Cost and Funding

Information on the availability of SASLI 2026 Fee Remissions will be announced mid-November.

Half Fee Remission

SASLI applicants may apply for a Half Fee Remission and a WISLI Tuition Scholarship through a single application that will open in late fall 2026.  Together, these two awards can cover the full cost of tuition at WISLI, but note that they are separate competitions with different review committees and funding sources. They are also highly competitive and each would cover only half of the tuition you would otherwise pay (maximum $2,500). 

Eligibility

WI and MN residents will receive a partial award because their cost of tuition is already significantly lower than the standard tuition rate. Students who accept a FLAS award are not eligible for a SASLI Fee Remission. If you accept a SASLI Fee Remission, your application will not be considered for the $1,000 Fee Remission. Leaving the program early may result in being required to pay back some or all of the fee remission.

Application Materials

Statement of Purpose – a one-page maximum narrative of how SASLI will help you with your career, personal, or academic goals and how you plan to continue your language study after the program. You may submit the same statement as you did for the general SASLI application.

Statement of Financial Need – a one-page maximum summary of major sources of income for academic study, the financial support needed for SASLI, and other circumstances that demonstrate your need for support.

Letters of Recommendation – Please ask your recommenders to submit their letters directly wisli@lpo.wisc.edu. If your program or another financial aid application requires letters, those exact same letters can be re-submitted for this application.

All SASLI applicants are eligible for a fee remission, regardless of nationality/citizenship, student status, or chosen language. SASLI Fee Remissions do not include a stipend.

$1,000 Fee Remission

Consideration for a $1,000 Fee Remission is automatically part of the SASLI general application process. All admitted students who would otherwise pay the full tuition amount are eligible for a $1,000 Fee Remission. You may receive a portion of the $1,000 Fee Remission amount if you have other funding, provided your outside, non-loan funding is less than the full tuition amount that you would pay with personal funds.

Eligibility

UW-Madison in-state undergraduates and Minnesota resident undergraduates are not eligible for the Fee Remission, as these students pay the regular undergraduate tuition for 8 credits, which is significantly lower than the standard tuition rate. You may review these rates via the Bursar’s Office Website.

You are ineligible if you have received a WISLI Tuition Scholarship, Half/Full Fee Remission, FLAS Fellowship, or any external financial award totaling more than $4,000.

Leaving the program early may result in being required to pay back some or all of the fee remission. Please contact sasli@lpo.wisc.edu if you are unsure whether your funding situation will make you eligible to receive the $1000 Fee Remission.

SEALC Tuition Scholarships do not include a stipend. 

SEASSI applicants may apply for a SEALC Tuition Scholarship and a WISLI Tuition Scholarship through a single application that will open in late fall 2026.  Together, these two awards can cover the full cost of tuition at WISLI, but note that they are separate competitions with different review committees and funding sources. They are also highly competitive and each would cover only half of the tuition you would otherwise pay (maximum $2,500). 

Eligibility

Who can apply?

• International students are welcome! You do not need to be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
• You must be currently enrolled at a university (any university, anywhere).
• Preference will be given to students who are not affiliated with a National Resource Center (NRC).
  (This includes students not based at UC-Berkeley, UCLA, Cornell, University of Michigan, NIU, University of Washington, UW-Madison, or University of Hawai’i – Manoa.)
• Both new learners and continuing students of Southeast Asian languages are encouraged to apply.

Additional Notes:

• Wisconsin and Minnesota residents will receive a partial award due to their already reduced tuition rates.
• If you leave the program early, you may be required to repay some or all of the scholarship.

Application Materials

Statement of Purpose – a one-page maximum narrative of how SEASSI will help you with your career, personal, or academic goals and how you plan to continue your language study after the program. You may submit the same statement as you did for the general SEASSI application.

Statement of Financial Need – a one-page maximum summary of major sources of income for academic study, the financial support needed for SEASSI, and other circumstances that demonstrate your need for support.

Letters of Recommendation – Please ask your recommenders to submit their letters directly seassi@lpo.wisc.edu. If your program or another financial aid application requires letters, those exact same letters can be re-submitted for this application.

Criteria for Selection

Applicants will be judged by the following criteria:

• Commitment to career relating to Southeast Asia or involving use of the language to be studied.
• Academic performance.
• Appropriateness of the applicant’s chosen program of academic study and experience to meet his or her stated goals.
• Fit with SEASSI program as determined by language and level of language proposed to be studied in order to ensure appropriate enrollments in some SEASSI classes.

Selection Procedure

• Applications are reviewed by a committee at the SEASSI host institution, including members of the Southeast Asian Language Council (SEALC). This committee determines the applicants who will be offered SEALC Tuition Scholarships and establishes an alternate list.
• Notification of awards and of rejection are sent out by the SEASSI Program Coordinator. Those offered an award must indicate acceptance no later than the deadline listed on the award notification letter. Those who have not indicated acceptance by this date will automatically have the offer withdrawn.