COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND THE WORKFORCE
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

September 8, 2005

 Higher Education Relief for Students & Schools Impacted by Hurricane Katrina

HOUSE IS VOTING TODAY TO PROVIDE HIGHER EDUCATION RELIEF FOR STUDENTS RECEIVING FEDERAL FINANCIAL AID

Dear Colleague:

The devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina has impacted all facets of American life, taking a particularly heavy toll on the higher education systems in the Gulf Coast region.  Dozens of colleges and universities and tens of thousands of students have been impacted, and they will continue to face challenges in the weeks and months to come as they work to rebuild.  Higher education plays a vital role in communities as a stepping stone for success, and we are committed to meeting the needs of the affected higher education systems as they recover and restore their presence in the region.

The House has already taken quick action to provide relief to affected students.

• Pell Grant relief.  The House yesterday unanimously approved legislation to allow the Secretary of Education to waive requirements that students repay Pell Grants when they withdraw from school due to a natural disaster.

• Student aid relief.  The House today will take up legislation to extend waiver authority so students aren’t forced to repay other types of grant aid when they are forced to withdraw from school due to a natural disaster.

The U.S. Department of Education has also taken immediate action to provide flexibility and guidance to the students and schools impacted by Hurricane Katrina.

• Financial aid calculations.  Through guidance issued last year by the Department of Education, colleges and universities are able to adjust the cost of attendance used to calculate financial aid awards through the Expected Family Contribution, taking into account changes in families’ financial circumstances caused by Hurricane Katrina.

• Transfers and deadline extensions.  Last week, the Department of Education provided initial guidance for students and institutions on academic transfers and deadline extensions for the federal student aid programs.  That correspondence, along with additional information for the higher education community, is available online at http://ifap.ed.gov/eannouncements/katrina.html.

In addition to the immediate steps identified by the Congress and the Department of Education, we are working to develop additional proposals to meet the short- and long-term needs of the students and schools in higher education systems impacted by Hurricane Katrina.  We are reviewing proposals to extend flexibility, address the challenges faced by student loan borrowers, and ease the process for students transferring from one institution to another in order to continue their higher education pursuits.

In the coming days and weeks, we will continue to provide you with the latest available information on relief for the higher education systems impacted by Hurricane Katrina, and we will continue to work closely with the Department to ensure we are meeting the needs of students, families, and schools.  For more information, visit the U.S. Department of Education website at http://www.ed.gov or contact the Education & the Workforce Committee at x5-4527.

 Sincerely,