Besides tuition, NMC to increase other fees

The Northern Marianas College Board of Regents is contemplating changes that will help it cope with the government’s decision to slash $1.5 million from the college’s fiscal year 2006 budget.

Aside from increasing its tuition, NMC president Tony V. Deleon Guerrero said the college is also looking at assessing additional rates for its extra-curricular activities, abolition of its International Student classification program, increasing fees for its placement tests, and pouring in more resources to help students secure study grants.

Deleon Guerrero said the board agreed during a meeting last March 22 to impose a $30 increase per credit unit effective Fall Semester 2006.

“This raises resident tuition to $95 and to $190 for nonresident students per credit,” said Deleon Guerrero.

He added that the following Education courses—ED 320, ED 321, ED 435, ED 417, ED 492 and ED 495—as well as Nursing courses—NU 107, NU 108, NU 109, NU 207, NU 212, and NU 203—will all be assessed a $300 course fee effective Summer Semester 2006.

Deleon Guerrero said the tuition increase was considered due to the higher costs of supervision and instruction required in the education and nursing programs.

The NMC president also said that the special fees for golf, scuba, and windsurfing will be set at $100 for each course.

“There will also be a $25 fee for those students taking the Math Placement Test,” he said.

Another casualty of the budget cut is the rescinding of the International Student classification program. Deleon Guerrero said Board Policy 8001.1 has already been revised to clearly define the two categories of students at NMC—resident and nonresident—aligning with the current changes at the college.

“In order to assist students in meeting the higher tuition costs, the Student Services program will also be establishing and operating workshops to assist students in applying for federal and local financial aid,” he said.

As for the job vacancies that were advertised before, these will remain frozen pending funding availability.

“None of these actions were taken lightly, without extensive deliberation and without recognizing their consequences,” said Deleon Guerrero, adding that the college must take drastic actions in order to maintain its academic course offerings both for the summer and fall.

BOR chairwoman Kimberlyn King-Hinds earlier announced during the college’s 25th Silver Anniversary Commemoration Day that NMC would be raising its tuition from $65 to $95 per credit unit for resident students.

King-Hinds said the move is part of plans to help the college cope with its severely limited budget for the year.

She also disclosed that a hiring freeze is in the offing because of the government’s move to slash NMC’s funding.

King-Hinds said the hiring freeze would equate to $588,356 in related savings. The board chair said the action would result in less instructors, less counselors, and one less school dean.

The college’s operational costs were also cut by $456,222, she said.

“That cut will have a direct impact on the quality of our delivery of programs and services,” she said, adding that the cut will tremendously affect their future accreditation with accrediting agencies such as the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.