The difference between the “in-state” tuition and the “out-of-state” tuition would be covered by the federal government.
As NMI college students and their parents know, this difference can be substantial, Sablan said.
Students who attend college out-of-state pay an average of $10,867 more per year than their in-state peers, according to the College Board.
“I want to help our students overcome that economic barrier,” Sablan said. “The NMI College Access Act is not meant to take students away from Northern Marianas College. NMC is still a good choice for the first two years of college, because it’s affordable and students can live at home. But NMC does not offer all the programs and opportunities of a 4-year university. The NMI College Access Act is similar to a program for residents of the District of Columbia, enacted in 1999. D.C. has only one public, four-year school, the University of the District of Columbia. D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton successfully argued that the federal government needs to help students in her district overcome this limitation on their college options.
I am arguing the same point for students from the Northern Mariana Islands.”
