USA Funds Commits $1 Million to Help College Students Affected by Hurricanes
Submitted by: The USA Funds Services SASFAA Team

USA Funds® has announced a commitment of $1 million to provide financial assistance to college students affected by recent hurricanes.

USA Funds has allocated $750,000 of the financial support to provide assistance to low-income students attending schools in four states—including Alabama, Florida and Mississippi—in counties designated as federal disaster areas eligible for individual assistance by the Federal Emergency Management Agency following hurricanes Dennis and Katrina. USA Funds has earmarked the remaining $250,000 to postsecondary institutions that are serving students displaced from their schools in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, and to those serving students whose permanent homes are in counties declared disaster areas following the storm.

Awards of up to $35,000 may be made to eligible postsecondary institutions that apply. Financial-aid offices at institutions awarded grants will distribute the funds to eligible students affected by the disaster to supplement the students’ financial-aid packages.

Assistance of up to $750 may be given to each eligible low-income student who already receives Pell Grants or other need-based aid. The assistance may be used for immediate education-related needs or for second-term education expenses—tuition, fees, books, room and board or other education-related expenses.

Because low-income students are especially vulnerable to dropping out of school in the wake of such disasters, USA Funds is providing the financial support to help these students stay in school and complete their studies. The program is consistent with USA Funds’ nonprofit mission to support preparation for, access to and success in higher education.

For additional information about the program and to apply for a grant, campus financial-aid administrators should visit www.disasterrelief.scholarshipamerica.org.

This marks the second year that USA Funds has supported disaster relief for college students. A grant from USA Funds provided $545,000 in emergency aid to students attending 41 postsecondary institutions in areas of five states—including Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi—ravaged by four major hurricanes during 2004.