The Marshall Islands is facing a 50 percent cutback from current levels of $1.2 million annually, while the FSM has been put on notice that $1.8 million a year could be cut from its current scholarship support.
FSM President Emmanuel Mori objected to the planned cuts to both the scholarship program and the College of Micronesia, saying in a letter to the Interior Department that “what is staggering is not only the amount of these cuts, but the arbitrary and capricious way in which they are being proposed, with very minimal descriptive rationales, with almost no hard data to support them, no alternate expenditure plans and, most importantly, with absolutely no discussion with FSM leaders.”
“The Marshall Islands feels that the U.S. is not considering all of the relevant information and factors in this matter,” said Marshall Islands Foreign Minister John Silk after the Joint Economic Management and Financial Accountability Committee, or JEMFAC, approved the scholarship cut to $600,000 for FY 2013 at its meeting on August 30.
The U.S. holds a 3-2 majority on JEMFAC, although the scholarship reduction resolution was adopted by both the U.S. and Marshall Islands governments with the proviso that it be “reviewed” next year.
The JEMFAC resolution on cutting scholarship funding refers to data showing only 14 percent of Marshall Islands scholarship recipients graduated from 2004-2010.
Historically, Marshall Islands college students have demonstrated a poor completion rate. A study of scholarship recipients from 1986-2001 showed than only 33 percent of those receiving funds completed their programs — but a high percentage of those whom completed were in certificate or two-year degree programs, not higher-level degree programs.
The Marshall Islands Scholarship program’s report for 2004 through 2011 shows that 639 students have received scholarship aid and 190 of those have graduated from their programs. That is a 30 percent graduation rate.
But only 114 of these 190 graduates have graduated with BA or MA degrees, which is about 18 percent of those receiving scholarships. The rest, 76 (12 percent of those receiving U.S. scholarship support), completed lower-level courses such as certificate, diploma or AA degree programs.
Another important issue is few Marshallese are completing master’s degrees or higher degrees. The 11 who attained master’s degrees from 2004-2011 represent fewer than two percent of the students who received scholarships.
The high dropout rate is a problem for the Marshall Islands scholarship board. “Students dropping out of school due to low academic performance, among other things, is a concern of the Marshall Islands Scholarship, Grant and Loan Board,” the report said. “These students struggle with their academic programs mainly due to poor academic preparation at elementary and high school levels particularly in the areas of English, math, and science. They performed poorly and simply cannot meet the (scholarship program’s) required grade point average of 2.3 (and) are forced to leave school.”
The scholarship program said it has a number of initiatives that includes starting counseling and preparation for high school students with college potential, and providing ongoing counseling for students once they receive scholarships.
