A reader called my attention to a  government program that might be a real benefit to some of you:

Do any readers speak Balochi, Dari, Pashto, Farsi, Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi, Arabic, Mandarin, Swahili, Somali, Igbo, Hausa, or Turkish?  If so, the US government offers a great opportunity.

English for Heritage Language Speakers is government scholarship, like the Fulbright or the Boren, but specifically for Americans whose native language is not English.

The goal is to help advanced English learners become fluent enough to work for the U.S. Government.  The scholarship pays for a year of English courses at Georgetown University (complete with a stipend, laptop and health insurance) and helps you find a government job afterward.  Working for the government provides not only a secure job in a tough economy, but also a fulfilling, exciting way to contribute to society.  You can find more information at http://ehls.georgetown.edu/ or http://www.cal.org/ehls/, or just Google “English for Heritage Language Speakers.”

I’ve looked at the websites and this really does appear to be a great program that could provide the right person a major professional breakthrough.  Good luck!