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SHEFA gains in number of applications
The Saipan Higher Education Financial Assistance noted in yesterday’s board meeting significant gains in scholarship application numbers compared to last year, as well as quantitative increases across the board.
Administrator Merissa Rasa reported to SHEFA board members yesterday the increase in the number of applicants this 2018 fall semester, with 1,055 applicants compared to last year’s 853 applicants for the same semester.
So far this year, SHEFA approved 501 applicants, denied 42, and have 512 applications pending.
The agency noted 404 new applicants, 532 ongoing applicants, and 119 returning scholarship applicants. A total of 647 are on-island, 325 are off-island, while 83 are enrolled online.
Sixteen SHEFA applicants are enrolled at the Northern Marianas Trades Institute.
Rasa noted that, of the total number of applicants, 493 are college freshmen, 243 are college sophomores, 158 are college juniors, and 62 are college seniors, while there are 76 master’s degree applicants and 23 advance, doctorate, and juris doctorate applicants.
Rasa noted that there are 450 associate degree students, 488 bachelor’s degree students, 76 master’s degree students, and 23 doctoral degree students. No one is enrolled for the Prior Learning Assessment; 223 of the total number of applicants were 2018 high school graduates.
