Today, Education Secretary Arne Duncan encouraged colleges, universities and scholarship programs across the country to consider extending their early November application deadlines to accommodate students who were impacted by Hurricane Sandy and who may be experiencing unexpected hardships.

Some institutions have already taken steps to adjust their deadlines in light of the storm. Duncan urged those that have not yet extended their application periods to be flexible, to give both students and their college counselors extra time.

“Many colleges and universities have recognized the unanticipated difficulties that students are facing in completing their college applications, and some institutions have already extended their deadlines,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. “We encourage other institutions to consider being as flexible as possible in the coming weeks to accommodate students whose lives were disrupted by Hurricane Sandy.”