Montclair Student Awarded Highly Competitive Critical Language Scholarship

Jacob Roby ’26, a Political Science major and Chinese minor, has been awarded the 2026 Critical Language Scholarship, a highly selective and prestigious program funded by the U.S. Department of State. This year, approximately 315 American undergraduate and graduate students were selected from a pool of over 4,500 applicants nationwide—an acceptance rate of about 7%.

The scholarship will support Roby’s participation in an intensive, immersive eight-week summer program in Mandarin at Tamkang University in New Taipei City, Taiwan, where participants complete the equivalent of one year of language study. During the program, he will live with a host family, meet regularly with a language exchange partner on campus, and immerse himself in the sights, sounds, and rhythms of the local community. Following the program, he hopes to continue his studies at National Taiwan University’s International Chinese Language Learning Program for the academic year and the following summer term. He has also considered the possibility of living in Taiwan long-term by pursuing a master’s degree in Political Science at National Taiwan University and seeking employment in a Chinese-speaking environment.

I am deeply grateful for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to further develop my Chinese language skills. Wherever I ultimately go, I am confident that the language training I have received at Montclair State University, along with the experiences provided by the U.S. Department of State’s Critical Language Scholarship and National Taiwan University, will prepare me to use Chinese effectively in my career and continue developing my skills to their fullest potential.
—Jacob Roby

His achievement highlights the strength of Montclair State University’s language programs in fostering student success and advancing global understanding and engagement. This milestone marks the second time a Chinese minor at Montclair has been awarded the Critical Language Scholarship. To learn more about the scholarship, visit https://clscholarship.org/