Regents pass tuition waiver for hurricane-impacted students

The U's Board of Regents met today (September 7) and passed a resolution to waive tuition for students affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Photo by Patrick O'Leary

Published on September 9, 2005

The University of Minnesota Board of Regents approved a resolution today that will waive tuition for students impacted by Hurricane Katrina. The measure is designed to prevent students from having to pay tuition to two institutions. Students who have already paid tuition at a college or University devastated by the hurricane are eligible. Almost 50 students have been admitted in the last week under emergency admissions guidelines designed to assist students who had planned on attending a college or University damaged by the hurricane.

"In times like this, it's important for people to come together and do what they can to pitch in," says Board of Regents chair Anthony Baraga. "This is a small way we can support students whose lives have been disrupted and also our fellow higher education institutions that have been impacted by Hurricane Katrina."

The board also heard a report on other activities underway at the University to provide support to hurricane victims. More than 200 volunteers from the University of Minnesota Medical Reserve Corps are prepared for deployment to provide medical support in hurricane-hit areas. In addition, the University hosted a seven-hour radiothon on the Twin Cities campus during which more than 175 interviews of University experts were conducted. To learn about other University relief efforts, read "U open arms (and doors) for victims of hurricane."

In other business, the board reviewed President Bob Bruininks' plan to implement the strategic positioning measure designed to make the University one of the top three public research universities in the world. The plan creates a number of task forces to implement both academic program realignment and administrative reforms.

The regents will next meet October 6-7 at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska.

For more information on the Board of Regents or its monthly meetings, see www.umn.edu/regents.