CNMI Scholarship Office open for full services

The CNMI Scholarship Office is now open for full services from Monday to Thursday, from 7:30am to 4:30pm, excluding holidays and austerity Fridays.

CSO administrator Rose Pangelinan Camacho said CSO is now ready to continue to provide services for students with their higher education journeys and career goals. “We are truly thankful to our parents and students for their patience and understanding of the delay of services during the shutdown. CSO will continue to provide college access programs to our students, efficiently and safely, while we maximize the efficacy of the mitigation efforts of social distancing,” said Camacho.

She said there will be some changes implemented in CSO’s services to protect both CSO employees and scholarship recipients and parents.

“We ask for your continued patience as we all adapt and fully embrace new technological resources and utilize digital channels to interact on services instead of visiting our office. We are thankful that we can utilize such services to best serve you while keeping everyone safe. We have an obligation to do our very best to serve you as we continue to respond with needed changes that allow us to better serve you, while keeping all involved in the process safe during the COVID-19 pandemic,” she added.

Those changes in the delivery of services include:

• Electronic applications will still be utilized. Access is available annually beginning May 1 to July 1 for fall term or Oct. 15 to Dec. 15 for winter/spring terms;
• CSO will only accept electronic copies of all supporting documents in PDF format via email (electronic transcripts must be sent directly from your institutions only via Student National Clearing House, eSCRIP-SAVE or other hosts). For the few institutions that do not support electronic transcripts, have your institution mail hard copies via U.S. Postal Service directly to CSO at the address: CNMI Scholarship Office P.O Box 5729 CHRB Saipan, MP 96950;
• Virtual meetings via Zoom on appointment only. Send request to the addresses below;
• CSO will only accommodate curbside (in CSO carport) drop off of supporting documents by appointment for our students in need of accommodations. Wear a mask when interacting with CSO staff; and,
• Student Loan payment receipts must be sent via email; you may continue to make payments at the CNMI Treasury or mail your check directly to CSO.

Camacho said that prior to the shutdown, CSO was operating at about 80% electronically online in the processing of scholarship applications and conducting compliance needs.

“Once again, CSO continues to ask for your patience, understanding, and cooperation as we prepare to fully transition to 100% electronic processing of all financial assistance, compliance, repayment, and collection services beginning academic year [academic year] 2020-21,” she added.

CSO will begin to utilize digital signatures via DocuSign for all documents requiring a recipient or prior recipient’s signature.

“We will transition from the use of the memorandum of agreement to a contract that you may sign electronically. This will make it easier to send documents. Also, CSO will work with the Department of Finance to allow us to disburse all scholarships or loans via direct deposit or ACH for off-island and online students. Lastly, our IT [information technology] is currently working on a feature on our student portal that will enable students to upload their supporting documents, except for the electronic transcripts. These efforts are to efficiently streamline the application and disbursement process and keep everyone safe,” she added.

Contact information

• Scholarships and Grants: Blair Palacios awards@cnmischolarship.net, (670) 664-4750
• Compliance, Repayment, and Collections: Mildred Camacho compliance@cnmischolarship.net, (670) 664-4752
• Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education: Carmen Sablan wiche@cnmischolarship.net, (670) 664-4750 Board of Directors secretary: Carmen Sablan board@cnmischolarship.net, (670) 664-4750
• Vendors: Carmen Sablan carmen@cnmischolarship.net, (670) 664-4750 (PR)