“We just want to make sure that these limited dollars are stretched so more individuals will have the opportunity to go to college,” she said.
Hart said they are endorsing a proposal that would compel local students receiving local scholarship assistance to study at NMC for their first and second years in college.
“This would help the students and the local economy. It’s beneficial to all,” she said.
Frankie M. Eliptico, NMC Office of Institutional Advancement director, said many local residents get a job after graduating from high school but most of them also want to attend college.
“There aren’t many financial opportunities available to these adults because a lot of them cannot be full-time students and leave their jobs,” he said.
SHEFA board vice chairwoman Josephine T. Sablan agreed that graduating local high school students should spend their first and second years in college on island.
She said SHEFA cannot rely forever on poker machine fees.
“We have to think how to make our money more useful. Lots of our [scholarship] money doesn’t stay here. There has to be ways our leaders will come up with more ideas on how we can stretch our money,” she said.
SHEFA board chairman Joe Mafnas said they will create a committee that will continue to discuss this issue with NMC.
