More Katrina woes for some N.O. students

Black College Wire reports that hundreds of Dillard University dormitory residents who received assistance payments from the federal government after Hurricane Katrina are being asked to repay the money because according to federal officials, they were ineligible for the aid.

Specifically: "Students who lived in a dormitory owned or managed by the school will not qualify for housing assistance because dormitories are not considered a primary residence," said FEMA spokeswoman Rachel Rodi. Instead of applying to FEMA, she added, the students should have first tried to receive compensation for their losses through the school's insurance company, which was National Student Services, Inc. at the time of the hurricane.

Meanwhile, the Tom Joyner Foundation is continuing its drive to raise money to help the city's HBCUs rebuild and to help students stay in school. In a release, the Foundation has set has goal to raise $1 million dollars in a drive to run throughout January, with proceeds going "directly to the rebuilding of Dillard, Xavier and Southern University at New Orleans."