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261 eligible for SHEFA scholarship; 78 denied aid
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Posted on Sep 08 2011
By Moneth Deposa
Reporter
Reporter
Over 200 students applying for scholarships with the Saipan Higher Education Financial Assistance were found eligible for awards while close to 80 were denied assistance for not complying with requirements.
SHEFA administrator Henry Hofschneider disclosed that, as of yesterday, 261 applications have qualified for the awards while 78 received notices of ineligibility, or denial letters.
A total of 776 applications were submitted to SHEFA by July 1, the deadline for fall 2011 semester awards. Based on the program’s initial assessment, Hofschneider estimates that 525 will get a share of the $1.5 million scholarship budget for this academic term.
Applicants have until Sept. 30 to submit supporting documents: class schedules, transcript of records, voter’s registration, and memorandum of agreement or promissory note with SHEFA.
Hofschneider said the final number of eligible applicants will be known after Sept. 30; their names will be endorsed to the board for approval.
Classes for the fall 2011 semester have already begun at the Northern Marianas College and in many universities and colleges off-island.
SHEFA scholars and their families are currently paying for all expenses while waiting for the approval of their financial assistance.
In the spring 2011 semester, SHEFA received over 700 applications; 498 were approved. In the previous fall 2010 semester, the number of applicants reached 776. Of that number, 525 were approved.
Despite the reduced awards being handed out by SHEFA these days and the persistent delays in the release of grant checks, Hofschneider said many students still apply for assistance due to the financial hardships being experienced by families.
Hofschneider said that SHEFA is still waiting for the Department of Finance to disburse about $90,000 worth of checks covering $14,000 for spring 2011 scholars and $76,000 for Framingham State University graduates in the fall 2010 semester.
Hofschneider disclosed that a new check request for fall 2011 scholars will be submitted to Finance next week.
Each fiscal year, the Legislature appropriates $3 million for SHEFA programs.
