NYU will admit dozens of undergraduate students whose studies in Puerto Rico were sent into disarray after hurricanes caused widespread destruction, the school’s president said.
NYU President Andrew Hamilton announced the plan Thursday, saying the university will cover the students’ tuition for the spring 2018 semester and provide housing in a student residence hall, a meal plan and enrollment in the school’s health insurance plan.
“We have worked closely with Puerto Rican universities for many years, and feel a strong sense of connection to the higher education community there,” Hamilton said as he announced the NYU Hurricane Maria Assistance Program.
While NYU will foot the tuition of incoming students, they are still expected to pay the regular spring tuition to their home campus as Puerto Rico continues to recover. Students will also have to pay for the cost of transportation to and from New York, course materials and any other living expenses, the school said.
The university is planning for 50 students but is prepared to expand the program as capacity allows.
A similar NYU program was offered to students displaced from universities on the Gulf Coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Back-to-back hurricanes Irma and Maria devastated Puerto Rico in September. Nearly two months after the storms, less than half of power had been restored to the island, according to the Department of Defense.
Applications for the program opened Thursday and will remain open through Dec. 15, 2017. More info here.
