2-year NMC requirement lifted for off-island freshman, sophomore scholars

Local students pursuing their college outside the Commonwealth are reminded by the CNMI Scholarship Office about their eligibility to apply for financial assistance for the upcoming Spring 2014 semester.

Scholarship administrator Rose Pangelinan said this was a result of the enactment of Public Law 18-6, which repealed Section 5, Requirement of Attendance at Northern Marianas College, of the CNMI Scholarship Regulations, so that students pursuing college need not be enrolled at NMC to become eligible for the Educational Assistance Program.

“I’d like to remind off-island student in their freshmen and/or sophomore year who were affected by the two-year NMC requirement that Public Law 18-6 lifted the two-year NMC requirement allowing all off-island freshmen and sophomore applicants to apply,” she told Saipan Tribune. She encouraged them to drop off their applications at the Scholarship Office or mail or email them no later than the deadline.

According to Pangelinan, application deadline for new and returning applicants for Spring 2014 is Dec. 15. Ongoing recipients from Fall 2013, she said, do not need to submit another application for Spring 2014.

Meantime, all supporting documents are due on Feb. 28, 2014 for Winter quarter students; and April 1, 2014 is the deadline for supporting documents for Spring quarter students. If the Scholarship Office’s annual deadlines fall on the weekend, applicants may submit it no later than the first business day after.

It was early this year when then acting governor Jude U. Hofschneider signed into law a Senate bill amending the scholarship regulations which received some oppositions from the scholarship board and the NMC. Supporters of the bill, however, said that by repealing this section, it will make available scholarships for new applicants, whether they are enrolled at NMC or any other accredited institution.

Section 5 of the CNMI Scholarship Regulations require that a new applicant beginning in the fall of 2012 will only receive financial assistance if the applicant is either enrolled at Northern Marianas College or at another accredited institution, and such applicant has already obtained an associate degree.

The Scholarship Office has two program offerings: the Educational Assistance Program and Honors Scholarship Program. However, the

Honors scholarship program had stopped receiving new applicants beginning Fall 2013 semester as a result of the expiration of the sunset provision that created the program. What the scholarship is providing to its scholars, are the assistance to complete the remaining years of their degrees. The law needs to be amended for the Honors scholarship to continue beyond 2013.

Also effective this Fall 2013 semester, EAP scholars have been cut of their financial awards due to budget constraints.

Under the EAP program, eligible applicants receive $1,050 financial assistance per semester if they are pursuing education outside the Commonwealth. For those EAP recipients enrolled at NMC, the financial assistance amounts to $908 per school year while $700 for quarter scholars.

Pangelinan disclosed that new EAP awards are $850 for per semester scholar, while $550 for quarter term scholars. This reflects a 19-percent cut for per semester recipients and a 21-percent cut for quarter term scholars.

The reduction in awards, Saipan Tribune learned, was based on the budget approved for the program in FY 2014 which is $1.2 million.

To avail of the EAP award, it requires meeting a 2.25 cumulative GPA and the scholar must be enrolled in 12 units or more for the semester.