NMC Pell status nears OK

The Northern Marianas College needs to submit only one more batch of clean student files to get off the Pell Grant reimbursement status.

Acting NMC president and dean of student development Kurt Barnes said the college received information Friday that the U.S. Department of Education has accepted the fourth batch of files sent by NMC.

In view of this, NMC is now expecting to get $194, 629 in Pell awards in a week or two. The funds would reimburse NMC of student tuition and fees for the academic year 2003-2004.

Barnes said the college has two more batches of files waiting to be processed. Some 200 more students have yet to get reimbursement for last year’s school fees.

The federal government has placed NMC on Pell reimbursement status—as opposed to advance status—due to the college’s failure to submit audits on time in the last four years.

The U.S. Education Department later said the reimbursement status would be lifted as soon as NMC submits three consecutive batches of student files that contain an error rate of 10 percent or less.

NMC is now working with a Los-Angeles based consultant who reviews packets of student applications before sending them to the USDE.

NMC finance director Raaj Kurapati said the college has submitted four batches of student files so far. The first batch was accepted, but the second was rejected, bringing NMC back to square one.

The last two batches, however, complied with USDE standards. If the college submits a third clean batch, there is a good chance that it will be taken off reimbursement status.

Kurapati also reported that NMC has so far received close to $600,000 in reimbursement for AY2003-2004 awards. The college stands to get almost $900,000 more, excluding the $194,629 it is expecting in the next weeks.

Tuition and fees will be deducted from each student’s Pell award, while the balance will be issued to the student.

“NMC doesn’t keep the whole amount. About 30 to 40 percent of Pell awards goes back to students,” Kurapati said.

Pell Grant provides college funding to low-income students nationwide, either individually or through college. Pell Grant awards are given to undergraduate students pursuing an associate or bachelor’s degree.

NMC receives an average of about $2,000 in Pell funds a year. The award increases every year to compensate for higher tuition costs as well as other increased educational expenses.