What type of housing is available for EHLS scholars?
Georgetown University’s dorm housing is open only to undergraduates. On-campus housing is not available for EHLS scholars. EHLS scholars must find their own off-campus housing.