National Security Education Program (NSEP), U.S. federal scholarship and fellowship program administered by the Department of Defense to provide financial assistance to American undergraduate and graduate students who study foreign languages and other internationally oriented fields related to countries critical to the U.S. national interest. Assistance is also offered to colleges and other institutions of higher education offering such programs. NSEP was created and developed by Oklahoma Sen. David Boren and authorized by the David L. Boren National Security Act of 1991.
NSEP is administered by the National Security Education Board, which is composed of 14 members, 8 of whom are senior federal officials and 6 of whom come from outside the federal government (such as presidents of colleges and universities) and are appointed by the president. The board makes sure that NSEP serves the national security interests of the United States, and it determines the criteria for the awards. Supporting the board is a broad-based group of advisers composed of distinguished Americans in the field of higher education who have international expertise.
NSEP’s overall objectives include equipping Americans with an understanding of less commonly taught languages and cultures that nevertheless are integrally related to U.S. national security. The program also aims to build a critical base of future leaders, both in government service and in higher education, who have cultivated relationships with foreign experts. Within two to three years of earning their degrees, recipients must secure a position in the federal government, working in the general area of national security.
Another objective of NSEP is to develop a pool of professionals who have significant expertise in a geographic area’s language and culture. Those individuals can use this expertise to assist the U.S. in making sound decisions concerning national security. Finally, the program aims to expand the ability of American higher education to consider issues arising from critical areas of the world and to increase the number of faculty who can educate Americans about those issues.