FEMA has declared 10 Florida counties affected by hurricane Wilma eligible for FEMA Individual Assistance
Broward
Collier
Glades
Hendr
Lee
Martin
Miami-Dade
Monroe
Palm Beach
St. Lucie
Read the eannouncement here.
Note that the provisions for students affected by Wilma ARE NOT the same as those affected by Katrina and Rita. The FSA is pointing students affected by Wilma to the General guidance for helping Title IV participants affected by a disaster letter written to supplement the 2003-2004 Federal Student Aid Handbook and Disaster Letter 99-28
Summary of disaster letter 99-28: Effective immediately, loan holders will decide what constitutes a natural disaster for purposes of an administrative forbearance, and may grant an administrative forbearance to borrowers who contact them asking for temporary relief from their loan obligations because they have been adversely affected by a natural disaster. The holder may grant a forbearance for up to 3 months based on the borrower's oral or written request for assistance, and must document the reasons why it granted the forbearance in the borrower's loan file, but does not need to obtain supporting documentation or a signed written agreement from the borrower to justify a forbearance for the initial 3-month period. However, a continuation of the forbearance past the initial 3-month period will require supporting documentation and a written agreement from the borrower.
