NASFAA notes that there is some confusion caused by conflicting advice on how to handle students who fled Katrina's path. NASFAA has posted Katrina-related guidance from the Department of Education, as well as resources, advice, and articles on our Web site, for the most part without comment or analysis. We have monitored activity by the Department and shared with them the questions and areas of concern expressed to us by our members. We are proud of the immediate and generous actions of the postsecondary community; however, NASFAA has not created any specific advice.
ED indicated its strong commitment to ease the dilemma of students who seek to continue their education in spite of Katrina's terrible disruptions and outright destruction. There are many well-meaning organizations that are trying to help address the issues resulting from that destruction; however, institutions must ultimately answer to ED for the administration of federal student financial assistance, even in the wake of such a disaster. ED's recent guidance allows unprecedented flexibility for handling temporary students impacted by Katrina, but it does carry some specific direction. We urge institutions to follow that guidance and watch for any additional procedures and policies issued by ED in the days and weeks to come.
NASFAA will continue to post policy announcements from ED on our Web site. Please send any questions on Katrina-related issues through NASFAA's normal AskRegs service. That will enable us to track these issues in an organized fashion and to work with ED to incorporate them into their future guidance.
Schools that administer aid programs other than those under Title IV of the Higher Education Act, such as with programs authorized under Titles VII and VIII of the Public Health Service Act, should follow the guidance of the appropriate federal agencies.
Posted September 14, 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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