Previous Story
SHEFA board stalls on regulations for NMTI, trade school scholars
The Saipan Higher Education Financial Assistance Office is still working on establishing a policy dealing with vocational and trade schools in the CNMI.
This yet-to-be-approved policy of the Saipan Higher Education Financial Assistance, would specifically cater to vocational and trade institute students who are eligible to apply and avail of the program’s financial assistance.
According to SHEFA, board members during their board meeting last week said they’re not denying Northern Marianas Trade School scholarships, but eligibility requirements are necessary to be able to receive financial assistance.
SHEFA administrator Merissa S. Rasa said that 29 NMTI applicants had turned in their applications for spring semester 2014, but they were not able to meet the required time on applications turned in.
According to Rasa, half of the 29 applicants are high school graduates. The policy for SHEFA is that all are required to be high school graduates or in a postsecondary school. The only issue is the Saipan Local Law 16-11 for SHEFA. That law requires the student to be a high school graduate with a diploma or its equivalent, yet are simultaneously enrolled in a high school or a high school equivalency program and who are enrolled in a trade institution such as NMTI.
Without the policy change from SHEFA, Saipan Local Law 16-11 cannot be addressed. According to SHEFA board chair Josephine Sablan, they will be meeting sometime next week on the policy so that the issue can be addressed.
