The University is putting plans together for on-campus housing accommodations for Nicholls community members displaced by Hurricane Katrina.Nicholls has 120 beds available to house current Nicholls students, faculty and staff members who have been displaced from their homes as well as students who are transferring to Nicholls.

As of press time, Scott Jenkins, director of housing operations, said that approximately 20 new students from affected universities had requested and have moved into campus housing.

Jenkins expects more students to move into campus housing once displaced students have had the opportunity to make a decision about their education.

Jenkins said that displaced students who will be paying for their housing out of their own pockets will be given a reasonable amount of time to pay back the University.

Displaced students who were using financial aid to pay for housing at their previous university must show Nicholls proof of receiving federal aid.

Nicholls has talked to universities that have cancelled classes in the New Orleans area. Those universities are trying to put something together so that their former students will only pay for housing one time at one university, Jenkins said.

According to Jenkins, the University has been housing officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Guard.

Now that classes have resumed, Jenkins said that the University is giving priority for housing to students. The agency and the National Guard will keep the number of rooms that they presently have, but they will not receive any additional rooms on campus.

“We are no longer serving (additional) rooms to FEMA or the National Guard. Our priority is students,” Jenkins said. “We do have the National Guard staying on campus. We want to keep the University a safe place.”

According to Jenkins, the National Guard is primarily being housed in Long Hall with additional members in Millet Hall.