The Fairbanks and Anchorage campuses of the University of Alaska announced Friday that they would accept late applications from students affected by Hurricane Katrina.
The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner story says that even though Alaska is far from the disaster, the state university is willing to help.
Both campuses are waiving late registration and application fees for refugees from Hurricane Katrina, which ripped through the Gulf Coast on Monday, likely killing thousands of people and leaving tens of thousands more without shelter, food or money.
Lori Keim, spokeswoman for the University of Alaska Anchorage, said transferring students would be eligible for resident tuition.
More excerpts from the article in the jump
"In some schools where classes have already started, they may not be able to get in, so this gives them somewhere to go," she said.
Steve Jones, chancellor of University of Alaska Fairbanks, extended the invitation to students currently enrolled at accredited colleges and universities in areas impacted by the hurricane.
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The Anchorage campus decided to open its doors to victims of the disaster Friday after being contacted by the national office of JROTC. UAA has an active Air Force JROTC program.
Vice chancellor of the Fairbanks campus, Jake Poole, said UAF decided on its own to provide similar relief for displaced students.
"We're reaching out and seeing how we can help," he said. "A lot of universities are doing similar things to keep the educational process moving along.
Since the article appeared, efforts have started to find additional local housing for any students who apply. A a request has gone to Alaska Airlines to provide transportation to Anchorage and Fairbanks for any students who choose to attend.