ARAB 099/499 Youth Life in Egypt

This program is open to previous and current students in the Arabic language program and students who are taking classes related to the Middle East. Students who commit to the program will be manually enrolled in a 1-credit embedded travel course, ARAB 099 or ARAB 499, for the Spring 2027 semester.

Students should review their academic term plans to determine any financial implications, especially if you plan to take over the maximum 19 credits in a semester. Students can anticipate actual charges using the University’s updated Tuition Calculator.

Associate Teaching Professor Reham Aly (rum21@psu.edu)

• Program Fee: Maximum of $1,885. Students are eligible for a $150 scholarship to offset the program fee for this program. Please contact Professor Reham Aly (rum21@psu.edu) for more details.
• Airfare: Students will need to purchase their own roundtrip airfare with guidance from the faculty leader.
• In-Country Costs: Please consult with your faculty leaders about the amount of money to bring to cover the costs of meals and any additional spending money.

NOTE: The Embedded Program Fee will be billed to participants’ Penn State Bursar accounts in early January 2027, and payment will be due on January 22, 2027.

• The Embedded Program Fee for this program includes: hotel accommodations (based on double or triple occupancy, breakfast included); transportation to/from the airport in Egypt; welcome and farewell dinners; transportation and fees related to program activities in Egypt; emergency and administrative support.
• The Embedded Program Fee for this program does NOT include: airfare; transportation to/from the airport in the United States; most meals; spending money (souvenirs, etc.); course/credit tuition or fees; passport or visa fees.

NOTE: Students are expected to arrange and pay for their own flights to/from Cairo, Egypt (with guidance from the faculty leader about arrival/departure time windows); the group will not be traveling together.

Travel Insurance: It is recommended that students purchase travel insurance with “Cancel for Any Reason” coverage.

To officially commit to the program, thoroughly read and submit the Financial Commitment Form by September 1, 2026. Students must fill out this form in order to be registered for the 1-credit embedded travel course, ARAB 99/499. Note that acceptance of commitment forms and enrollment in the course will stop when the course fills to capacity, which may occur prior to the September 1 commitment deadline.

Note that we are continuing to monitor the status of travel to the Middle East and it is possible that the status of this program could change. Further information will be communicated after the September 1 commitment deadline. Please do not book your flight or make any other expenditures for the program prior to receiving approval from the program leader (Professor Aly) after the September 1 commitment deadline.

 Interested students with questions may email Reham Aly (rum21@psu.edu).

There are several official avenues for embedded program funding within the University. The primary ways are through Liberal Arts Enrichment Funding and Penn State Global, but students can also explore funding opportunities through their academic department or Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Mentoring.

Students are eligible for a $150 scholarship to offset the program fee for this program. Please contact Professor Reham Aly (rum21@psu.edu) for more details.

Learn more about funding for embedded programs