Kansas University has announced it is requiring its 10 students studying in Japan to return home.

The country has been ravaged by an earthquake and ensuing tsunami, and faces a potential nuclear catastrophe related to its Dai-ichi nuclear power plant at Fukushima.

KU policy does not permit study abroad programs to operate in countries where U.S. State Department travel warnings have been issued.

The department issued such a warning late Wednesday.

The Office of Study Abroad has notified the 10 students in Japan, and will assist them in making travel arrangements.

Nine students had been studying in Tokyo, and a 10th was studying at a university in Osaka, Japan, that was farther away from much of the damage.

“The most important thing here, obviously, is to make sure that they’re safe,” said Jill Jess, a university spokeswoman.

She said the university would either buy the students a one-way airplane ticket home or would pay for any fees associated with exchanging an existing plane ticket home.

She said the university was also looking at ways for the students to continue fulfilling their academic requirements in Lawrence if they were worried about losing a semester.

“We’re working on that,” she said.