Harvard Gets Katrina Aid

Harvard has received $35,000 from the Department of Education for its part in accommodating student victims of Hurricane Katrina in the College last semester—and Phillips Brooks House may benefit.

The money comes as part of a $1.6 billion Hurricane Katrina education aid package that passed Congress on Dec. 22, $10 million of which was distributed to universities that took in Katrina-affected students last fall, according to Chad Colby, a spokesman for the Department of Education.

Much of the money will be channeled back into areas still recovering from the aftermath of the hurricane, according to Director of University Financial Services Ryan Williams.

“We will be recycling our funds into community service and work study opportunities associated with the Phillips Brooks House,” he said. “The Phillips Brooks program will target these funds toward community service in the disaster area.”

Executive Director of Phillips Brooks House Association (PBHA) Gene Corbin said yesterday that there were no formal plans yet for the University to give PBHA the funds.

“I heard that there might be a possibility of work-study students receiving funding for doing work in the area,” Corbin said. “But PBHA has no agreement to receive any such funding at the moment.”

Williams said the University had not sought out the government funds.

“Harvard opened its doors to these unfortunate students without any concern of reimbursement,” he said.

The University applied for the funds “only at the prompting of the Department of Education after we, as an institution, had already committed to these displaced students,” Williams said. “The Department actually called us to ask why we had not submitted an application...prompting us to move forward.”

The money was distributed based on the number of Katrina-affected students admitted, regardless of variables such as differing university fees or accommodation costs, according to Colby. The government offered a flat rate per student, but Colby said he did not know the exact figure.

Williams, though, said that it was more appropriate to look at the money in terms of the “global use” it will be put towards than on a “per student” basis.

Thirty-five students from Tulane and Loyola University New Orleans attended classes at Harvard this past fall semester.

Williams said the University’s administration was pleased with its decision to admit affected students.

“Our motivation was a hope that these students could continue moving forward with their academic life,” he said. “We believe they as well as our students benefited from the experience.”

—Staff writer Alexandra C. Bell can be reached at acbell@fas.harvard.edu.