High school juniors and seniors can apply for a School Break Arabic Award to complete one or two of our 2024 Summer Arabic courses! Thanks to the generous support provided by Qatar Foundation International, the Summer Arabic Program at the University of Minnesota will be awarding School Break awards for ARAB 1101 - Beginning Arabic I, ARAB 1102 - Beginning Arabic II, ARAB 3101 - Intermediate Arabic I, ARAB 3102 - Intermediate Arabic II, and for ARAB 3201 - Arabic Calligraphy to eligible high school learners. Applicants may choose to take one of these courses, or a combination of either Beginning Arabic + Arabic Calligraphy or Intermediate Arabic + Arabic Calligraphy.
The Beginning and Intermediate Arabic courses are intensive. They meet five days per week, for three hours per day, in the morning. Each 5-credit session equates a full semester's worth of university-level Arabic instruction!
The Arabic Calligraphy course is not intensive, and meets four times total, on Wednesday evenings from early June through early July.
Who Is Eligible?
To compete for a School Break award, you should be a current or incoming high school junior or senior, sixteen years of age or older. Seniors graduating from their high school in Spring 2024 are also eligible to apply. As our Summer Arabic courses are delivered in person, you should be residing in the wider Twin Cities area or be able to commute to the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities campus for the duration of your five- or ten-week Summer Arabic course. In order to guarantee successful completion, you should be available for the duration of the course. Our awards are available both to high school learners who have studied Arabic before, and to those who are completely new to the study of Arabic.
What Does the Award Cover?
School Break awards cover the full cost of tuition for the course. For students taking Beginning or Intermediate Arabic, the award also covers the cost of their course textbook. Students taking Arabic Calligraphy do not use a textbook and should purchase the required calligraphy pen and paper independently. The cost of these calligraphy materials amounts to roughly $30.
Administrative fees the university charges for enrolling in U of M courses are not covered by the Summer Break Arabic Program Award.
What Courses Can You Take?
High school learners who have already taken some Arabic and pass a placement test can take ARAB 1102 - Beginning Arabic II (July 8 - August 9), or ARAB 3101 - Intermediate Arabic I (June 3 - July 5) and/or ARAB 3102 - Intermediate Arabic II (July 8 - August 9). One or two of these courses can combined with ARAB 3201 - Arabic Calligraphy (June 5 - July 3).
High school learners who are new to the study of Arabic or do not pass the placement test can take ARAB 1101 - Beginning Arabic I (June 3 - July 5), on its own or combined with ARAB 3201 - Arabic Calligraphy (June 5 - July 3).
Any student who has minimal familiarity with the letters of the Arabic alphabet can take ARAB 3201 - Arabic Calligraphy. This course can be taken on its own, and students who are learning the letters of the alphabet at the same time are eligible to take the course.
All courses meet on the Twin Cities campus of the University of Minnesota. Detailed information about these courses, our extracurriculars, and support services can be found on this page.
Course Schedule
Every Summer Arabic class meets for five weeks. Those students seeking to complete both levels of intensive Beginning or intensive Intermediate Arabic will be taking a class on campus for a period of ten weeks total: first five weeks of Beginning or Intermediate Arabic I, then five weeks of Beginning or Intermediate Arabic II. The School Break awards are available for students interested in a five-week session, and for students interested in the full ten weeks.
ARAB 1101 - Beginning Arabic I (5 credits):
June 3 - July 5, Mondays through Fridays, 9:05 am - 12:20 pm (no class on Juneteenth and July 4)
ARAB 1102 - Beginning Arabic II (5 credits):
July 8 - August 9, Mondays through Fridays, 9:05 am - 12:05 pm
ARAB 3101 - Intermediate Arabic I (5 credits):
June 3 - July 5, Mondays through Fridays, 9:05 am - 12: 20 pm (no class on Juneteenth and July 4)
ARAB 3102 - Intermediate Arabic II (5 credits):
July 8 - August 9, Mondays through Fridays, 9:05 am - 12:05 pm
ARAB 3201 - Arabic Calligraphy (1 credit):
June 5 - July 3, four Wednesday evenings, 5:15 - 8:20 pm
Award Criteria and Application Process
Priority is given to applicants who demonstrate
- high motivation to study Arabic, regardless of experience level
- clear goals for their study of Arabic
- a strong academic record by means of their high school transcript
- financial need
- availability for the entire duration of the course
How to Apply
1. Complete the application form below. The form takes 15-20 minutes to complete.
Access the application form here
2. Review the guidelines for your application documents here. After you write your 500-word personal statement, email it together with a transcript of your high school studies to [email protected] by March 31, 2024, at the latest.
3. Have one teacher who knows you well email a letter of recommendation on your behalf to [email protected] by by March 31, 2024, at the latest.
Applicants for any of our Arabic courses beyond Beginning Arabic I will be required to complete an Arabic placement test before their application can be considered. Beginning Arabic I and Arabic Calligraphy do not require a placement test.
Course Registration
The submission deadline for award applications is March 31, 2024. Applicants will be notified of award decisions no later than April 14, 2024. Scholarship recipients are required to complete their registration for their Summer Arabic course no later than May 5, 2024. Recipients must register before they are able to receive their award.
Recipients will register as non-degree-seeking students. To learn more about registering as a non-degree-seeking student, please refer to the dedicated One Stop page.
Virtual Information Sessions on March 14 and March 23
The Arabic Language Program will be hosting a virtual information session about the School Break Arabic Program Awards opportunity on Thursday, March 14, from 6:00 - 7:00 pm CT and on Saturday, March 23, at 12:00 noon CT on Zoom. While attending the information session is not required to apply for an award, any interested students, parents, teachers, high school administrators, and language program coordinators are invited to attend. Please join us via the following meeting link:
https://umn.zoom.us/j/99726160912?pwd=N3Y0bndUQkhmbWRDaXRaWHpYZFFtQT09
(Meeting ID: 997 2616 0912; Passcode: sVaG0j)
Questions?
Please email [email protected] with any inquiries about the School Break Arabic Program Awards.
This scholarship initiative was made possible through support and funding from Qatar Foundation International (QFI). QFI is an educational organization based in Washington, DC, committed to advancing Arabic language teaching and learning. QFI supports innovative, research-based Arabic language programs and works to increase access to Arabic instruction for educators and students around the world. To learn more about QFI visit: https://www.qfi.org/opportunities-for-students/.
