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.

We are currently monitoring the status of travel to the Middle East and will make a decision at a later time regarding whether this program will run.

If you are interested in the program, please submit this Interest Form by May 15, 2026. The Interest Form simply indicates your interest in the program. It does not commit you to participating. To officially commit to participating in this embedded course, you will need to complete the Official Embedded Program Commitment Form for the program. The Official Embedded Program Commitment Form will be shared after May 15 if University-affiliated travel to Egypt is not suspended and there is sufficient student interest in the program.

Further information about the status of the program will be communicated to you in late May. In the meantime, please do not book your flight or make any other expenditures for the program.

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