For those financial aid professionals affected by the recent weather-related disasters, the Department of Education has provided some relief to their offices and for their students.
The Department of Education (ED) has announced guidance about regulatory relief to institutions located in federally declared disaster areas due to Tropical Storm Helene or Hurricane Helene. Guidance can be found in Dear Colleague Letter GEN-17-08: Guidance for helping Title IV participants affected by a major disaster.
The following areas are addressed in the guidance:
- Changes to an institution’s academic calendar due to a disaster;
- Exclusion from treatment as “other financial assistance” of aid received by victims of a disaster from a federal or state entity for the purpose of providing financial relief;
- Verification requirements for families whose verification records were lost or destroyed because of a disaster;
- Allowances for leaves of absence for students affected by a disaster;
- Waivers for under-allocation of Campus-Based aid and Federal Work Study community service for disaster-affected schools;
- Reporting enrollment status during a disaster; and
- Effects on Direct Loan or Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) borrowers affected by a disaster.
The website Disasters and Other Declarations | FEMA.gov can be used to determine if an institution is located in a federally declared disaster area due to Tropical Storm Helene or Hurricane Helene.
ED reminds impacted institutions of the following deadlines:
- 2024 Annual Security Reports (ASRs) and Annual Fire Safety Reports (AFSRs) by October 1, 2024, must be provided to all enrolled students and current employees.
- 2024 Campus Safety and Security Data Collection and Survey is in progress and will remain open through October 16, 2024.
- Extended FISAP deadline through December 13, 2024, for institutions located in a federally declared disaster area due to Tropical Storm Helene or Hurricane Helene.
Impacted institutions are encouraged to contact their School Participation Division if they have questions or need assistance.
