Chamber sets up scholarship program for college hopefuls

Graduating high school students who pray to go to college but cannot afford it need not fret anymore.

In its effort to further the education of the Commonwealth’s youth, the Saipan Chamber of Commerce announced it is now seeking applicants for its scholarship program.

The scholarship program is available for incoming college students with a 3.0 or better grade point average who wish to study in any higher learning institution, whether in the CNMI, Guam, Hawaii or the mainland US.

Chamber education committee chair Scott Norman said scholarships will be awarded to four deserving graduating high school students who, depending on how they score in the committee’s criteria, will be given $4,000, $3,000, $2,000 and $1,000 scholarship grants for a year.

Aside from a high school transcript showing their GPA , students will also be tasked to write a 1,000-word essay as to why they deserve the scholarship.

The criteria also calls for them to provide the Chamber with either their ACT or SAT scores and for them to submit their college of choice as well as a list of their hobbies and activities, said Mr. Norman, who also serves as principal of Calvary School.

“The scholarship offered by the Chamber is on a year-by-year basis. Those who have won the scholarship this year can re-apply in the next. But they have to go through the same criteria all over again,” he said.

Mr. Norman, however, clarified the Chamber scholarship is not meant to fully fund the applicants’ entire college education, rather the program is only to supplement their tuition.

“It is our hope that in the long run, these scholars would also be able to qualify on other scholarships, whether it be on the island or in the mainland,” he said.

Mr. Norman expects his committee will be able to come out with a shortlist of candidates for the Chamber’s scholarship grant in a month’s time.

The actual awarding of scholarships will be held during a Saipan Chamber of Commerce-sponsored event at the Gilligan’s in Hyatt come June, he further noted.

The scholarship program will be funded by the money the Chamber has collected from its various fund-raising events. Past activities included the 5-kilometer run last August.

One major event that is expected to generate more funding for the scholarship’s “kitty” is this August’s Gubernatorial Debate, disclosed Mr. Norman.

All in all, the Chamber education committee has come up with a $13,000 seed money for the scholarship program.

“We want the seniors in the Commonwealth, both public and private to know, that the chamber has a college scholarship program and that it is looking for applicants,” Mr. Norman said.