GOVERNOR Ralph DLG Torres on Wednesday signed Senate Bill 22-5 to create a behavioral health professional scholarship in the CNMI.
Authored by Senate President Jude U. Hofschneider, S.B. 22-5 is now Public Law 22-24.
According to the measure, in order to “promote the behavioral health profession and to quickly produce such professionals, it is necessary to provide incentives in the form of scholarships to students to assist them in obtaining graduate degrees in a behavioral health field.”
The behavioral health professional scholarship will provide financial assistance to five students a year who are pursuing a graduate degree in a behavioral health field at an accredited college or university in the CNMI and U.S. or its other territories. The scholarship will pay for costs directly related to the students’ educational needs, including but not limited to tuition, textbooks and school supplies, transportation, health insurance and housing.
The law will provide $10,000 per year to an eligible student enrolled in a graduate program for each master’s degree.
The scholars must return to the CNMI after graduation and licensure to work as behavioral professionals for a period of two years for each year of scholarship assistance.
The scholarship program, which will be administered by the CNMI Scholarship Office, will be funded by CNMI scholarship educational/assistance funds.
The new law has a sunset provision. It states that “the provisions of this article shall expire five years after the effective date of this article.”
Jude U. Hofschneider
