Hurricane Katrina affected approximately 36 New Orleans area universities and colleges leaving as many as 100,000 college students in the region without a campus to call their own, according to the American Council on Education. Colleges and universities all over the country have come to the aid of the displaced students, and last Tuesday Prairie View A&M University became one of the schools opening their doors.
The decision to get involved with efforts to assist victims of Katrina was one that encompassed all administration officials putting their heads together and formulating a way in which the university could serve at maximum capacity.
Tyra Metoyer, director of university relations said, “Everyone agreed it would be a good idea to help.”
Prairie View will be able to accept a maximum of 300 students, and house roughly 240 in University College.
The students who decide to take advantage of Prairie View’s offer will be admitted as transient students. By definition a transient student is one who is currently enrolled and in good standing at another college or university, but seeks admission into another school for a limited period of time.
“The students will be admitted for one semester based solely on proof that they were enrolled in a university affected by Katrina,” said Metoyer. “If they want to stay beyond one semester they will be required to undergo a degree audit and the normal transfer student process.”
Schools such as Harvard, Delaware State, Washington College, University of Evansville, and several others are letting these students in tuition-free; or in other cases such as at Bellarmine University they are receiving a 50 percent discount. However, according to Metoyer, the University is not in a position to offer such a hefty price cut.
“You will noticethat the universities offering these students to attend for free haveextremely large endowments and these fees will be paid from those funds,” said Metoyer.
Instead, all Katrina victims will be allowed to pay in-state tuition, and will be able to receive their federal financial aid here at Prairie View. Also, the university has designated $1 million in emergency tuition/fee loans not only for Katrina victims, but current students as well.
“This is a tremendous increase from the normal level of emergency loan funds which is $250,000,” said Metoyer. “We are findingways to extend support, while acting fiscally responsible.