USA Funds Awards $387,000 to Help Storm Victims Complete College

INDIANAPOLIS, Aug. 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — USA Funds®, a nonprofit organization
that helps Americans benefit from higher education, has announced the award of
$387,000 to help college students whose education plans were adversely affected
by tornado outbreaks this spring.

Through the Disaster Relief Fund for Postsecondary Education Students, USA Funds
has awarded grants to 30 postsecondary institutions in Alabama, Georgia,
Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee. The schools may use the funds to assist
lower-income students who suffered financial hardships as a result of the
tornado outbreaks in the Southeastern states from April 15 to April 28 and the
May 22 tornado in Joplin, Mo. The grants support supplemental financial aid of
up to $1,000 per student to help them pay education-related expenses.

“These grants will help ensure students are not forced to drop out or interrupt
their education because of financial hardships created by these natural
disasters,” said Denise B. Feser, USA Funds senior vice president, School and
Student Services.

USA Funds originally established the Disaster Relief Fund for Postsecondary
Education Students in 2005 to help college students affected by Hurricane
Katrina and three other major hurricanes that year. Scholarship America
administers the fund.

The following colleges and universities were awarded grants under the program.

College State Amount
Alabama Agricultural & Mechanical
University Alabama $15,000
Athens State University Alabama $10,000
Calhoun State Community College Alabama $21,000
Gadsden State Community College Alabama $15,000
Northeast Alabama Community College Alabama $10,000
Northwest-Shoals Community College Alabama $10,000
Samford University Alabama $10,000
Shelton State Community College Alabama $15,000
Snead State Community College Alabama $10,000
Southeastern Bible College Alabama $3,000
Stillman College Alabama $10,000
University of Alabama Alabama $30,000
University of Alabama at Birmingham Alabama $30,000
University of North Alabama Alabama $15,000
University of West Alabama Alabama $15,000
Wallace State Community College Alabama $15,000
Covenant College Georgia $5,000
Gordon College Georgia $15,000
Crowder College Missouri $15,000
Missouri Southern State University Missouri $15,000
New Dimensions School of Hair Design Missouri $5,000
Ozark Christian College Missouri $5,000
Vatterott College Missouri $5,000
Jackson State University Mississippi $15,000
Bryan College Tennessee $10,000
Chattanooga State Community College Tennessee $30,000
Pentecostal Theological Seminary Tennessee $5,000
Tusculum College Tennessee $10,000
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Tennessee $8,000
Walters State Community College-
Greeneville Tennessee $10,000

Headquartered in Indianapolis, USA Funds is a nonprofit corporation that works
to enhance postsecondary education preparedness, access and success by providing
and supporting financial and other valued services. For more information about
USA Funds, visit www.usafunds.org.

SOURCE USA Funds