Accountability Report A Statistical Profile February, 2004 - April, 2005 OFFICE OF THE MAYOR MUNICIPALITY OF SAIPAN P.O.Box 10001, PMB 3648 Saipan MP 96950-8901 Tel: (670) 233-5995 Fax: (670) 233-5996 Website: www.saipanshefa.com Email: [email protected] Board Members SHEFA SHEFA Mayor Juan Borja Tudela SHEFA Chairwoman Felicidad T. Ogumoro Jose C. Leon Guerrero-Member Howard I. Macaranas-Member Max Olopai - Member Perry John P. Tenorio - Member 2 Statement he mission of the Saipan Higher Education Financial TAssistance (SHEFA) under the Municipality of Mission Saipan, Offi ce of the Mayor, is to invest in the limited human capital resources of qualifi ed residents of Saipan (inclusive of the Northern Islands) through a supplementary fi nancial assistance, upon availability of funds pursuant to Saipan Local Law 13-21, for purposes of pursuing post-secondary education on Saipan or abroad, and in recognition of the need for educated citizenry and workforce on Saipan, with the broad expectation of SHEFA and assurance from all applicants and recipients of SHEFA fi nancial assistance to return to Saipan upon a successful completion of a higher education with the necessary and suffi cient knowledge, skill, attitude and work ethic in order to provide services on Saipan in the private sector, government, nongovernmental (NGO) organizations as well as not-for-profi t organizations. 3 Contents Page Cover Page: SHEFA Accountability Report The SHEFA Board Members 2 Mission Statement 3 Foreword 5 Table of Table Executive Summary Analysis 7 Greetings by SHEFA Chairperson Felicidad T. Ogumoro 10 Greetings by Saipan Mayor Juan B. Tudela 12 Text Profile of SHEFA Scholars 15 Text Profile of SHEFA Fiscal Resources and Outlays 20 SHEFA Board Members and Professional Resources 24 Graphic Profile of SHEFA Scholars Chapter One: Profile of SHEFA Applications 26 Chapter Two: Profile of SHEFA Awards 27 Chapter Three: Reasons for Ineligibility 28 Chapter Four: Types of Financial Assistance 29 Chapter Five: Student Classification Status 30 Chapter Six: Class Standing by Year in College 31 Chapter Seven: Graduation Schedule 32 Chapter Eight: Selected Field of Study 33 Chapter Nine: Selected Career Choice 34 Chapter Ten: Place of Study 35 Chapter Eleven: Memo of Agreement w/SHEFA 36 Chapter Twelve: Course-Taking Pattern 37 Chapter Thirteen: Types of Learning Institution 38 Chapter Fourteen: Precinct-by-Precinct Analysis 39 Chapter Fifteen: Village-by-Village Analysis 40 Chapter Sixteen: Survey of Colleges & University: Saipan and Abroad 41 Graphic Profile of SHEFA Fiscal Resources and Outlays Chapter One: Sources of Funding 43 Chapter Two: Profile of SHEFA Awardees 44 Chapter Three: Types of Financial Assistance 45 Chapter Four: Class Standing by Year in College 46 Chapter Five: Selected Priority Field of Study/Career Choice 47 Chapter Six: Types of Learning Institution 48 Chapter Seven: Per Pupil Revenue 49 Chapter Eight: Operations Cost 50 Compendium of On-Line Financial Resources 51 Back Cover: Types of SHEFA Financial Assistance and Requirements 4 his inaugural report highlights the first anniversary of the Saipan Higher Education Financial Assistance (SHEFA) since it became Saipan Local Law 13-21 (SLL 13-21) on February 2, T2004. SLL 13-21 established the Saipan municipal higher education financial assistance and placed the program within the Office of the Mayor of Saipan for administrative purposes. Deemed a supplementary municipal financial assistance, eligibility is restricted to qualified residents of Saipan, including the Northern Islands, who are pursuing post-secondary education in U.S. accredited institutions of higher learning on Saipan or abroad. The specific restriction on Saipan residency Foreword reflects the intent of Saipan Local Law 13-21 as amended by Saipan Local Law 14-13. This seminal municipal assistance for Saipan residents in college received a supplemental appropriation in Saipan Local Law 14-11 and Saipan Local Law 14-9. The restriction on eligibility is also restated in the SHEFA rules and regulations, including the provision on residency referenced in Public Law 12-18. Accordingly, this inaugural report comports with the specific requirements of Saipan Local Law 13- 21. Section 5(m) of the local Act mandates an annual report to include, but not limited to SHEFA policies, financial reports, recipients information and data, identification of institutions of higher learning or technical institutes and other pertinent information and data. This Accountability Report, therefore, incorporates data and information on the first year of implementation of SHEFA, which includes information on the disbursement of financial assistance in the Fall 2004 and Spring 2005, among others. The day following the effective date of the Saipan municipal scholarship, Mayor Juan Borja Tudela appointed the members of the municipal Board of SHEFA. The Mayor’s swift action on his appointment expedited the implementation of the municipal scholarship program, leading to the inaugural Fall 2004 award on September 2004 and the Spring 2005 award in early January of 2005. This report also includes student and financial information and data for the Spring 2005 3.5 GPA performance scholarship approved by the SHEFA board on March 23, 2005. The Mayor’s timely action on the SHEFA governance culminated in the grand opening of the SHEFA office in Garapan on January 28, 2005, due in large measure to the Saipan Mayor’s positive working partnership with the Commonwealth Development Authority (CDA) and the Northern Marianas Housing Corporation (NMHC). Mayor Tudela’s unprecedented accomplishment in working with the Saipan & Northern Islands Legislative Delegation (SNILD); having Governor Babauta signed the municipal scholarship into law; appointing the members of the SHEFA board and working with SNILD on their confirmation; assisting the board in the promulgation of the SHEFA rules and regulations through the Office of the Attorney General; working with the Secretary of the Department of Finance in setting up the SHEFA accounts; and providing the needed logistical support to the SHEFA board in receiving applications and awarding students in the Fall 2004 and Spring 2005, all reflect the Mayor’s leadership 5 in higher education on Saipan. The Mayor’s efforts also speak volumes of his dedication to college students from Saipan at home and abroad. The Mayor’s enthusiastic endorsement of the Saipan Higher Education Financial Assistance (SHEFA) initiative and his diligent and tireless lobbying with the Saipan and Northern Islands Legislative Delegation, including Governor Babauta, resulted in the timely implementation of the new Saipan municipal scholarship fund, and it is for this reason SHEFA’s inaugural Accountability Report is dedicated to Saipan Mayor Juan Borja Tudela. Saipan Mayor Juan B. Tudela with graduating seniors of Marianas Baptist Academy, MBA Principal and Faculty during SHEFA’s 2005 school visit to the campus. Northern Marianas Academy graduating seniors and Principal McKenzie with Mayor Juan B. Tudela during SHEFA’s school visit to the As Terlaje campus. 6 Summary Analysis he Accountability Report has two main parts. The first section is a profile of students based on information and data submitted to the Saipan Higher Education Financial Assistance T(SHEFA) within the Office of the Mayor of Saipan. This section highlights both the number of applications received and the actual number of awards provided to bona fide residents of Saipan and the Northern Islands. The progress report covers the events leading up to and including the first awards for the Fall 2004 and Spring 2005 academic terms. The types of financial assistance awards for Fall 2004 and Spring 2005 are limited to grant-in-aid, priority field of study and 3.5 GPA. Still to be implemented are the need-based scholarship, career prep voucher, need- based loan, demand loan and merit loan. Implementation of these remaining Executive SHEFA assistance depends on the availability and stability of funding sourced from the fees collected from poker licenses on Saipan. Moreover, the student profile also provides information and data on the status of students in college as undergraduate, graduate and advanced standing pursuing post-secondary education on Saipan and abroad, including statistics on projected year of graduation from college; field of study; choice of career; place of study; reasons for award ineligibility; status on memorandum of agreement as completers and non-completers; college course-taking pattern; precinct designation and village cluster. Of the 351 students who submitted applications to SHEFA in the Fall 2004 and Spring 2005 academic terms, only 306 initially qualified for financial assistance: 186 in the Fall term and 120 in the Spring term. Reasons for non-qualification include lack of supporting document(s) to low GPA. Based on the number of applicants who initially qualified for financial assistance, the financial assistance for the Fall 2004 term amounted to $444,400, slightly less for the Spring 2005 term at $312,100, for a sum total of $756,500 for the two academic terms. The per pupil revenue for the Fall on-island recipients amounted to $2,009.57 and $2,777.17 for Fall off-island awardees. The Spring per pupil revenue, on the other hand, is pegged at $2,127.27 for on-island awardees and $3,048.44 for off-island recipients. The average combined per pupil revenue for Fall and Spring recipients topped at $2490.61. Undergraduate applicants topped at 336; 15 were on graduate status and two (2) in advanced standing. The number of students attending college on-island is fewer by 11 compared to those in school abroad at 149 and 156 respectively. Of the 306 recipients, only 295 have submitted original signed memorandum of agreement, a contract essentially between SHEFA and the recipient that obligates contractually all recipients to provide services on Saipan within 90 days of graduation from college or institutions of learning beyond high school in the private sector, non-profit organizations, the government or as entrepreneurs. In the field of study category, education majors remained a major of choice, seconded by business with liberal arts majors trailing behind.