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EAG eligibility issue resolved
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Posted on Jan 05 1999
The Northern Marianas College board voted to include high school students under the Education Assistance Grant to resolve questions over their eligibility to receive the grant.
The board’s action followed the advise of acting Attorney General Maya Kara that NMC adopt a policy regarding EAG eligibility.
NMC President Agnes McPhetres said Kara had promised to support the policy.
NMC is set to convey the policy to the Department of Finance, said Jesus Borja, NMC legal counsel.
But while this policy will resolve the eligibility issue, questions are raised over the qualifications of the high school students enrolled at the Northern Marianas Academy.
Dan Nielsen, special consultant for education, said officials have questioned the eligibility of NMA students for the financial aid because they are thought to have come from families that could well afford to pay for their school expenses.
The EAG has become a selling point for NMA because students with U.S. passports and have fulfilled the three-year residency in the CNMI automatically qualify for aid to cover tuition fees on courses enrolled at NMC.
Meanwhile, NMA students who are not U.S. citizens are required to pay $120 per credit at NMC.
