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Middlebury College and the Monterey Institute of International Studies have announced a new three-year scholarship program designed to strengthen the linguistic competency of incoming Monterey Institute students.

The Betty and David Jones Language Scholarships, named in honor of two of Middlebury and Monterey’s most engaged and generous benefactors, will offer up to 50 scholarships each year in seven languages — Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Japanese, Russian and Spanish — at the Middlebury College Language Schools, at the Monterey Institute Summer Intensive Language Program (SILP), or in Monterey’s Intensive English Program. The program will award the scholarships to highly qualified applicants to the Monterey Institute to help these students enhance their language skills prior to enrolling in graduate programs at Monterey.

A range of scholarships will be available, from full tuition for students who attend the SILP or English Program at the Monterey Institute, to full tuition, room, and board for those who enroll in the Middlebury Language Schools.

“It’s not surprising that Betty and David, two of our most creative donors, have provided an innovative way to improve access to Monterey’s programs,” said Middlebury President Ronald D. Liebowitz. “They were among the earliest supporters of the Middlebury-Monterey partnership, and we thank them for making this new scholarship program possible through their consistent philanthropy.”

“Betty and David have always viewed language study as a cornerstone of greater cultural and international understanding,” added Monterey Institute President Sunder Ramaswamy. “We know this cause is near and dear to their hearts, and are excited that these new scholarships will help a significant number of future Monterey Institute students.”

Betty Jones, an alumna of Middlebury’s School of French, served on the Middlebury board of trustees for 15 years and is now a trustee emerita. She and her husband David Jones, a member of the Monterey Institute board of governors, have been strong supporters of collaborative efforts between the two institutions since they first contemplated an affiliation in 2005.

The Betty and David Jones Language Scholarships complement the Kathryn Davis Fellowships for Peace, another initiative designed to support the aspirations of future Monterey Institute students through a program of scholarships supporting attendance at Middlebury’s Language Schools.

On July 1, 2010, the Monterey Institute became a graduate school of Middlebury College. The resulting partnership brought together two institutions with renowned undergraduate and graduate programs in language learning and teaching, international policy, and environmental policy. The Betty and David Jones Language Scholarships illustrate how the institutions’ combined resources complement one another and create new educational opportunities for students at both schools.

Additional details and application materials for the Betty and David Jones Language Scholarships will be forthcoming on the Monterey Institute’s Web site in the weeks ahead.

For More Information

Jason Warburg
jwarburg@middlebury.edu
831.647.3156

Eva Gudbergsdottir
eva@middlebury.edu
831.647.6606