In fall 2010, SHEFA requested a total of $2,369,700 but the Department of Finance released $1,215,000 only.
This spring semester, SHEFA will be requesting scholarship funds amounting to $600,200.
House Local Bill 17-33, which appropriates $3.26 million including the $3 million for SHEFA scholarship programs and $100,000 for SHEFA operation, is now with the Saipan and Northern Islands Legislative Delegation.
Yesterday, during its meeting, the SHEFA board agreed to ask Finance to prioritize the processing and release of the fall semester scholarship checks.
SHEFA administrator Henry Hofschneider said they received 83 checks worth $99,600 from Finance on Jan. 20, 2011 for the fall semester.
On Jan. 19, as instructed by Finance, SHEFA submitted the last and final list of grant-in-aid recipients involving $41,200 for the fall 2010 term, Hofschneider added.
The request covered 26 on-island and five off-island students.
Hofschneider said Finance had yet to release the checks as of yesterday.
On Jan. 26, SHEFA submitted to Finance a request for $201,000, and $225,000 on Feb. 1 for the scholarship checks for the field of study program for the fall term.
Hofschneider said he was informed that Finance transferred $750,000 to the SHEFA program account, which was sufficient to cover all pending field of study awards.
This week, he added, SHEFA submitted a request for processing $294,000 in incentive awards for 147 students.
He said there are eight checks amounting to $16,400 that will be returned to Finance for cancelation for “various reasons.”
The total amount cancelled for the fall term was $44,300, including the $27,900 that was cancelled last month.
Hofschneider said the amount for the cancelled check is enough to cover the $41,200 last and final grant-in-aid, which remains pending.
“Disbursement of fall 2010 priority field of study and incentive has not been made to date,” he said.
He said the $454,500 for 303 students for the priority field of study and $530,000 for 265 students for incentive awards are all pending for release at Finance.
Because the board has indicated that it wanted all pending fall 2010 awards totaling $984,500 disbursed before proceeding with the spring 2011 awards, the disbursement for the spring 2011 awards may be subject to delay, depending upon the availability of funds, Hofschneider said.
He also reported that SHEFA has denied 96 applications: 16 for on-island and one off-island for new students; 42 for on-island and 37 off-island ongoing students. All are supposed to avail of the grant-in-aid program.
Hofschneider said SHEFA is now reviewing 424 applications and has already approved 328.
