This Electronic Announcement is intended to help institutions located in federally declared disaster areas due to Tropical Storm Helene or Hurricane Helene. A federally declared disaster refers to an event or situation that is officially recognized and declared as a disaster by the President of the United States. This declaration is made under the authority of the Stafford Act, which empowers the federal government to provide assistance in times of major disasters or emergencies. The U.S. Department of Education (the Department) wants to remind institutions that are located in federally declared disaster areas of the regulatory reliefs provided to them in Dear Colleague Letter GEN-17-08: Guidance for helping Title IV participants affected by a major disaster. This Dear Colleague Letter includes guidance on the following areas of Title IV administration during a disaster:
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Changes to an institution’s academic calendar due to a disaster;
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Exclusion from treatment as “other financial assistance” of aid received by victims of a disaster from a federal or state entity for the purpose of providing financial relief;
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Verification requirements for families whose verification records were lost or destroyed because of a disaster;
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Allowances for leaves of absence for students affected by a disaster;
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Waivers for under-allocation of Campus-Based aid and Federal Work Study community service for disaster-affected schools;
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Reporting enrollment status during a disaster; and
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Effects on Direct Loan or Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) borrowers affected by a disaster.
To determine if your institution is located in a federally declared disaster area, due to Tropical Storm Helene or Hurricane Helene, please visit Disasters and Other Declarations | FEMA.gov.
The Department reminds the community that all institutions that must comply with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act) are required to actively distributed their 2024 Annual Security Reports (ASRs) and Annual Fire Safety Reports (AFSRs) by October 1, 2024. These reports must be provided to all enrolled students and current employees. Notwithstanding this general rule, the Department understands that many institutions have been adversely impacted by Tropical Storm Helene or Hurricane Helene and have had to suspend or modify operations as a result. The Department will take these circumstances into account for institutions located in federally declared disaster areas that distribute their ASRs and AFSRs after the deadline. Institutions are advised to issue their ASRs and AFSRs as soon as possible, and in all cases, prior to the resumption of in-person instruction and regular campus operations. Institutions are also reminded to manage the reopening process in accordance with their emergency operation plans and to provide regular safety updates to campus community members to ensure they can remain informed about safety concerns and emergency conditions.
The Department also reminds institutions that the 2024 Campus Safety and Security Data Collection and Survey is in progress and will remain open through October 16, 2024. Generally, institutions are required to complete this process by the closure date. However, institutions in a federally declared disaster area that are unable to submit their response by the closure date due to the storms are advised to contact the Campus Safety Help Desk. The Help Desk can be reached by phone at 1-800-435-5985 or by email at campussafetyhelp@westat.com to seek guidance on meeting this important disclosure requirement.
The Department reminds institutions located in a federally declared disaster area due to Tropical Storm Helene or Hurricane Helene of the extended Fiscal Operations Report and Application to Participate (FISAP) deadline. The Department has extended the FISAP deadline through December 13, 2024. The Department encourages FISAP submission as soon as possible and prior to December 13, 2024, as feasible; however, no penalties will be imposed on impacted institutions that submit their FISAP anytime through December 13, 2024. Please see Electronic Announcement CB 24-18: Reminder – FISAP Due Oct. 1, 2024 (Updated Sept. 27, 2024) for more information.
Contact
If you have questions about the FISAP submission deadline, contact the FSA Partner and School Relations Center at 1-800-848-0978. You may also email CODSupport@ed.gov.
For additional information, questions, or assistance, please contact your School Participation Division.