Washington, D.C. — College students from the Northern Mariana Islands would pay “in-state” or “resident” tuition at any public college or university in the United States under provisions of legislation introduced today by Congressman Gregorio “Kilili” C. Sablan.
The bill authorizes tuition grants of up to $15,000 per year to make a college education more affordable to graduates of Northern Marianas high schools. By reducing cost Kilili’s proposal also increases the number of public universities that NMI students can aspire to attend.
“The purpose of this bill is to expand the educational options available to our high school seniors and allow them to attend some of the best schools in the country regardless of cost,” said Sablan.
Under Sablan’s legislation, the federal government would make funds available each year for grants to Northern Marianas college students.
The grants would close the gap between the tuition charged by state universities for residents and the tuition charged out-of-state students.
A student from the Northern Marianas would only pay the regular “in-state” tuition. The federal grant would cover the rest of the cost.
The difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition can be substantial.
At the University of Guam, for instance, the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition can add up to over $9,000. Under Kilili’s bill that $9,000 difference would be covered by a federal grant.
At the University of Hawaii, students from the Northern Marianas can expect to pay $1,692 more than residents of the state. At nationally-recognized schools, like the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), out-of-state students can pay up to $19,000 more in tuition and fees.
