SORRENTO — River Parishes Community College has been selected to receive a grant from the Scholarship America organization to aid students affected by Hurricane Katrina.

The grant will be in the amount of $55,000. The nationwide program is intended to assist students affected by three storms; hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma.

The grant was made possible through the cooperating partnership with the American Association of Community Colleges and contributions from the Lumina Foundation for Education and USA Funds to Scholarship America.

Each eligible student can receive up to $1,000.

&#8220We are extremely grateful to Scholarship America for putting this program together,” said Chancellor Joe Ben Welch.

&#8220Many of our students were affected by the storms in one way or another, and these funds will help to ease their financial burdens.”

Students are eligible if they are a resident of one of the declared disaster areas, or have been enrolled in a two-year institution that was shut down by one of the hurricanes.

Affected schools in Louisiana include Delgado Community College, Dillard University, Louisiana Tech University, Louisiana Technical College, Loyola University New Orleans, McNeese State University, Nicholls State University, Nunez Community College, Southeastern Louisiana University, Southern University-New Orleans, SOWELA Technical Community College, Tulane University, University of New Orleans, and Xavier University of Louisiana.

The assistance is intended for students who would already have been eligible to receive a federal Pell grant, and whose expected family contributions have been reduced or eliminated due to the storms. The scholarships must be used to offset education-related expenses, such as tuition, fees, books or room and board.

Interested River Parishes Community College students should call student services at 225-675-8270.

Scholarship America is the nation’s largest nonprofit, private sector scholarship and educational support organization, according to promotional literature. Since its inception, Scholarship America has awarded more than $1 billion to more than one million students. Interested parents or students may log on to www.scholarshipamerica.org.

River Parishes Community College is a two-year learning institution, fully-accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award Associate Degrees.

The school is located at 7384 John LeBlanc Blvd. in Sorrento. For more information about River Parishes Community College, or to enroll in classes, call 225-675-8270 or log on to www.rpcc.edu.