In the aftermath of Hurricanes Irma and Maria, Emory University is ready to welcome up to 32 undergraduate students displaced from their studies in Puerto Rico.

All tuition, fees, room and board for admitted visiting students from Puerto Rico will be waived for the spring 2018 semester. Qualified undergraduate students who are currently enrolled in an accredited Puerto Rico college or university are invited to apply.

Visiting students will receive application fee waivers and expedited processing. Those accepted will be able to enroll in credit-bearing courses for spring 2018, enabling them to continue their progress toward a bachelor’s degree.  

“The decision to support students from Puerto Rico builds on Emory’s long-standing mission to create, preserve, teach and apply knowledge in the service of humanity,” says Dwight A. McBride, Emory provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “We are compelled to step up and offer an academic home to students as they continue their studies in our supportive and diverse community.”

In the days following the hurricanes, the Office of Undergraduate Admission also notified prospective first-year students in Puerto Rico that it would work with applicants on a case-by-case basis throughout the application process.

“The focus now, for so many students, is on rebuilding communities, not the college admission process,” says John Latting, dean of undergraduate admission. “We welcome the opportunity to help these prospective students keep their studies on track.”

Displaced students from Puerto Rico should contact Chelsey Garcia, admission advisor, at chelsey.garcia@emory.edu for more information. Applications for visiting students will be accepted through Sunday, Dec. 10.