There are three scholarships available to attend a French immersion progrm at Université Libre de Bruxelles in Brussels, Belgium, offered by Wallonie-Bruxelles International. During the three-week program, the students will have the opportunity to improve their French language skills and learn more about Belgian culture.
Program Description
Three scholarships are offered to Louisianan high school students who study French at their school. Two of the scholarships will be offered to students at high schools affiliated with ALCFES; one of the scholarships will be awarded to an eligible high school student in the French IV Extemporaneous Speaking category at SLU’s 2025 Foreign Language Festival. Candidates must have at least the A1 level of French according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CECR).
Students will be placed in a French language class according to their level. Classes are held Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except for the days that are reserved for excursions. Some of the excursions may include, for example, day trips to the cities of Bruges, Bouillon and Anvers as well as museum visits. Students will discover the city of Brussels at the beginning of the program. Upon satisfactory completion of the 60 hours of coursework, students will receive a certificate during the program’s closing ceremony.
On the first day of the summer program, students attend a welcome session and take a placement test (written and oral) to determine their level of French. Also, a WBI representative distributes a stipend for meals to the scholarship recipients. Students are usually housed at the Nelson Mandela dorm on ULB’s Solbosch Campus. The scholarship recipients will have access to the dorm beginning July 11, 2025 and ending on August 2, 2025.
What's Included in the Scholarship?
The scholarship covers classes, on-campus housing, and meals. The scholarship recipient pays for the passport fee, round-trip plane ticket, transportation between the Brussels airport and Université Libre de Bruxelles, optional excursions, and travel insurance (covering medical and repatriation insurance).
Important Dates and Travel Information
The program organizers will be expecting you to arrive in Brussels on Friday, July 11, 2025. Given the 7-hour time difference between Belgium and Louisiana (Belgium is 7 hours ahead of us), you should plan to depart Louisiana on Thursday, July 10, 2025. Upon completion of the program, you will be expected to leave ULB to return home on Saturday, August 2, 2025. The quickest way to get from the Brussels airport and ULB’s campus is by taxi and it takes approximately 15 minutes.