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SHEFA: Trade scholars are last priority
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Posted on Oct 11 2011
Due to priority rankings of students eligible for Saipan Higher Education Financial Assistance grants, applicants from the Northern Marianas Trade Institute are not guaranteed financial assistance even if they meet the scholarship requirements, according to administrator Henry Hofschneider Friday.
He said this is because trade institute students are considered a last priority under the SHEFA program.
Hofschneider confirmed receiving a few applications from NMTI students for this fall semester but said that he has yet to review these applicants as his office has yet to finish their review of priority students-mostly college undergraduates.
“We received a few applications from NMTI students but because we have yet to complete the review on all priority students’ applications, we may not start reviewing their applications. SHEFA regulation provides that the program funds are intended for priority students and trade scholars rank fourth on the priority list,” he said.
Based on SHEFA regulations, financial assistance is awarded on a priority basis, with undergraduates at the top, followed by master’s students, online applicants, and NMTI students.
Hofschneider pointed out, though, that any decision to award grants to NMTI scholars will be based on the actual amount that will be disbursed for the whole semester. “If we will have some money left, we may provide awards to eligible NMTI scholars,” he told Saipan Tribune.
SHEFA received a total of 803 applications for the fall semester; it projects to approve about 520. As of Friday, 448 applications were found eligible for grants, while 113 have been denied.
This fiscal year, SHEFA was allocated $3 million for scholarship awards and $100,000 for operation. Half of the scholarship funds will be disbursed for the fall semester and the other half for the spring semester.
Early this year, a bill was introduced in the House of Representatives appropriating 25 percent of SHEFA funds to the trades institute. The bill, which faces strong opposition from SHEFA, remains pending at the committee level.
