Scholarship Office approves 782 recipients this fall semester

A total of 782 college students have been found eligible to receive CNMI Scholarship grants this 2011 fall semester, according to administrator Jackie Che yesterday.

She disclosed that the eligible recipients are composed of 420 students from the Northern Marianas College and 362 recipients from off-island universities and colleges.

Off-island scholars will be getting $700 this fall semester. Award amounts remain pending for eligible NMC scholars and will be determined based on the scholar’s cost of attendance, among other education-related factors.

NMC scholars will be awarded a total of $1.19 million, covering both the Educational Assistance Program and Honor scholars for this school year.

Under Public Law 17-55, NMC will directly receive the money from the CNMI Treasury. The agreement that sets the mechanism for this direct transfer of funds is now being finalized and the CNMI Scholarship advisory board is working with NMC on this transition, according to Che.

For NMC applicants, Che advises students not to rely solely on the CNMI Scholarship or other locally funded scholarships to finance their educational costs. “There is no assurance that these awards will be issued in time for NMC scholars to register for winter intersession or spring [semesters]. At this time, scholars must look at the CNMI Scholarship as a supplement to their financial resources and contributions to their education, not a replacement,” she told Saipan Tribune yesterday.

The NMI Scholarship Office has a budget of $2 million this fiscal year.

With the $1.19 million going to NMC scholars, the NMI Scholarship Office will be left with just $810,000 that will be awarded to off-island scholars.

Last month, the scholarship advisory board reduced the amount of financial awards this semester by 42 percent under the EAP program. From the previous year’s $1,200 financial awards under EAP, the amount was slashed to $700 per student per semester starting this semester. The statutory financial awards for Honor scholars will remain up to, but not exceeding, $15,000 per year. There are 30 students that fall under the Honor Scholarship program this school year.

Compared to EAP, Honors scholarship requires a very high grade point average requirement that the scholars have to maintain every semester. All school expenses by scholars under this program have to be certified by the school financial aid counselor, which the CNMI Scholarship Office verifies before releasing the checks.

The EAP, on the other hand, requires a 2.25 cumulative GPA and enrolment in 12 units or more for the semester.