Colleges and universities help students displaced by Katrina

[NewWaveChick1981]

I just saw this from our local area newspaper---apparently there are lots of schools willing to help students from the stricken area continue their college education, and I've also heard about it throughout the country. I'm hoping the national news media pick up on this to let students know they have some options! (I'm gonna start calling NPR and major news outlets too.)

http://www.journalnow.com/scripts/isapi_srun.dll/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WSJ%2FMGArticle%2FWSJ_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031784820213&path=!localnews!education!sub!article&s=1037645509111&DPL=JPsPDSL7ChA75gkNJuA7&tacodalogin=yes

Friday, September 2, 2005
Schools in North Carolina offering help
Plans are under development at all levels to enroll and house students from hurricane-ravaged areas

By Laura Giovanelli and Danielle Deaver
JOURNAL REPORTERS

North Carolina schools said yesterday that they would open their doors to students, ranging from elementary school to college, who were displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

The state's 16 public universities will each work out how to admit students enrolled in universities forced to close in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi, Molly Broad, the president of the University of North Carolina system, said.

Preference will be given to North Carolina residents, Broad said in a statement. More information on enrollment and admissions was expected today on each college's Web site.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and N.C. State University have already pledged to admit undergraduates affected by the storm. Many other states were making similar efforts.

At UNC-CH, North Carolinians can take courses on a space-available basis and will have to pay tuition, fees, and if they move on campus, room and board. N.C. State will offer on-campus courses in addition to online and distance education classes.

"We have received numerous requests from students and their parents who are trying to find a way to continue their educations under very difficult circumstances," said James Moeser, the UNC-CH chancellor, in a statement. "We feel a special obligation to North Carolinians."

In Winston-Salem, the N.C. School of the Arts will admit students to its academic classes and offer housing for students who enroll at other area colleges.

NCSA may also help students from a performing-arts high school in New Orleans.

Salem College, a private women's college, is waiving tuition and fees for the school year for eligible students, regardless of whether they're listed as North Carolina residents. One student at Xavier University of Louisiana, the sister of a 2005 graduate, is already enrolled, said Sara Butner, a college spokeswoman.

The college has room for about 40 residential students, she said.

"Anyone who can make it up here, we have a place for them," she said. "We're going to be as flexible as possible. We understand people not be able to get transcripts."

The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County school system is also preparing to accept students from areas hit by Katrina.

Federal and state laws say that school systems must educate students who have been made homeless by natural disasters.

In North Carolina, a student can attend a local school if there is a person living in the area who can act as caretaker.

Parents would usually have to sign off on the arrangement, but Doug Punger, the attorney for the school system, said the system knows that parents might not be available at this time.

"You'd try to get the caretaker form to the parents to sign, which could be interesting if the parents are in a shelter.... I think we'll be understanding if there are problems with getting the forms to people," Punger said.

The school system will also waive other paperwork for now, and simply enroll the children in schools. Meadowlark elementary and middle schools have already accepted children from flood-stricken areas, he said.

• Laura Giovanelli can be reached at 727-7302 or at [e-mail]

• Danielle Deaver can be reached at 727-7279 or at [e-mail]