The students’ campuses have shut down and they want to return to the island. Babauta said their parents are hoping that SHEFA could pay for the students’ plane tickets.
Under the law, however, funds for the scholarship program cannot be used for other purposes, he said. Nonetheless, he added that the SHEFA board will meet next week, via teleconference, to discuss the parents’ request.
Meantime, the SHEFA administration is still processing applications for this semester, Babauta said. The board, he added, will find ways to continue the program despite the steep drop in the CNMI’s government revenue collections due the global Covid-19 outbreak.
The law provides SHEFA with $3.5 million in poker license fee collections each year.
