When 'Asking for More' Replaces 'Working for It': Reliability and Validity of the Academic Entitlement Scale in Egyptian Higher Education

Background Academic entitlement (AE) represents students' expectations of academic success without personal responsibility. Despite growing research on AE in Western contexts, validated measurement tools for non-Western educational settings remain limited. This study aimed to develop and validate an Academic Entitlement Scale specifically designed for use within Egyptian higher education. Methods A quantitative methodology was employed with 728 undergraduate students (370 males, 358 females) from Al-Azhar University's Faculty of Education. The study utilized a 43-item Academic Entitlement Scale, which underwent expert review and translation. Data analysis included exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), reliability assessment through multiple methods (Cronbach's alpha, McDonald's omega, composite reliability), and validity examination through correlational analyses. Results EFA revealed a five-factor structure accounting for 62.3% of total variance, resulting in a refined 25-item scale (AE-25). The factors identified were: Reward for Minimal Effort, Control Over Learning Environment, Consumer Mindset, Entitled Expectations, and Externalized Responsibility. CFA confirmed this structure with strong fit indices (CFI = 0.934, RMSEA = 0.040). All factors demonstrated good convergent validity (AVE > 0.50) and composite reliability (CR = 0.858–0.902). Inter-factor correlations ranged from 0.328 to 0.768, supporting discriminant validity while confirming their collective representation of the broader AE construct. Reliability coefficients were robust across multiple metrics (α = 0.672–0.879), with only Externalized Responsibility falling slightly below the conventional threshold. Conclusions The AE-25 demonstrates strong psychometric properties within Egyptian higher education, capturing the multidimensional nature of academic entitlement in this cultural context. The emergence of Control Over Learning Environment and Consumer Mindset as distinct factors suggests unique cultural considerations in Egyptian students' academic expectations. This validated scale provides a valuable tool for researchers and educators to assess and address entitlement behaviors in Arab university settings, contributing to a more globally inclusive understanding of academic entitlement.