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NMC posts 108 ‘nonresident’ students in Spring enrolment
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Posted on Jan 28 2009
The Northern Marianas College has a total of 108 nonresident students this Spring semester—a number that may be affected once federalization comes in June this year.
Data from the Office of Admission and Records showed that these nonresident students were counted in the total enrollment figure of 825 as of yesterday.
NMC has two categories for students: resident enrollees who pay $95 per credit unit and nonresidents who pay double, or $190 per credit unit.
Last Fall 2008, NMC recorded 124 nonresident students availing of all the institution’s programs and services.
NMC could not immediately determine yesterday whether these nonresident enrollees have student visas, citing the different “types” of visas and permits allowed for them to be in the institution.
In an early interview with Department of Homeland Security policy adviser Alex Hartman, he disclosed that besides the “impact” on tourism, some educational institutions that cater to foreign students would be affected as they would require obtaining the necessary visas for enrollees.
Hartman said there are two student visa categories: Foreign students wanting to avail of academic programs at NMC will be asked to obtain the “F” category, while vocational programs are under the “M” category.
Though he refused to give specifics on these visas, he said the two are generally the requirements to allow foreign students to “come here, stay, and study.”
NMC officials believe that federalization will affect its recruitment efforts, especially in tapping potential enrollees from foreign countries like China.
Most of the CNMI private schools are also hosts to foreign students like Koreans, Chinese, Japanese, Indians, and Filipinos.
Like NMC, administrators of these private schools have expressed worry about the effect of federalization on their enrollment. Other postsecondary schools that may be affected are institutions like Emmanuel College, CNMI University of Loyola, American Mediscience University, and others.
