Fellows

Preparing for CASA

This section of the website contains important information for fellows who are preparing for the CASA program.

Admissions Forms and Documents
Upon acceptance to the CASA program, recently selected fellows must submit the Admissions Packet containing various forms and supporting documents. The Admissions packet is updated in March each year. Part I of the Admissions Packet is due March 21, 2008. Part II is due May 1, 2008.

Program Fees
Each CASA fellow is expected to pay non-refundable program fees. A deposit of $250 is required of each fellow in March when the fellowship offer is made; this deposit is credited to the total program fee that is due. The balance of the program fee must be paid in full by May 1st. Some universities provide financial assistance to their students to help them cover the CASA Program Fee. Be sure to check with your college, Middle East Department or Center for financial aid. Please note that all deposits, program fees and tuitions are non-refundable.

Participants from Consortium-Member Universities
Summer Program Fee: $ 825.00
Full-Year Program Fee: $1,650.00
CASA II Program Fee: $825.00
CASA III Program Fee: $1,500.00

Participants from Non-Consortium Member Universities
Summer Program Fee: $1,100.00
Full-Year Program Fee: $2,200.00
CASA II Program Fee: $1,100.00
CASA III Program Fee: $2,000.00

Summer Pay-Your-Own-Way Fees:
Program Fee: $ 825.00 (Consortium)
Tuition Fees: $4,128
Total Summer PYOW: $4,953.00

Full-Year Pay-Your-Own-Way Fees:
Program Fee: $ 1,650.00 (Consortium)
Tuition Fees: $17,023.00
Total Full-Year PYOW: $18,673.00

Medical Insurance
CASA fellows are required to have comprehensive medical insurance that provides coverage in the U.S. AND abroad for their entire fellowship period. The minimum policy requirements are as follows:

$250,000 medical care
$100,000 medical evacuation
$50,000 repatriation of remains.

If you want to purchase either the CASA policy or the AUC policy, you must include a check payable to “CASA/UT Austin” for the appropriate premium amount, along with the other admissions packet materials due May 1.

In addition to the above comprehensive insurance policies, CASA fellows are required to subscribe to the AUC basic group health care plan. It is intended for minor medical concerns and provides a maximum of 12,000 LE at Al-Salam Hospital. The cost for this plan will be paid from your CASA Program Fee, so you will automatically be enrolled upon arrival in Cairo. AUC has a clinic on campus and also works with Al-Salam Hospital, pharmacy, and out-patient clinic.

Please note these rates are only guaranteed for the 2008-2009 year and apply only to Cairo fellows.

HIV Test Results
All Full-Year fellows must present negative HIV test results to the CASA office at The University of Texas prior to their departure for Cairo. This is an AUC requirement. As part of the reciprocity agreement between Egypt and the United States, everyone staying in Egypt for more than 60 days is required to take an HIV test. Summer-Only, CASA II, and CASA III fellows must submit HIV test results only if they plan to stay longer than 60 days in Egypt.

Please send an original report of the HIV test results to the CASA office at The University of Texas by May 1st. This report should be dated within 6 months prior to your date of arrival in Cairo. HIV test reporting can take up to 20 days. Please begin the process immediately after acceptance.

Immunizations
No immunizations are required at present for US citizens traveling to Egypt or Syria however, there are several shots which are recommended.  For more information visit their website at. Consult the Center for Disease Control's website for up-to-date information on outbreaks and health risks in Egypt and Syria. Some shots require several weeks, so please start getting them immediately. Have them recorded by your physician on a form that you can take with you to Cairo or Damascus. Please keep this record along with your passport and visa separate from your luggage so they are available for inspection at all times.

Passport and Visa
Egypt:
Permanent Residents & International Students: Apply for an Egyptian Visa immediately. For some citizens of some countries, i.e. Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, the visa procedure is very arduous and time-consuming. Permanent residents must have a valid Egyptian visa before departure.

Visa: You need a valid passport in order to apply for a visa. You must contact the Egyptian Consulate nearest to you to obtain your visa. Check the U.S. State Department's Consular Information Sheet to locate the Egyptian Consulate you should apply to. Their website contains information you will need about obtaining a passport and visa. They also have travel information for travelers, and advice for students. If you are currently living or studying overseas, please contact the Egyptian Embassy in your country to learn how to obtain a visa.

Some additional suggestions for completing the visa application: type or print using black ink. Use TOURISM as the reason for visiting Egypt, and the Center for Arabic Study Abroad, American University in Cairo as the reference in Egypt. No visa will be for the entire length of your stay in Cairo; please apply for multiple entry visas. If you are a full-year fellow, the CASA office in Cairo will assist you in obtaining “iqaama” or residency once you are in Egypt. The dates of your stay will be as follows:

Full Year Fellows:
June 1, 2008 to May 31, 2009

Summer Fellows:
June 1, 2008 to July 30, 2008

Send the completed visa application, together with the requirements listed on the application to the Egyptian Consulate nearest you. Please use certified or express mail. In the past, visas for American citizens have usually been processed within one to two weeks. We anticipate no difficulty in your securing the required visa, but CASA cannot be responsible for any denial of a request for a visa by the Egyptian Consulate or for any delays in processing.

Damascus:
Visa: You need a valid passport in order to apply for a visa. You must contact the Syrian Consulate to obtain your visa. Please visit the Syrian Embassy's website for more information. It contains information you will need about obtaining a passport and visa. It also has travel information for travelers, and advice for students. If you are currently living or studying overseas, please contact the Syrian Embassy in your country to learn how to obtain a visa.

Some additional suggestions for completing the visa application: type or print using black ink. Use “Study of Arabic” as the reason for visiting Syria, and the Center for Arabic Study Abroad, Arabic Language Institute, University of Damascus as the reference in Syria. No visa will be for the entire length of your stay in Syria.  Please apply for multiple entry visas. The dates of your stay will be as follows:

Full Year Fellows:
June 1, 2008 to May 31, 2009

Send the completed visa application along with a return envelope, together with the requirements listed on the application to the Syrian Consulate. CASA will also send a letter to the consulate with your names in order to expedite the process.  We will email you a scanned copy of this letter.  Please include it with your application. Please use certified or express mail. In the past, visas for American citizens have usually been processed within one to two weeks. We anticipate no difficulty in your securing the required visa, but CASA cannot be responsible for any denial of a request for a visa by the Syrian Consulate or for any delays in processing.

Photographs
Please send two 2" square photos to our University of Texas office. You will also need photos to take with you to Cairo and Damascus for administrative documents.  Passport photos are very inexpensive in Damascus so you are encouraged to wait until you get here to have them made.

ISIC Student Card
You are encouraged to purchase an ISIC Student Card before traveling.  This card may secure you much lower rates when visiting tourist and historical sites in Egypt and Syria.  Please see their website for details.

Flight Arrangements
You will receive an airline ticket from your specified departure point to Cairo or Damascus and a return ticket from Cairo or Damascus to your departure point. The CASA office will handle all reservations and ticket purchasing for all recipients of CASA I Summer, Full-Year, CASA II and CASA III fellowships. PYOW fellows will be responsible for getting their own tickets, but are welcome to do this using the CASA travel agency if they choose to.

Please note that you may not be able to stay in Egypt/Syria beyond the date indicated on your ticket. If you plan to stay in Egypt/Syria longer than the duration of the program, you must let us know when you submit your original travel request. We will try, if possible, to accommodate your needs, but please keep in mind that you will have to cover any additional costs.

Housing Arrangements

Cairo
Most CASA fellows prefer to share an apartment with one or more other fellows, to reduce housing costs and to have additional opportunities for study and socialization outside the classroom setting. Ms. Wassima El-Shafie, the CASA Program Coordinator in the Cairo office can provide you with information regarding apartments in the area, and can assist you with hotel reservations for your first days in Cairo to allow you time to make housing arrangements. You may email Ms. El-Shafie at casacasa@aucegypt.edu.

NOTE: Students who initially request hotel accommodations and change their minds without giving the CASA office sufficient time (at least 10 days) to inform the hotel will be liable for the full hotel fees. Former CASA students have recommended the hotels Mayfair and Happy City. The Mayfair is located in Zamalek at 9 Al-Aziz Othman Street. Last known rates were: Single LE 170; Double LE 190; Triple LE 220. The Happy City is located downtown at 92 Muhammed Farid Street. Last known rates were: Single USD 40; Double USD 50; Triple USD 63. Both hotels include breakfast and taxes in the rates.

Fellows who are interested in AUC dorm housing will need to complete an AUC housing application. The completed form should be sent to Ms. Wassima El-Shafie. It may be faxed to her at 011-202-795-7565. Or you may email it as an attachment to Ms. El-Shafie at casacasa@aucegypt.edu. (Do NOT submit the form online through the AUC website). For more information regarding the dorm, see the AUC housing website.

Damascus
Vacancy is not a problem and housing costs tend to be low, depending on time of year and individual preference and standard.  To offset excessive housing costs, students share either homes in the old city or apartments in the new city.  In the summer months, housing prices are higher and therefore at season’s end, students often move or renegotiate their housing contracts. 

CASA Damascus has arrangements with real estate agents and home-owners, and its staff works with its students to find safe and affordable housing in the city, catering to individual preferences.  If you choose to find housing independently, CASA requires that you and your landlord sign a legally binding contract, necessary for you to apply for your Syrian residency permit. Note that landlords may increase rents if asked to sign a contract, since they are then subject to government taxation.

Marriage Licenses
All married couples traveling to Egypt or Syria must bring their original marriage licenses.

Student Loans
To cover your expenses in Cairo you may wish to apply for a student loan. AUC is authorized to grant Guaranteed Student Loans. To learn how to apply, please contact:

Wes Clark
Student Financial Affairs Advisor
The American University in Cairo
420 5th Ave, 3rd Floor
New York, NY  10018-2729
Tel:  (212)730-8800 ext. 247
Fax: (212)730-1600
wclark@aucnyo.edu

Luggage
You will be limited to 2 pieces of luggage to check in and 1 carry-on bag. Typically, the luggage you check in cannot exceed 70 lbs. or 62 square inches. Please contact your airline directly for details. The rate for luggage beyond the allowable size and quantity limit should be obtained from the airline prior to departure from the US. Excess bags must also be under 70 lbs. or 62 inches as described above. You will have to send any luggage that exceeds these limits by airfreight. Please check with the airline if you have any questions about their limits for international travel.

If you do have excess baggage, first try to leave more behind. If you must take more, paying the excess baggage charge may be preferable to the hassle of airfreight and less expensive. If you insist on sending freight, use air rather than sea freight, losses and damage are a greater risk with sea freight than with air freight.

Airfreight charges are not the only expense of shipping. Custom duties are designed to protect local Egyptian businesses and industries and can be as much as 100 percent of the value of the item. Egyptian Customs may charge both Egyptians and foreigners high duties on most consumer goods including books, tapes, records, electrical appliances, toiletries, cosmetics, and packaged food. Accompanied baggage, if not grossly in excess of the free amount, is usually passed by customs duty free on the assumption that the content is all for personal use of the owner. But if you are carrying large amounts (as if you intend to sell some in Egypt) of toiletries, cosmetics, or foods, or if your baggage contains a personal computer or video equipment, you may be required to pay customs duty. This same regulation would apply to your airfreight.

Upon Arrival at the Airport
At the Cairo Airport, you will be met by AUC & CASA personnel. If you are arriving in Damascus Airport, you will be met by The University of Damascus & CASA personnel. Those fellows for whom CASA arranged temporary accommodations at a local hotel or in the AUC Dorm will be dropped off there. Students who have not requested any housing arrangements will be dropped off on campus. Accommodations for those without reservations may not be available.

Exchanging money
Once you arrive at the Cairo or Damascus Airport, you can exchange some US dollars into Egyptian or Syrian pounds to help you meet the expenses of the first few days. After that you will be able to exchange money at any bank in Cairo or Damascus, as well as all major hotels. Note that Cairo fellows will receive their stipend in Egyptian pounds a few days after their arrival in Cairo.

Due to United States sanctions against Syria, some American banks, and Credit Unions in particular, will not allow you to use your ATM or credit cards in Syria.  Please check your bank’s Syria policy before arriving.  You may have to open a new bank account if your cards are restricted in Syria. 

The CASA stipend will help you meet your basic living expenses. The amount of additional money needed will depend upon your lifestyle and travel. If you would like to travel while in Egypt/Syria, you should budget accordingly.

Orientation
The first official meeting of CASA fellows will take place at the American University in Cairo/The University of Damascus for orientation. Attendance at orientation is mandatory for all fellows. At the orientation session we will present you with an overview of the CASA program and the activities planned for the summer, and discuss some aspects related to living in Cairo/Damascus. Within the first few days after your arrival, you will register for classes and meet with your teachers for further orientation. Classes at AUC/ The University of Damascus will be held Sunday through Thursday each week, with a Friday-Saturday weekend.