Notice Regarding Allocation of Certain Funds Provided Under the Department of Defense, Emergency Supplemental Appropriations to Address Hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico, and Pandemic Influenza Act, 2006

Office of Postsecondary Education
Department of Education

Publication Date: January 12, 2006

Author: Sally L. Stroup, Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education

Summary: Notice regarding allocation of certain funds provided under the Department of Defense, Emergency Supplemental Appropriations to Address Hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico, and Pandemic Influenza Act, 2006

Posted On: January 12, 2006

The above-referenced Act (Public Law 109-148), signed by the President on December 30, 2005, makes $10,000,000 available to the Secretary of Education for payments to institutions of higher education to help defray unexpected expenses associated with enrolling displaced students from institutions of higher education directly affected by hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico in calendar year 2005. These funds are to be distributed in accordance with criteria established by the Secretary and made publicly available.

The purpose of this notice is to advise the public of the criteria that are being used for allocation. The Secretary will distribute these funds to institutions that enrolled ten or more affected students who have applied for Federal student aid (as evidenced by 2005-2006 Student Aid Reports (SARs) or Institutional Student Information Records (ISIRs) received by the institution). An affected student is an individual who has applied for, or received, student financial assistance under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), and who was enrolled or accepted for enrollment, as of August 29, 2005, at an institution that was directly affected by the Gulf hurricane disaster. The Secretary collected this information from institutions that responded to a Federal Register notice posted November 7, 2005, relating to reallocation of campus-based funds. See 70 Fed. Reg. 67373.

Each eligible institution will receive a proportionate share of the total funds available ($10 million) based on the number of affected students who have applied for Federal student aid at that institution, and the total number of affected students who have applied for Federal student aid at all eligible institutions. However, the amount received by each eligible institution will be limited by the amount the institution requested in its response to the November 7 notice.

Over the next several days, we will be contacting the institutions that responded to this notice to obtain an assurance that the $10 million now made available will be used to help defray unexpected expenses associated with enrolling displaced students from institutions of higher education directed affected by hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico in calendar year 2005.

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Last Modified: 01/12/2006