NMC proposes gradual increase in student fees starting Fall ’26

12/03/2025 - Northern Marianas College is proposing a gradual increase in student fees beginning Fall 2026 to address declining revenues, rising operational costs, and significant upcoming expenses tied to new facilities and technology systems.

NMC chief financial officer David Attao said the last time the college raised its tuition fee was in 2016, and while the college will not implement a tuition fee yet—the proposal is for Fall 2027—it is looking to gradually hike several student fees beginning Fall 2026.

“Inflation, cost of living, cost of construction, cost of everything has skyrocketed since then. And back then, we also had more income and finances brought in through former laws, Public Law 5-32, Public Law 10-66, U.S. Public Law 110-229, then U.S. law that we get a small portion of that helps subsidize the expenses for NMC for mostly for the students. If you calculate the expenses to operate this college, we're averaging about $20 million a year,” said Attao in his presentation during the NMC Board of Regents meeting last Dec. 2 at the college’s As Terlaje campus.

Under the proposal, the facility fee will rise from $100 to $150 in Fall 2026 before going up to $200 and $250 in Spring 2027 and Fall 2027, respectively. 

NMC’s technology fee will also be augmented from $50 to $125 in Fall 2026‚ before rising to $200 in Spring 2027 and $250 in Fall 2027.

NMC president Dr. Galvin Deleon Guerrero said the ultimate goal for the gradual increase is to avoid the long gaps between tuition and student fee adjustments that have characterized past practice.

“We wanted to share with the regents that rather than coming to the regents at every meeting or every year, in fact, we wanted to increase tuition and fees over time so that it was gradual and not done like every decade, like the current practices. And so that's why we've brought these proposals to you. In fact, if you look at the proposed recommendations, it lays out a two-year plan, not just a one-year plan. So we're trying to look beyond just the year that the current policy requires and look towards two years. And hopefully one day we will get to sort of like the three to five-year forecast that will sort of match typical lengths or terms of strategic master plans,” he said.

Meanwhile, Attao said the tuition increase proposed for Fall 2027 will hover around 2-5% and NMC is also considering adjustments to international/nonresident rates and the addition or revision of other course and processing fees.

The college’s CFO said NMC only generates $8 million-$12 million annually, with the rest of its funding subsidized by the government and from federal funds.

“The challenges that we face, and you know this by now, are that our costs are going up and our funding is remaining stagnant or retained. We used to make over $12 million in income, which I mentioned earlier. We're down to roughly $8.56 million, and this number keeps going down depending on the appropriations we get. We keep battling every year for, you know, a decent amount to keep us floating the way we want to do. All with the purpose to get the students the education that they deserve, at the quality that we can give them,” he said.

Declining revenue streams for NMC come as full-time equivalent enrollment has dropped from 1,400 in Fall 2022 to a projected 1,060 in Fall 2025. 

On the expense side, personnel costs now total $8.3 million and are expected to climb roughly 10% annually. Existing facilities cost about $800,000 a year to maintain, but new infrastructure—including the Student Center, Center for Research, Extension, and Development building, Workforce building, and CDBG-funded classrooms—could push annual maintenance needs toward $10 million. Technology operations and utilities add another $1.2 million, both underfunded by current fee levels, according to Attao.

Despite these pressures, he added that NMC’s tuition and fees remain among the lowest in the region compared to institutions such as the University of Guam, Guam Community College, College of Micronesia, Palau Community College, and national community college averages.

Attao said feedback gathered during campus consultations about the proposed student fee hikes shows students prefer gradual increases with clear communication. He said they also called for more transparency on scholarship opportunities. 

Faculty and staff, for their part, raised concerns about the sustainability of technology and facilities spending, as well as the clarity of program-specific and lab fees.

NMC’s proposal for student fee hikes will now be published to allow the community to comment further. 

Report by Mark Rabago