LPFA , Lela to give $50K in grants

The Louisiana Public Facilities Authority approved to provide $50,000 in grants to displaced college professionals in the state. The monies have been provided through the Louisiana Education Loan Authority, or Lela, a student loan division of LPFA.
Since several colleges and universities have canceled classes for the fall 2005 semester and may not open until next January, many students need special assistance.
“Many of the professional staff people whose jobs are to help students obtain financial assistance have lost their homes and their employers have temporarily closed,” said James W. Parks, II, president and chief executive officer of the LPFA in a press release. “We need to help these victims make it through the next few months and we hope they will rebuild rebound and can return to work next semester helping thousands of college students obtain financing for their education.”
The grants are part of a $300,000 Katrina Disaster Relief Fund. The primary contributors are the Edamerica and Edfinancial companies, in conjunction with Lela.
“We’re pleased to partner with the good people at Lela to assist displaced financial aid professionals and their families,” said Tony Hollin, the chairman and chief executive officer of Edfinancial Services in a press release. “It’s our hope that these funds will give folks a leg up to move forward after this terrible disaster.”
The LPFA is a self-supporting public trust and corporation that handles taxable and tax-exempt bonds for public and private projects in the state.