Tuesday, July 10, 2007

FEMA Gets Blasted Again!

There was a lot of financial assistance for those who were affected by Hurricane Katrina. Assistance in the form of grants and loans were given to residents, businesses and students. However FEMA has been blasted by politicians for demanding payments from students that got financial aid.

Eligible students received $5,000 in "emergency" money that they could use for emergency purposes. Some students even received 2 checks! However FEMA wants their "emergency" money back and is going after the students to get their money back. Even those students who were able to provide documented proof of how they spent the money have been given the "runaround". Claims of incompetence have been given to FEMA and its processes and procedures. All the while the interest is still gathering on the money that FEMA says that it wants back!

However angry protests by students (and their parents) to their senators has resulted into criticism of FEMA and its methods. As a result under new rules, students who received compensation for damages suffered from hurricanes Katrina and Rita can keep the money if they can prove through written documentation that they lived in campus housing for at least six of the 12 months prior to the 2005 storms.

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