(Press Release) — The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands continues to advance its efforts to strengthen student pathways from high school through postsecondary education and into the workforce with the formal inclusion of the CNMI Scholarship and Financial Aid Office or CSFAO as a partner agency in the P20W (Preschool through Workforce) partnership.
CSFAO’s participation expands the CNMI’s capacity to responsibly connect scholarship and financial aid data with education and workforce information as the Statewide Longitudinal Data System or SLDS continues to be developed. This partnership establishes the foundation for future analysis of how financial supports influence postsecondary access, persistence, completion, and workforce participation for CNMI students.
On Dec. 5, 2025, P20W CNMI executive leadership voted to formally approve CSFAO’s participation in the P20W Data Governance Committee, recognizing the critical role financial aid data plays in understanding postsecondary access, persistence, and completion for CNMI students. Following approval, CSFAO was officially onboarded by the CNMI SLDS team on Jan. 16, 2026.
Through participation in the P20W data governance structure, CSFAO will contribute to the development of secure data-sharing practices and policies that will, over time, enable the CNMI to better understand the full student journey — from high school graduation, through postsecondary education, and scholarship recipients’ compliance into the local workforce.
“Bringing CSFAO into the P20W partnership strengthens our ability to understand the full picture of student pathways,” said Geralyn Dela Cruz, CNMI SLDS data governance manager. “Financial aid is a critical lever for postsecondary access and persistence, and this partnership allows us to responsibly connect that information to workforce outcomes.”
“CSFAO has been looking forward to joining the P20W partnership, and we are excited to finally be at the table,” said Mildred Sablan-Camacho, CSFAO administrator.
The onboarding session, facilitated by the CNMI SLDS team, introduced CSFAO leadership and data stewards to the P20W data governance structure, including roles and responsibilities under the P20W Data Governance Memorandum of Understanding, data privacy and security requirements, data transfer processes, and the use of integrated data to inform future policy and program improvement.
CSFAO now joins a growing group of P20W partners, including the CNMI Public School System, Northern Marianas College, Northern Marianas Technical Institute, the CNMI Department of Commerce, the CNMI Department of Labor, and the Department of Finance — working collaboratively to strengthen the education-to-workforce continuum in the Commonwealth.
About the CNMI Statewide Longitudinal Data System
The CNMI SLDS Program is a state initiative dedicated to collecting and integrating education and workforce data, bridging the gap between information and action. By providing valuable insights and tools, the program empowers policymakers, practitioners, and the public to make informed decisions that improve outcomes across the Commonwealth.
The CNMI SLDS team includes:
• Dr. Annette Pladevega-Sablan, project director)
• Jeaniffer Cubangbang, technical manager
• Geralyn Dela Cruz, data governance manager
• Ferdinand Ngirmekur, data privacy specialist
• Louie Dean Bautista, BI Analyst
The SLDS is a collaborative effort supported by the U.S. Department of Education, state education agencies, and other stakeholders, including educators, researchers, and policymakers.
To learn more about the Statewide Longitudinal Data System, visit https://slds.cnmipss.org
