Powers and Duties. The Scholarship Board shall: (a) Establish policies pertaining to higher education financial assistance consistent with this article; provided that the Board shall not require students to attend the Northern Marianas College for the first two years of college as a condition of receiving financial assistance. (b) Administer the financial assistance program for eligible residents of the CNMI authorized under this article. (c) Have authority and control of all funds appropriated by the Commonwealth Government or otherwise made available to the board for education financial assistance. (d) Receive and accept from any individual, association or corporation, gifts, grants and donations of money for the purpose of providing education financial assistance. (e) Enter into such contracts including employment contracts as are necessary or incidental to the performance of the board’s duties and in carrying out the functions of the board under this article. (f) Record, monitor, and maintain financial records of monies received by the board for education financial assistance and for its operational costs. (g) Establish programs and criteria for education financial assistance including, but not limited to, grants, scholarships, or loans, for: (1) Eligible applicants enrolled at a CNMI trade institution such as the Northern Marianas Trade Institute, a United States trade institution, or an accredited institution of higher education; (2) Eligible high school students with dual or early enrollment at a postsecondary institution; (3) Employees in the CNMI who enroll, part-time or full-time, at the Northern Marianas College; and (4) The CNMI Scholarship and Financial Assistance Office shall promulgate necessary guidelines to implement subsections (1)–(3). Provided that the guidelines shall specifically provide that the financial assistance for early enrollment pursuant to subsection (2) shall be used to pay the college tuition, books, and expenses and not to pay tuition and fees of the high school institution. (h) Set up procedures for awarding education financial assistance. (i) Receive and review applications for education financial assistance. (j) Receive, maintain and review records of all education financial assistance. (k) Issue an annual report to the Governor and presiding officers of the legislature, but not be limited to its policies, financial reports, listing of students by school attended and school year, and any other information which the board may deem appropriate. (l) Prescribe reasonably necessary rules and regulations pursuant to 1 CMC §§ 9101 through 9115, Administrative Procedure Act, to carry out the intent of this Act.
(m) Do any and all other things necessary to the full and convenient exercise of the above powers. Source: PL 18-40 § 4(105) (Mar. 21, 2014); (g) amended by PL 19-65 § 3 (Sept. 16, 2016), modified; amended by PL 24-10, § 3 (Aug. 5, 2025). Commission Comment: The Commission changed “subsections (1), (2), and (3) of this section” to “subsections (1)–(3)” and changed “guideline” to “guidelines” in (g)(4) pursuant to 1 CMC § 3806(g).