CNMI students secure continued WICHE tuition benefits after Guam covers FY’26 dues

CNMI students taking advantage of reduced college tuition due to the islands' membership in the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education can heave a sigh of relief now after the Government of Guam stepped in to fully pay the fiscal year 2026 annual dues, preventing any interruption in tuition benefits.

WICHE commissioner Frankie Eliptico, who serves as vice chair of the commission and represents the Pacific Islands, said Guam covered the $174,000 membership dues for the six Pacific jurisdictions—CNMI, Guam, the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and American Samoa—after the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs did not select this year’s Technical Assistance Program grant application for funding.

“To ensure continuity for Guam residents participating in WICHE programs, the Government of Guam has fully paid the FY 2026 WICHE annual dues (July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026),” Eliptico said.

He said the move, under the leadership of Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero and Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio, was aimed at safeguarding Guam’s membership and guaranteeing that students would experience no interruption in access to the Western Undergraduate Exchange Program, the Western Regional Graduate Program, and the Professional Student Exchange Program.

“The full payment, by extension, also benefits students from across the CNMI and Pacific, who we all collectively serve,” Eliptico added.

Donna Flores, chair of the CNMI Scholarship and Financial Assistance Office Board of Directors, said Guam’s payment was made before the July 2026 deadline to avoid any disruption in reduced or in-state tuition benefits.

“WICHE commissioner Frankie Eliptico reached out to our CNMI Delegate Kim King-Hinds alerting her of our notice of non-selection through the OIA TAP grant application and requested her support in helping secure the territories’ share to avoid any disruption in reduced or in-state tuition afforded to our students attending WICHE partnered U.S. colleges and universities,” Flores said.

Flores said King-Hinds relayed the situation to Guam Lt. Gov. Tenorio, after which Gov. Leon Guerrero “decided to cover the total dues so no student or family would stress over the possibility of paying out of state tuition.”

Last Jan. 30, Flores and Eliptico met with Sen. Jude Hofschneider and Rep. Marissa Flores to apprise them of the TAP grant non-selection and discuss funding options.

“It was at this meeting where Commissioner Frankie shared the news of Guam covering the 2025 dues and how we may reciprocate for 2026 as many of our students continue to realize a substantial savings in tuition through WICHE partnered schools,” Flores said.

She added that Hofschneider and Rep. Flores “expressed their gratitude to Guam Gov. Lou and Lt. Gov. Josh for their quick response and support to our students studying in the U.S., and committed to securing the funds for the 2026 membership dues.”

Eliptico said WICHE leadership is working with other U.S. Pacific territories and the Freely Associated States to determine and fulfill their respective shares of the costs and to explore sustainable and shared funding models moving forward.

“Protecting continuous student participation has been our highest priority throughout these discussions, and Guam’s leadership makes that possible for the coming fiscal year,” he said.

He noted that annual dues are typically shared by the six Pacific jurisdictions and had previously been funded through the TAP grant. He said he is working with WICHE leadership to anticipate and prepare for the next grant cycle.

In a meeting with CNMI Gov. David Apatang and members of the CNMI Legislature, Eliptico said there was discussion about the CNMI potentially taking the lead in putting forth the payment for annual dues in the next fiscal year if grant funding is not approved.

“However, this is not yet confirmed, and we will continue to provide developments over the next few weeks,” he said.

Eliptico underscored the importance of WICHE membership for CNMI and other Pacific Island students studying on the mainland, noting that students from the region have saved more than $15 million in tuition over the past several years.

Under the Western Undergraduate Exchange, students pay no more than 150% of resident tuition at participating institutions, compared to nonresident rates that often exceed 300%. WUE enrollment grew from 187 students in academic year 2022-23 to 290 in 2024-25, generating an estimated $4.16 million in savings for Pacific Island students and families this academic year alone. In 2024-25, Guam students saved $1.9 million through WICHE student access programs, while CNMI students saved $1.5 million.

The Western Regional Graduate Program provides affordable access to more than 1,700 graduate programs at 67 public institutions across the West, with tuition capped at 150% of resident rates. Enrollment rose from 49 students to 68, with savings exceeding $655,000 in academic year 2024-25.

The Professional Student Exchange Program opens pathways to more than 130 accredited professional programs in healthcare fields, most of which are unavailable locally, by reducing tuition costs through state appropriations.

Beyond student tuition savings, WICHE membership also supports policy coordination and technical assistance in areas such as distance education, state authorization and financial aid, and underpins WICHE’s Behavioral Health Program, which has supported workforce development initiatives in the Pacific.