The Tulane University Financial Aid Office understands the challenges that students and families may be facing due to the recent Southern California fires.  If you are directly impacted by the recent wildfires – experiencing an evacuation order, a partial loss of your home, or a total loss of your home – then you are encouraged to use the following resources:

FEMA Resources

• Disaster Assistance. Access resources to help you learn how to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters. FEMA is distributing vouchers to homeowners and renters who lost their homes, which will cover 90% of rent for the next 3 years, regardless of where you rent.
• If your primary home was affected by the fires, FEMA may be able to help you cover certain costs – like paying for essential items, finding a place to stay, replacing personal property or making basic repairs to your home. However, FEMA assistance is designed to help you if you do not have insurance or if your insurance policies don’t cover basic needs. If you have insurance, you should file a claim as soon as possible and be ready to provide your coverage information when applying to FEMA. 
• There are several ways to apply for FEMA assistance:
• Online at DisasterAssistance.gov and in Spanish language at DisasterAssistance.gov/es.
• Calling the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-3362 for assistance in multiple languages.
• On the FEMA App for mobile devices.  
  • To view an accessible video about how to apply visit: FEMA Accessible: Registering for Individual Assistance or en Español. 

State of California Resources

• Department of Insurance – California. Find recovery tips, contact information for your insurance company, or help with questions about how to file a claim. The State of California has placed a mandatory one-year moratorium preventing homeowners insurance cancellations and non-renewals in affected areas of Southern California.
• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) – CalWORKs. Determine if you qualify for cash payments to help qualifying families pay for food, clothing, housing, and other essentials.

Tulane Resources

If you incurred unreimbursed expenses during the emergency, you may request consideration for assistance from the Student Resources & Support Services (SRSS), via their Student Affairs Emergency Aid Request program.  Please be aware that due to limited funding availability, SRSS assistance represents a one-time grant that generally does not exceed $500.  To apply for grant consideration, visit the SRSS website (https://srss.tulane.edu) and navigate to the application link near the bottom of the page.

For students with permanent residences impacted by the fires, you may also connect with your designated financial aid counselor to explore alternative funding options.