The Chronicle: Daily news: 09/18/2006 -- 04

Monday, September 18, 2006

Colleges Hit by Hurricanes in 2005 to Receive $50-Million in New Federal Grants

By KELLY FIELD

Forty-two colleges that were forced to close, relocate, or scale back operations as a result of last year's hurricanes will receive grants of up to $7.5-million each, the colleges learned on Friday.
The bulk of the total of $50-million in grants will go to institutions in Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi that were hit during Hurricane Katrina, though some of the money will go to colleges in Florida, Louisiana, and Texas that were damaged in other Gulf Coast cyclones, including Hurricane Rita.
Some lobbyists had hoped that the money would be restricted to institutions damaged by Hurricane Katrina, but Congress decided to open the competition to other colleges as well. The largest grants, however, went to institutions that were devastated by Katrina, including Dillard University, Tulane University, and the University of Southern Mississippi, each of which will receive the maximum grant of $7.5-million. Xavier University of Louisiana will get $5.3-million.

Cynthia A. Littlefield, director of federal relations for the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities, said that while she was "disappointed" that Congress did not limit the grants to Katrina-affected institutions, the Department of Education "did a pretty good job of figuring out who had the most extensive damage."

Over the last year, colleges have received more than $250-million in federal aid to help cover the costs of hurricane reconstruction and repair. The latest infusion came in an emergency supplemental spending bill signed by President Bush last June. Forty-eight institutions applied for the money, but six were rejected because they were not recognized under federal law or because they had failed to provide all the required information.

The Department of Education notified the remaining colleges of their tentative award amounts Friday; the colleges must submit formal applications detailing how they will spend the grants before the money is disbursed.