DES MOINES, IOWA (September 10, 2024) — College and university students in the Iowa counties of Buena Vista, Cherokee, Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, Humboldt, Lyon, Monona, O'Brien, Osceola, Palo Alto, Plymouth, Pottawattamie, Scott, Sioux, and Woodbury may be eligible for disaster assistance. Students may qualify for a grant under FEMA’s Other Needs Assistance program for essential personal property and other needs.
Students do not need to be permanent residents of the designated counties to be eligible for assistance, but the property damage or loss must have occurred in a disaster designated county.
FEMA grants can help pay for disaster-related expenses that do not have to be repaid, such as:
- Financial assistance for immediate housing needs.
- Replacement or repair of necessary personal property, such as room furnishings, a computer damaged by the disaster, books, and other items required for school.
- Replacement or repair of tools and other job-related equipment required for those who are self-employed.
- Replacement or repair of primary vehicles.
- Medical and dental bills as a result of the disaster.
- Financial assistance to help move and store personal property.
In addition to FEMA assistance, the US Small Business Administration provides loans to help cover home repairs and other disaster-related needs along with business impacts.
How to Apply for FEMA Individual Assistance:
- Visit a FEMA Disaster Recovery Center. To find the nearest DRC, visit fema.gov/drc.
- Apply at DisasterAssistance.gov
- Call FEMA directly at 800-621-FEMA (3362)
- Download and use the FEMA app.
Anyone using a relay service, such as a video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service, or others, can give FEMA number for that service. For an accessible video on three ways to apply for FEMA assistance, visit: youtube.com/watch?v=LU7wzRjByhI.
Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency, or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 833-285-7448. Press 2 for Spanish. If you use a relay service, such as video-relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service, or others, give FEMA the number for that service.
FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during and after disasters.
