NMC scholars stage SOCA rally to demand checks

A group of Northern Marianas College students who have not received their scholarship checks protested outside the Pedro P. Tenorio Multi-Purpose Hall last Friday during Gov. Benigno R. Fitial’s State of the Commonwealth Address.

At least 10 NMC students stood under the scorching sun waiting for the SOCA to end. They waved placards that read, “To make a difference you need a strong mind!” and “What happens to ‘education is important?,’” among others.

The students said the CNMI Scholarship Office and the Saipan Higher Education Financial Assistance have not released their checks yet and they are at a loss as to when they will finally get them.

“Nobody is giving us real information,” said Chang Torres, who led the group.

The students later talked to Finance Secretary Eloy Inos who tried to pacify the group.

Torres told Inos that her group represents over 120 NMC students currently enrolled on the college’s Saipan campus who have not received their scholarship checks since January this year.

“Our semester is ending on May 6,” said Torres, adding that the local government has not been telling them about the actual situation.

Torres said she has been talking with the CNMI Scholarship Office but they have failed to give them any answers. She added that when students followed up their checks with the office clerks, they would always tell the students to speak directly with Inos.

“The government should inform the students that there is no funding so that we would not hope for a good education anymore,” said the students.

Torres, a third year Education Program student and a teacher at Childhood Development in Koblerville, said some students break their backs and go the extra mile just to obtain higher learning, yet every year they always have difficulty getting their checks. “It even gets worse every year.”

As a scholar, Torres is due to receive at least $2,100 for this semester. Although the college still allows them to report to class, she said the delay has been affecting them in school, especially when they are required to purchase school materials. “We couldn’t buy books and keep up with the curriculum,” she said.

Consequently, students would opt to either drop the class or incur an Incomplete grade.

Torres said their education has been extremely affected. “As scholars we have to maintain our GPA [grade point average] to maintain our scholarships,” she said. However, if students either fail or don’t complete the subjects, they eventually lose their scholarships.

Inos assured the protesters that his office would look into their claims immediately, though he also told them that the CNMI right now doesn’t have money. He assured the protesters that he would help them. He also took the contact numbers of the students.

Torres, together with more than 50 NMC students, also attended the SOCA inside the Multi-Purpose Hall. She expressed shock when the governor said he would not talk about education.

“He didn’t even touch on it,” she said, shaking her head.

She said this made the students feel “unimportant.”