NMC seeks scholarship fund boost

The Northern Marianas College yesterday sought assistance from the legislature to funnel more than $500,000 in government funds into a critical scholarship program for some 530 students enrolled this spring semester.

College officials met with some members from the Senate and the House of Representatives to lobby for additional money in a bid to shore up the rapidly depleting funds in light of a budget cut implemented by the Tenorio administration for the second quarter.

NMC, led by its President Agnes M. McPhetres, expressed concern over a recent decision by the administration not to allocate funds into the program — a move which may imperil the education of close to 530 students attending CNMI’s lone higher educational institution.

Although they pledged to help the college, legislators cautioned that the availability of funds depends on whether the economic situation on the island improves in the next few months to raise enough revenues for public spending.

Rep. Karl T. Reyes, chair of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, said fund infusion into the scholarship program will involve juggling of government money to accommodate NMC’s request.

In fact, Saipan lawmakers have set aside some $488,000 from the proceeds of the license fees of poker and pachinko slot machines in the third senatorial district specifically for the program.

But the allotment is still short of the $527,000 anticipated to be given by the state college to some of its students for the spring semester. The government may have to slash appropriations to other non-essential departments and agencies to meet the shortfall, according to legislators.

A college official said NMC will have to reduce its financial aid to each student from $1,300 to $1,000 for the whole semester to cover 530 students under the program.

He said they are hoping that the legislature will fulfill its promise to persuade Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio to cut the budget of other government offices further than the 13.4 percent he implemented in the second quarter allotment.

“In order for them to meet their financial needs, we need to do this cut,” Reyes said, adding that about a quarter of the percentage point in additional cuts what may be added on top of the current reduction.

But House Speaker Diego T. Benavente assured NMC officials that the scholarship program is still a priority of the Tenorio administration despite the steep decline in revenue collections in the past few months due to the worsening economic crisis in the CNMI.

“It is very critical,” he told in an interview after the meeting. “We can’t just say to the students that ‘No, we’re not going to give you money this semester.'”

Senate President Paul A. Manglona likewise proposed a more permanent financial grants for local students to avoid risking their education when the island government is suffering from plummeting revenues.

“We realize that revenues are going down but priority is a priority,” he explained, “and we have to continue to look for other ways… to make sure that (these students) are permanent part of the financial aid programs of the government.”

The meeting was the second such discussion on the government scholarship policies since last week when NMC asked senators to shed light on some $4 million appropriated for its grant programs for FY 1999.