University of the District of Columbia Office of Communications 4200 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20008

Contact:          Mike Andrews
                       (202) 274-5685                       

University of the District of Columbia Offers Semester of Free Tuition and Fees to D.C. Students Displaced by Hurricane Katrina 

Washington, D.C. — The University of the District of Columbia today is making available free of charge one semester of tuition and associated student fees to all District residents who are currently enrolled in a college or university forced into closing as a result of Hurricane Katrina. This offer is being made directly to assist students in returning to the classroom as soon as possible.

In announcing this initiative, University President William L. Pollard, PhD reflected that it is only appropriate that the University reach out to displaced students from the District in this manner. “I can’t imagine worse scenario for these students to have to face,” said Dr. Pollard. “One of the most important things we can do for these young men and women is to give them a return to a degree of normalcy. Getting them back in school is an important element of this, and I’d glad in some small way we can help.”

Counselors from the University are reaching out directly to the parents of these students, contacting them by phone to extend this offer. The University has also established a telephone hotline (202-274-5029) where information on enrollment is available Tuesday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Interested persons may also request information via e-mail at Katrinastudents@udc.edu. Application forms for admission to the University may be found at www.udc.edu.

University students are also mobilizing to assist displaced students. The UDC Undergraduate Student Government Association has established a Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund which allows members of the University family to make cash donations in support of the assistance efforts. Students have been encouraged to donate at least $2, with open donation limits set for faculty and staff members.

The president of the Undergraduate Student Government Association, William Kellibrew, IV, will host a nation-wide telephone conference call Friday, September 2 with more than seventy Historically Black Colleges and Universities and ten District-area universities to discuss potential student government outreach efforts. This teleconference will serve as an effort to better understand the effect that Hurricane Katrina has had on universities across the nation. Today’s call focusing on short-term relief will be followed by a later conference call to discuss long-term assistance efforts.

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The University of the District of Columbia is the sole public source for accessible, inclusive, affordable, and comprehensive public higher education in the District of Columbia and provides additional life-long learning opportunities. The University delivers quality instruction and uses student-centered approaches to empower and benefit both individuals and its local communities. The University, an urban land grant institution, is a very diverse community, a gateway to the world, and a significant investment engine for the District of Columbia. The University is located at 4200 Connecticut Ave, NW Washington, and is conveniently located at the Van Ness/UDC stop on the Red Line of Metro. For more information on other University activities, contact Mike Andrews, Senior Director for Communications and University Spokesman at (202) 274-5685 or visit the University’s web site at www.udc.edu.