The Northern Marianas College already cutting back on some of its operations ahead of more cost-cutting measures expected as a result of the CNMI's deficit. Dr. Galvin Deleon Guerrero, college president, said, "We are going to be freezing some travel, we may freeze some hiring for vacant positions, we are going to be cutting back electricity use...the low hanging fruit. Thing we can begin doing now."

Those measures just the tip of the ice berg as the islands wait for Governor Arnold Palacios's full fiscal report. The Northern Marianas College board of regents receiving that news at Wednesday evening's meeting. 

"We have not settled on anything yet...we are also waiting to get the complete financial feature from the CNMI government," he added.

In the meantime, the college says the current semester is not at risk, with De Leon Guerrero saying, "We are not going to suspend classes, we are not going to cut the number of classes. We are going to continue with the spring term as scheduled."

The news come amid increased enrollment at the college  - nearly 1,200 students - attend NMC. The college is preparing for major construction of its facilities with a hundred million dollars worth of federally funded projects in the books over the past three years. But its budget for Fiscal Year 2023 is just $3 million with $1.5 million in American Rescue Plan funds, which they're still waiting for. 

"Despite the approved budget only a fraction of allotments have been transfered from the CNMI government to NMC. There is also outstanding allotments from previous years," he said.

The college president says they could reach out to government agencies to repackage their programs to help employees who might be furloughed or have reduced hours go back to school at NMC. He convened a task force to iron out the details.