Frequently Asked Questions

Who can join?

The Boren Forum is open to all NSEP Scholarship and Fellowship recipients, whether they are still in school, fulfilling their service agreement, or beyond any obligation to NSEP. Flagship Fellows and English For Heritage Language Speakers Scholars are encouraged to join.

How do I join?

Please fill out the online form on our forum Registration page. We will then verify your registration information (usually within 24 hours) to make sure you qualify for membership.

Once your account is approved you will then have full access to our members-only message board Forums. There you will find a wealth of useful information such as upcoming professional and social events, job fairs, and hot job postings. The message board Forums are also a great place to ask questions about your NSEP service requirement and network with others in your field of interest.

If I join, what is my commitment to the Boren Forum? What will it do for me?

No commitment is necessary to join the Boren Forum, but we hope that increased interest and participation in our Social Activities, Educational Events and Career Enhancement Forums (networking events) will benefit alumni and perpetuate the growth of the Boren Forum as a valuable organization.

The Steering Committee sends out emails to members to notify them of events, which are also posted on the message board Forums section of our website. If you would like to be involved in planning an event or take part in other Boren Forum initiatives, please Contact Us.

How is the Boren Forum funded?

The Boren Forum is primarily funded through donations from patrons and members. For more information on how you can help the Boren Forum, please visit the Donate page.

I do not live in the Washington, D.C. metro area. How can I get involved?

Most activities officially hosted by the Boren Forum take place in the Washington, D.C. metro area. However, we are eager to expand representation to include chapters in other cities and/or states. Chapters have met in San Francisco and in Los Angeles. Members in Chicago, New York, and Houston have expressed interest in starting new chapters. If you are interested in starting a local chapter, please Contact Us. We can help you get started.

Who is David L. Boren?

David L. Boren, President of the University of Oklahoma, wrote the National Security Education Act of 1991, which started the National Security Education Program. Boren served as a Senator of Oklahoma from 1979 to 1994, where he stressed the importance of international education.

Before being elected to the U.S. Senate, Boren served as Governor of Oklahoma from 1975 to 1979. As Governor, he promoted key educational initiatives that have had an enduring impact on Oklahoma, including the Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute, the Scholarship-Leadership Enrichment Program, and the Oklahoma Physicians Manpower Training Program.

Boren graduated from Yale University in 1963. He was elected as a Rhodes Scholar, and earned his master's degree in politics, philosophy and economics from Oxford University in England (1965). In 1968, he received a law degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Law.

Read a Letter from Senator Boren to the Boren Forum Alumni Association.

Read a Transcript of Senator Boren's speech and see pictures from the September 10, 2001 AED Symposium.

How many Boren alumni are out there?

Since the program began in 1994, nearly 3,000 scholarships and fellowships have been awarded. Alumni have studied in more than 100 countries and learned more than 100 less-commonly taught languages.

What are people saying about the National Security Education Program?

NSEP and its awarded recipients have been, and continue to be, the talk of the town. Read Comments about the program and NSEP alumni.