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NMC prepares for further cut
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Posted on Mar 01 1999
The Northern Marianas College is poised to introduce changes in tuition fees next semester in order to live within its anticipated budget for year 2000.
Chairman of the Board of Regents Manuel Sablan proposed to reduce the tuition fees for the associate degrees but raise the charges for the Baccalaureate program.
He also instructed school officials to explore education loan windows and seek for additional federal education grants.
Current federal educational assistance which NMC students can avail of include the Pell grant, two campus-based funding and the veterans education program.
Among these choices, Pell extends the best offer, a maximum of $3,000 a year or $1,500 per semester for each recipient. Federal funding for campus-based gives $200 to $400 to each student under its work study program, and $100 for supplemental.
Assistance from the Veterans Affairs office only covers a limited number of students. NMC records showed that at least two to three students do qualify for it.
According to NMC President Agnes McPhetres, the college was advised to prepare next year’s budget with a 2.8 percent less than 1999. Including funding from P.L. 10-33, NMC expects to get $3.7 million to cover its entire operations next year.
“There has to be more actions taken within the college to live within that budget,” she said.
“Because of the oversight hearing, major changes will take place, I promise,” Sablan replied.
In contrast with Sablan, she expects a drop in the enrollment next school year. The Chairman believes that there will be an increase in the number of students coming to NMC since the further reduction of educational grants will discourage people from going out.
“We have to take those into consideration,” she said.
Initial budget preparation had identified a big shortfall on personnel alone in the Vocational Education program. Vice President for Administration Tee Abraham said the board should set the directions on what programs will be let go while funding is hard to find.
