LSU is coordinating with New Orleans universities to ensure that students do not pay more tuition than necessary.
Mary Parker, director of the Office of Student Aid and Scholarships, said in an effort to lessen the financial burden on new students, the office is also offering emergency loans to cover book costs, giving $300 to undergraduate transfer students and $500 to graduate and law students.
Private loan companies are also offering financial aid. Sallie Mae, a loan company that specifically helps people receive financial aid for college, is offering bridge loans of $500 to $1,000 to students who already have Sallie Mae loans.
“The University is working with the U.S. Department of Education to get guidance on how to offer them federal aid,” Parker said.
Parker said a representative from the department may be coming to the University today, but her visit was not confirmed at press time.
If federal aid is granted, it will come from Title IV of the Federal Financial Aid Policy, which offers financial aid through grants, student loans and work study programs, Parker said.
Guidelines released Friday from the department said it is encouraging universities receiving students affected by the hurricane to admit them as regular students, even if information such as transcripts are not directly available.
Angela Dangond, sophomore from the University of New Orleans, said she has been lucky in the transfer process.
“I was on full scholarship [for tennis], and I am international,” Dangond, who is from Columbia, said. “I don’t have a house or meals, but I have all of my classes.”
Contact Leslie Ziober at [email protected]