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Only two known students avail of WICHE program
So far, only two CNMI students are known to have availed of the WICHE program, according to Christine Inos, an outreach counselor who presented for the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education at the 2014 Counselors Conference on March 21 and 22 at Saipan World Resort.
Timmothy Baker, the director of student activities and counseling at Northern Marianas College, said that there hasn’t been a yearly track on students who’ve availed of WICHE, yet only two have been heard of.
“There must be hundreds of students from the CNMI that are under the WICHE program, but we’re not sure of the exact amount,” he said.
Inos said that CNMI students should take advantage of the program because it helps a lot of graduating students from high schools or those who want to pursue degrees in U.S. mainland universities.
“This program allows students to avail of a cheaper rate with a 150 percent discount,” she said.
Most CNMI students who go to universities in the United States usually end up paying a higher tuition rate as they are usually classified as nonresidents. Most of the time, they can only avail of the resident tuition rate after a year of enrollment.
“This [WICHE] program allows the student to get the discounted percent instead of the nonresident rate and they don’t have to go through a whole year just to get the resident rate,” Inos said.
The CNMI is the first U.S Pacific territory to be under the WICHE program and is the 16th member of WICHE since December 2012.
The WICHE program allows students from member states and territories to enroll in undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs in other member states and territories at deep discounts. It is the ticket to affordable out-of-state college.
Student and families that want to learn more about WICHE may contact (670) 237-6782 or email Inos at christine.inos@marianas.edu.
