DES MOINES, Iowa — FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) has announced that university and college students going to school in the counties of Buena Vista, Cherokee, Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, Humboldt, Lyon, Monona, O'Brien, Osceola, Palo Alto, Plymouth, Pottawattamie, Scott, Sioux and Woodbury may be eligible for disaster assistance following storms and flooding earlier this year.
The students, who don't need to be permanent residents of the county, would be eligible for FEMA’s Other Needs Assistance program for personal property and other needs as long as the damage or loss happened in one of the listed counties.
A list of some schools in affected counties:
- Briar Cliff University (Woodbury)
- Buena Vista University (Buena Vista)
- Dordt University (Sioux)
- Morningside University (Woodbury)
- Northwestern College (Sioux)
- St. Ambrose University (Scott)
- Orion Technical College (Scott)
- Eastern Iowa Community College, (Scott)
- Iowa Lakes Community College (Emmet)
- Iowa Western Community College (Pottawattamie)
- Kirkwood Community College (Linn)
- Northwest Iowa Community College (Lyon, O’Brien, Osceola, Sioux and Cherokee)
- Western Iowa Tech Community College (Woodbury)
- Palmer College of Chiropractic (Scott)
- St. Luke's College (Woodbury)
FEMA grants can help pay for disaster-related expenses that do not have to be repaid, such as:
- Financial assistance for immediate housing needs.
- Replacement or repair of necessary personal property, such as room furnishings, a computer damaged by the disaster, books and other required school items.
- Replacement or repair of tools and other job-related equipment required for those who are self-employed.
- Replacement or repair of primary vehicles.
- Medical and dental bills as a result of the disaster.
- Financial assistance to help move and store personal property.
How to Apply for FEMA Individual Assistance
- Visit a FEMA Disaster Recovery Center. To find the nearest DRC, visit fema.gov/drc
- Apply at DisasterAssistance.gov
- Call FEMA directly at 800-621-FEMA (3362)
- Download and use the FEMA app
