The following message from NASFAA National Chair David Gelinas was originally posted September 2 on the FINAID Listserv.
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
As the enormity of the situation caused by Hurricane Katrina continues to be revealed, we are all taken aback by what has happened, how many people have been affected, and how long it appears it will take for lives to return to normal--if ever, in some cases. As we all would expect from the members of a caring profession, many of us have asked, "What can I do?", and have asked me personally, "What is NASFAA doing?"
If you look at Friday's Today's News, you will see the steps NASFAA has taken and will continue to take to help our colleagues at affected institutions sort out the complications they are facing. Jeff Sheppard sent out a message on this list regarding the Hurricane Katrina Resource Page
(http://www.nasfaa.org/Katrina.asp) and I would encourage you to refer to it as it develops in the days to come. NASFAA and its staff are committed to providing timely and accurate information that will be of greatest benefit to those needing that information.
NASFAA staff in Washington are in constant communication with other professional organizations and with appropriate officials of the U.S. Department of Education, working with them to coordinate information dissemination and advocating for the best interests of students, institutions, and the aid profession during these difficult days.
Additionally, NASFAA staff are in conversation with appropriate relief agencies to ascertain the best ways our membership can contribute to the immediate relief and eventual rebuilding efforts, as well as with our constituent membership concerning that segment's current and planned efforts.
I think I speak for us all when I say that in many ways, the aid profession is much more than just fellow workers performing a common labor and speaking a common language. We really do see each other as members of a family, and we acknowledge that right now, some family members need help.
Sherry Gladney's message as LASFAA President shows what is happening in her state. My SASFAA colleagues in Alabama, Mississippi and Florida are anxiously engaged in assisting their state "families." Schools are opening their doors (and in many cases waiving normal charges) to affected students. As Cathy Simoneaux put it so well, "We are a resilient people. We shall survive. We will rebuild."
I know you join with me in offering your thoughts, prayers, and resources to those who need these so desperately.
Respectfully,
Dave Gelinas
NASFAA National Chair
University of the South
dgelinas@sewanee.edu
Posted September 3, 2005 on www.NASFAA.org, the Web Site of the
National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA).
Copyright 2005. Please submit Web Site questions or comments to Web@NASFAA.org
