HURRICANE KATRINA INFORMATION - ELECTRONIC ANNOUNCEMENT
#1
(09-02-2005)
From: Sally L. Stroup,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education
Subject: Federal Student
Aid Programs - Hurricane Katrina - Transfers, Deadline Extensions, and Other
Guidance
Over the next several days
we will issue a series of communications providing guidance to assist students
and postsecondary educational institutions, in recognition of the devastation
caused by Hurricane Katrina. We are aware that many applicants, students, and
borrowers have been impacted by the hurricane, as well as institutions and other
program participants. Last year, we published guidance in a Dear Colleague Letter
which, until otherwise modified, can be relied upon for this current natural
disaster. The letter (GEN-04-04) is available on IFAP at http://www.ifap.ed.gov/dpcletters/GEN0404.html.
Transfer Students:
Regular student enrollment
- We encourage institutions (receiving institutions) to enroll students who
have been impacted by the hurricane as regular students (i.e., enrolled for
the purpose of obtaining a degree, certificate or other recognized educational
credential offered by that institution), even if information that would normally
be needed for an admissions decision is not immediately available. If the receiving
institution waives admissions requirements that it would normally impose, it
should include an explanation of that action in the student's file.
Non-regular student enrollment
- Some receiving institutions have expressed concern that, for various operational
and timing reasons, they may not be able to admit as regular students, students
who had planned on enrolling at an impacted institution. An impacted institution
is an institution whose operations have been significantly impaired by the hurricane.
Instead, they may be permitting these students to enroll in a non-matriculated
status (transient, visitor, etc.). Since only regular students are eligible
to receive funds under the Title IV, Federal student aid programs, we have been
asked if any accommodation can be made for students in this situation.
In those limited instances
where a receiving institution is unable to enroll a student from an impacted
institution as a regular student, it may provide the student with Title IV,
Federal student aid program funds after the student has signed a certification
that he or she was enrolled in a degree, certificate, or other credential program
at a specifically identified eligible institution that has been impacted by
Hurricane Katrina. This authority is limited to any academic terms or payment
periods that begin prior to January 1, 2006. The certification should include
a clear statement that the claim by the student is true and accurate and that
the statement may be reviewed.
Suggested wording for this
statement is -
I certify that I was admitted
to or enrolled in an academic program leading to a degree, certificate or other
recognized educational credential for the 2005-2006 academic year at (Name of
Institution) _________________________________________________ and am unable
to attend that institution due to the effects of Hurricane Katrina. I also certify
that this information is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge and that
I understand that it is subject to review by the United States Department of
Education.
Printed or Typed Name
____________________________________________
Signature _________________________________
Date ______________
The receiving institution
must maintain a copy of the certification and must make a good faith determination
that the coursework to be taken by the student would likely be accepted at the
home institution.
ISIRs, Awarding, and Payments:
When awarding aid to students
who had planned on attending an impacted institution, the receiving institution
must use its own ISIR or SAR records and its own budgets, definitions, and packaging
policies. All loan certifications and originations, and disbursements must be
made under the name and number of the receiving institution.
In some cases the new institution
may not have received an ISIR from the CPS, since the student did not include
that institution when the FAFSA was submitted. The new institution can be added
to the CPS record in a number of ways -
- The student can go on-line
to www.fafsa.ed.gov and, using an FSA
PIN, add the new institution to the record.
- The student can call
1-800-4FEDAID (1-800-433-3243) and provide his or her name, social security
number, date of birth, and either the DRN or the name of at least one institution
currently listed on the CPS record, so that the customer service representative
can add the institution to the student's record.
- The student can add
the new institution using Part 2 of a paper SAR and mailing it to the address
provided.
- If the student presents
his or her DRN (printed on the SAR) to the receiving institution, it can use
FAA Access to add itself (or another institution) to the record.
- If the student presents
his or her DRN (printed on the SAR) to the receiving institution, it can call
1-800-4FEDAID (1-800-433-3243) and provide the student's name, social security
number, date of birth, and DRN so that the customer service representative
can add the institution to the student's record.
In all instances, the receiving
institution will be added to the CPS record and an ISIR will be generated and
sent to the receiving institution within 24 to 72 hours.
While it is likely that
some of the students may have had Title IV, Federal student aid program funds
disbursed to them from the impacted institution, determining if and how much
aid may have been disbursed is probably not possible at this time. While there
may be a few exceptions, in most cases any funds that had been disbursed would
not represent more than one-half of the student's eligibility at the former
institution. Therefore, institutions are encouraged to calculate their awards
and to disburse the first portion of those awards as soon as possible. Within
a few weeks, and before most second disbursements are scheduled to be made,
we will assess the situation and advise program participants of a simplified
process to determine if and how much of the earlier disbursements needs to be
considered before the receiving institution makes its second disbursements.
Deadlines:
We intend to publish in
the Federal Register a notice extending to December 1, 2005, certain published
deadline dates for submission of information and reports by impacted institutions.
We also intend to extend previously published deadlines for application (FAFSA)
corrections by students and institutions, receipt of SARs and ISIRs by institutions,
and submission of verification documents to institutions by students.
We thank all of our Title
IV program participants for their patience, cooperation, and understanding as,
together, we do our part to assist those impacted by the terrible results of
Hurricane Katrina.