Future Teacher Scholarship Program

Merit-based scholarships to students dedicated to entering the language education profession

Dedicated to addressing a critical national shortage by bolstering the pipeline of future language educators, this award provides merit-based scholarships to graduating high school seniors, current undergraduate or graduate students, at either a 2-year or 4-year institution who are committed to pursuing the language teaching profession.

Supporting Future Language Educators

Launched in 2019, the Future Teacher Scholarship Program provides high school seniors and undergraduate recipients with an award of $1,500 per academic year. Scholarships may be renewed up to three times following the initial award, for a cumulative total of $6,000 per recipient.

Starting in 2026, graduate students pursuing certification in language teaching are also eligible to apply. Graduate students enrolled in a Master’s degree program leading to certification, or in another graduate certification program will be awarded $500 for two academic years or completion of the program, whichever comes first.

Teacher Scholars also receive complimentary ACTFL membership—which includes access to the ACTFL Mentoring Program aimed at early-career language educators—during their participation in the program as well as for one year following graduation and entry into the teaching field.

Due to the urgent shortage currently in this field, deferrals will not be permitted and awardees who intend to renew their scholarships must do so in consecutive years.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for consideration, applicants must:

• Be U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents attending secondary schools in the United States or a U.S. territory.
• Either be anticipating completion of a high school diploma at the time of application and have been accepted and are planning to pursue a degree at an accredited U.S. post-secondary institution, leading to credentialing as a language educator, OR be a current student at a U.S post-secondary institution, in a program leading to credentialing as a language educator. Students at both two-year and four-year undergraduate post-secondary institutions are eligible to apply.
• Have taken at least two years of the same language in high school or post-secondary studies, or present documentation of proficiency results from an ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI), the ACTFL Assessment of Performance Toward Proficiency (AAPPL), or any comparable assessment.
• Have maintained a 3.0 or higher GPA overall (on a 4.0 scale).

Applicants may not be related to any ACTFL staff member.

Applications will close on May 29, 2026.