Sablan also reported that his bill, H.R. 935, which seeks to increase the number of openings for CNMI students at the Army, Navy and Air Force academies, has been added to the larger 2010 Defense Authorization, which the U.S. House of Representatives has already passed.
The academies that have unlimited openings for CNMI applicants are the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, and the Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York.
He said the Coast Guard Academy is the smallest of the country’s military academies, and prepares graduates to be Coast Guard officers.
The academy does not require nominations and students who are seeking admission should apply directly to the academy.
But members of the U.S. Congress may make recommendations, Sablan said.
He asked interested students to contact his office and request a recommendation.
For more information, go to his Web site, http://sablan.house.gov.
The Merchant Marine Academy, for its part, prepares students for post-graduate careers in maritime industries or the armed services.
This academy does require congressional nominations but highly qualified students should contact Sablan’s office to request a nomination, he said.
On July 1, Sablan said new student loan benefits took effect, which will allow cheaper interest rates and lower up-front fess on need-based federal tuition loans.
“Pell Grants are going up, so they can cover the average tuition at public universities. Individuals who qualify for these benefits include new borrowers as well as those currently paying back federal student loans,” Sablan said.
He said the U.S. House Committee on Education and Labor, of which he is a member, has prepared a pamphlet about these changes to the student loan program.
