VocEd program yet to get a cent from NRW fees

Even though a law is already in place stipulating that available funds from the Nonresident Worker Fee be made available to the Northern Marianas College, the college’s Vocational Education program has yet to receive a single cent from the fees.

According to the NMC Annual Report 2005, the historic funding level received by the college under Public Law 10-66 has never adequately met the financial needs of NMC, especially its vocational programs.

The report said that in fiscal year 2001, the Comprehensive Budget Act for the CNMI government suspended all earmarking laws, including the provisions of PL 10-66, and limited funding to NMC at $1,191,680.

“To this date, the college has remained at this FY 2001 funding level,” reads part of the report.

The limitations are caused by the CNMI government’s continued lack of a budget, forcing it to operate on a level based on the last approved budget, which was in fiscal year 2002.

Consequently, the college requested a supplemental budget, as it has in previous years, so that additional faculty could be hired for the nursing program and Summer session adjunct faculty could be hired for the programs offered through PL 5-32/10-66 funding.

The college was then provided an additional $518,000 in supplemental funding from the Tobacco Control Fund just to meet the nursing program’s financial requirements.

“The fact that the college must approach the CNMI government annually for supplemental funding clearly demonstrates the need for NMC’s vocational programs to be funded at the level specified in PL 5-32 and PL 10-66,” said the report.

The college initially requested a budget of $1,951,795 for FY 2005 but was only given, under continuing resolution, a budget of $1,191,680, or $760,115 short of the original request. The report said of the actual appropriated amount to NMC, 1 percent, or $11,917, was earmarked for the Office of the Public Auditor as mandated by PL 9-58.

Two percent of the appropriation, or $23,834, was withheld for the purpose of retiring the government’s accumulated deficit.

“The remaining funds were used exclusively for personnel costs for the School of Education, the Technical Trades/Vocational Education Program, the Nursing Program, and the different programs offered by the Business Department.