More than 400 new students have enrolled in Nicholls as a result of Hurricane Katrina, and more are expected throughout the week, Courtney Cassard, director of enrollment services, said.”We’ve had at least 150 enroll today,” Cassard said Tuesday. “We suspect more as classes resume. The application deadline has been extended until Sept. 19.”
Louisiana’s Commissioner of Higher Education and post-secondary education system presidents have agreed to allow displaced students of public institutions to enroll as visiting students at another state public institution without paying additional tuition and fees. Students eligible must have been enrolled at one of the following: Southern University-New Orleans, UNO, Delgado Community College, Nunez Community College, LSU Health Sciences Center-New Orleans or the Sidney Collier, Slidell, West Jefferson or Jefferson campuses of the Louisiana Technical College.
“These students are asked to fill out a visitor’s application, sign a waiver stating they paid tuition at a public college or university, and then in 10 minutes they are ready to go to University College advising center to register for classes,” Cassard said.
Students visiting from private institutions must pay Nicholls’s tuition and fees. Also, high school seniors with a 3.0 GPA and minimum ACT composite score of 25 can complete some of their senior year requirements by attending Nicholls.
“Some displaced high school students would prefer to begin college than moving to another high school to finish the year,” Cassard said. “We haven’t seen many of these students yet but families are scattered all over the place right now.”
Cassard said displaced students’ home institutions will accept the credits earned at Nicholls, and those students will be enrolled in courses comparable to those they were enrolled in before.
“We’ve made this process relatively easy and are going on their (the students’) good faith,” Cassard said. “Since most were unable to get transcripts, we’re taking their word on classes they have taken. From feedback so far on the procedures, it has been a pretty positive experience.”
According to the Louisiana Board of Regents’ Web site, the state is establishing a Student Emergency Assistance Fund. Eligibility requirements have not been established yet.
