Mission

The Mission of the Office of Financial Aid is to provide aid resources and information, as well as employment opportunities to the community it serves, which will enhance and provide opportunity for qualified and deserving students to obtain a high quality education in the field of their choice.

Philosophy

Mesalands Community College believes that the talents, hopes, and ambitions of our students are among the most valuable resources this nation possesses. With this in mind, we continue to promote any scholarships, grants, and employment opportunities for all qualified and deserving students searching for funds to attend college, who would not normally be able to obtain a college education because of inadequate funds. The following principles have been adopted for our Financial Aid Program:

• The objective of financial aid at Mesalands Community College is to assist students in attending college, who would not otherwise have the financial resources to enroll. It is also to encourage a student population which is more culturally, economically, socially, and geographically diversified.
• The family of the student is expected to make reasonable effort to assist the student with college expenses. Financial Aid assistance from the College shall be viewed as supplemental to the efforts of the student and the student’s family.

General Information

The Office of Financial Aid administers funds from Federal and State Financial Aid Programs, as well as a variety of institutional, Mesalands Community College Foundation, and private scholarships and grants. The staff of the Office of Financial Aid attempts to provide to its students as much financial assistance as possible through available grants, scholarships, and student employment.

The Office of Financial Aid is located on the main campus in Building A.
911 South Tenth Street, Tucumcari, NM 88401

The office is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m Monday through Friday.
Phone number (575) 461-4413 ext. 136; FAX: (575) 461-1901

Federal and State Financial Aid Programs include the Federal Pell Grant, Academic Competiveness Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), New Mexico State Student Incentive Grant (SSIG), Legislative Lottery Scholarship, New Mexico 3% Scholarship, Federal Work Study (FWS), New Mexico State Work Study (SWS), and the New Mexico Legislative Endowment.

Institutional, Mesalands Community College Foundation, community-based, and private scholarships are available at Mesalands Community College to assist students  working toward their educational goals. For more information on available scholarships, contact the Office of Financial Aid to determine the types and amounts of scholarships for which you may apply.

Scholarship Application

All Federal and most State Aid Programs require the completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), in order to determine the student's eligibility for student aid.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is available after January 1 of each year and can be submitted by various means throughout the award year. For quickest results the FAFSA can be submitted on the Internet at www.fasfa.ed.gov. FAFSA On The Web Worksheets are available at the Financial Aid Office of Mesalands Community College. Remember, Mesalands Community College's Federal School Code is 032063.

Students who complete their financial aid files by March 31^st will be considered for the maximum available funds. Students who complete their applications late will be awarded based on the availability of funds.

Further Information

Information on tax credits, FAFSA, and the U.S. Department of Education’s student aid programs, can be found at http//www.ed.gov/studentaid or at http//www.students.gov, or you can call 1-800-4FED-AID (1-800-433-3243) Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. eastern time. Information for the hearing impaired can be obtained by calling 1-800-730-8913.