While the relocating of students displaced from their schools by Hurricane Katrina continues, it is time to look ahead to the next phase of the recovery: helping our colleagues at affected schools rebound from the damage inflicted on their aid offices and operations.
In speaking with aid administrators at many of the schools located along the Gulf Coast, it appears that some have an understanding of what needs to be done, others are still undergoing damage assessment and, in a few cases, some have not been able to return to their offices at all.
While state and regional listservs are a good forum for schools to offer and request assistance, I've also heard from many colleagues nationwide who would like to help out. To facilitate this, NASFAA has posted two electronic forms on its Web site.
Katrina: Help Needed is for use by schools affected by Hurricane Katrina that are seeking assistance from colleagues at other institutions to help restore their financial aid office and functions.
Katrina: Offer to Help is for aid administrators that are able to help restore operations at aid offices at schools damaged by Katrina.
As responses are received, we will post them so both donors and those needing help can hopefully find a good match and speed the recovery.
The forms ask you to be as specific as possible, though, as I noted earlier, specifics may not be entirely possible for many. So post the information you have now, and as time passes and the magnitude of the clean-up becomes known, you are encouraged to refine and update your request.
If you know of any colleagues who may wish to use the form to request help but do not have Web or e-mail access, please let them know about this service and tell them they can call in a message for posting to Beth Guerard at 202-785-0453 ext. 150.
My own staff and many of you have expressed an urgent wish to have an immediate impact on the recovery effort. As damage assessment activities continue, let me suggest that for now your financial support might have the most beneficial effect. You will find information and links on giving opportunities on our Hurricane Katrina Resource Page at http://www.nasfaa.org/katrina.asp.
Dallas Martin
NASFAA President
Posted September 13, 2005 on www.NASFAA.org, the Web Site of the
National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA).
Copyright 2005. Redistribution to non-NASFAA institutions is prohibited
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