Amend scholarship rules

The CNMI could inject about $22,256,000 per year into the local economy if scholarship recipients were first obliged to attend one or two years at NMC before moving on to a university elsewhere.

For each and every student that stays and attends NMC, about $17,120 stays here in the CNMI each year. A full time student pays around $3,420 per year in tuition and $1,200 per year in books. Utilities consumed by each student per year is about $1,200. Around $2,200 per year is spent on food. About $2,400 per year is spent on gas for each student who drives. A one-bedroom apartment costs about $300 per month. That amounts up to $3,600 per year on rent. Nowadays, cell phones are considered necessities for college students. Each student spends an average of $50 per month on cell phones, amounting up to $600 per year. For entertainment and services, each student spends up to $2,500. Entertainment includes cable, internet, movies, bowling, parties, and many others.

We, the NMC alumni association, are asking CNMI lawmakers to look into requiring students who receive SHEFA or CNMI scholarship to attend one or two years at NMC. This would result to around 1,300 students attending NMC and contributing to our dying economy. That amounts up to $22,256,000 per year for the CNMI’s economy. This money would stay in our local economy and help create and secure jobs for many years to come. The figure could be even higher, because of other types of spending. Let’s not forget the taxes paid by students with jobs (additional revenue for the CNMI government). Our colleges, banks, grocery stores, apartments, restaurants, gas stations, movie theatres, telecommunication companies, CUC and many others would all benefit.

Scholarships that are offered in California and other parts of the U.S. require that recipients attend a college or university within the state offering the scholarship. We should, however, allow students to attend school elsewhere, if their field of studies is not offered at NMC or if accreditation does not happen. It is important for us to invest in ourselves. If we do this, NMC wouldn’t have to rely heavily on government funding. This would also allow them to offer more programs and higher degrees in the future, because of the revenue generation. We must support our only college, and at the same time, help rebuild our economy. Support our local colleges, support our local businesses, support our local workforce, support our local products, and support our local economy.