University Park, Pa. -- In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, more than 30 Penn State students who are part of the National Guard are being called upon to assist in relief efforts under way in the states hit hardest by this tragedy.
As of Tuesday (Sept. 6), approximately 30 students from the University Park campus have been activated for Pennsylvania National Guard duty as part of the estimated 2,500 Pennsylvania troops en route to the affected southern states.
Additionally, at least four students from other Penn State campuses have been confirmed as activated for military duty in response to the hurricane relief effort.
These students, and any others who might be activated in the coming days, join the more than 500 Penn State students who have been deployed for military duty since Sept. 11, 2001. While specific numbers are not known, many students first called to duty after the terrorist attacks have since returned to the University.
Since there is no way to determine the duration of an activated individual's military service, deployed students typically go through a special military withdrawal procedure.
The University's military duty withdrawal policy ensures that deployed students receive a full tuition refund for the semesters missed during their tours of duty. In addition, the University Registrar has set up a streamlined process to enable students to withdrawal and return to school, including advance registration for courses at the time of re-enrollment.
"Our policy is very liberal so that an activated student can quickly and easily leave school to attend to their duty to the country," said James Wager, assistant vice provost and registrar. "Likewise, a student returning to Penn State after their tour of duty is re-enrolled without complication."
Any student called up for active duty as a result of this or other emergencies should contact his or her campus registrar's office and provide Penn State identification number and the name and phone number of a guardian.
Students needing more information about military activation can contact the University Park Registrar's office at (814) 863-1929. For more information about the University's military duty withdrawal policy, see http://www.psu.edu/registrar/faculty_staff/administrative_office/office_policies/off_military_withdrawal.html