Interior Assistant Secretary Approves $269,000 in Funds for Infrastructure Improvements to Northern Marianas College

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Interior Assistant Secretary for Insular Areas Esther Kia’aina today
announced $269,172 in grant assistance to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) 
through the Office of Insular Affairs’ (OIA) Capital Improvement Project (CIP) program to 
completely renovate existing classroom and office buildings at the Northern Marianas College (NMC) 
and thereby provide a more conducive environment for learning.

“Infrastructure projects such as these are vital to supporting the students in Saipan’s only public 
institution of higher learning,” said Assistant Secretary Kia’aina. “The Northern
Marianas College is currently housed in what used to be the Dr. Torres Hospital built over 50 years 
ago during the U.S. administration of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.  We are pleased 
to support education and youth in the CNMI through rehabilitation of their campus.”

The Secretary of the Interior has administrative responsibility for coordinating federal policy 
with respect to the territories of American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and administering and overseeing U.S. federal 
assistance provided to the Freely Associated States of the Federated States of Micronesia, the 
Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau under the Compacts of Free Association. 
The Assistant Secretary for Insular Areas executes these responsibilities on behalf of the 
Secretary of the Interior through the Office of Insular Affairs.

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