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SHEFA has 524 scholars this semester
$861K financial aid to be disbursed this fall
Students studying in the group study rooms (Image courtesy of UBC Library / Flickr)
Over 500 students now avail of financial assistance from the Saipan Higher Educational Financial Assistance program for their postsecondary education.
SHEFA administrator Merissa Seman-Rasa disclosed to Saipan Tribune Friday that a total of 524 college students are being provided financial aid this semester, both from off-island and scholars enrolled at the Northern Marianas College.
The SHEFA program is administered by the Saipan Mayor’s Office. It aims to help SHEFA recipients pursue an education at U.S. accredited institutions of higher learning or technical institutes at home or abroad.
Using poker fees for its scholarship programs, SHEFA has three programs: grant-in-aid, field-of-study, and incentive program.
Seman-Rasa disclosed that the grant-in-aid program has a total of 524 recipients this semester, enrolled here and universities abroad. An estimated $516,800 will be disbursed to all these recipients this semester.
In the field-of-study program, Seman-Rasa bared that there are 166 eligible students, mostly junior level or higher.
In the incentive program, SHEFA expects to provide a total of $179,000 to 146 recipients. These are students who maintain a 3.5 or higher grade point average in college.
Seman-Rasa said the total amount to be disbursed for all three scholarship programs is $861,800 this semester.
SHEFA is allocated $3 million every year; the money comes from revenues generated from poker fees and licenses.
Meantime, Seman-Rasa reminded applicants that the deadline for submission of application for the spring 2014 semester is on Dec. 1 while supporting documents are due on Feb. 28, 2014. Late applications will not be accepted. Students who submitted application for the fall 2013 semester are not required to resubmit another application.
Since the program’s inception, the government has invested $17.7 million on SHEFA programs.
