To the Editor:I would like to respond to some of the confusion surrounding the enrollment of students displaced by Hurricane Katrina.Let’s begin with a quick review of the facts: Within a few days of the hurricane, it became apparent that New Orleans universities were cut off from the rest of the country. The devastation was so great that most people assumed students would not be able to enroll at one of these institutions in the fall.Phones started ringing in the Saint Louis University admissions office. Students inquired about attending SLU during the fall. Without being able to communicate with Loyola New Orleans, Tulane, or any of the other institutions, we decided to allow students to enroll at SLU. From the first moment, we posted a document on the Web site that stated we would match aid given by the home institution and expect students to pay the balance. We have been clear and consistent from day one. Our initial inquiry to the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU) was met with a response to do what we thought best. While we all agree that the damage to New Orleans was catastrophic, I want to point out that nearly every student we enrolled this past fall was not from the city of New Orleans. Most were students from suburban St. Louis, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and elsewhere.  I think some are confusing the damage caused to the New Orleans institutions with the financial hardship felt by their students. If you are not from the hurricane-damaged areas, your own financial hardship is somewhat limited. Secondly, it’s important to remember that no student has been asked to pay twice for the fall semester. Their home institutions either credited money already paid to the student’s spring term bill, or, in some cases, they gave the money back to the students.Interestingly, a great number of the displaced students who enrolled never applied for financial aid. It appeared many were non-needy students who had merit scholarships from their home institutions. In the case of students who had special needs, our department of Campus Ministry helped identify basic necessities. They managed the distribution of funds for books and acquired computers on loan.  Students who were actually from the devastated areas-our own students and those visiting-were given substantial aid to cover their fall costs. Through the efforts of Celerstine Johnson, Assistant Provost for Student Educational Services, and Cari Wickliffe, Director of Student Financial Services, federal funds were secured to cover the balances of those students with significant need, even if they were not from the New Orleans area. It is well-known that our students raised a significant amount of money and volunteered their time to help the hurricane victims.Some people may reject the claim that “it would be unfair of the University to waive tuition for these 170 students while the remaining students are forced to pay.” If one were to follow this logic to its end point, we shouldn’t charge anyone for anything, and we would soon be compelled to close our doors. I don’t believe that our policies in any way conflict with the spiritual and intellectual ideals of the Society of Jesus.The values I learned from the Jesuits during my undergraduate years taught me that we should:?_?Open our doors to as many displaced students as we can.?_?Provide a welcoming environment for the students on our campus.?_?Work with each student individually to accommodate his or her educational needs.?_?Provide as much financial assistance as possible looking at the individual need of each student. I firmly believe that the response from the entire SLU community was honorable and good.Many of the New Orleans students have expressed gratitude for the opportunity to study at Saint Louis University. We greatly regret any confusion that surrounded the financial arrangements. Unfortunately, an emergency situation is just that, an emergency. We do our best to respond and offer support to those who need it most.  Sincerely,John M. BaworowskyVice President for Enrollment and Academic Services