New Mexico Scholarship Opportunities Abound

Find Your Scholarship and Financial Aid for those who qualify: $92.2 Million in State aid is available to students who attend New Mexico Colleges & Universities: hed.state.nm.us (NMHED)

Higher Education is expected to play a significant role in the economic recovery of New Mexico (NMHED). An individual’s earning power is increased with their level of education. Students are encouraged to complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to determine eligibility for federal and state funds. Additional Financial aid is available to NM residents that meet scholarship/grant eligibility requirements.

The New Mexico Lottery Scholarship covers up to 75% of a student’s tuition and fees at any New Mexico Public or tribal College or University as long as students maintain a 2.5 GPA, and enroll full-time within sixteen months of graduation from high school or attaining a high school equivalency credential (NMHED).

The New Mexico Opportunity Scholarship is available to any New Mexican over age 18 who is pursuing two-year program at any public or tribal institution, and maintains a 2.5 GPA and full-time status, or 12 credit hours each semester. This helps fill a student’s unmet need, or the tuition and fees remaining after other state aid such as the Lottery Scholarship and Student Incentive Grants are applied. Any federal aid, such as Pell grants, and any private or institutional scholarships can be added last, meaning that students can use the remaining funds for other expenses such as room and board, supplies, transportation, and child care (NMHED).  

Concerned You Have Lost Eligibility? The New Mexico Higher Education Department has also made accommodations for students who have lost eligibility for state financial aid as a result of the pandemic, extending through the Spring 2021 semester (NMHED).  

Where are Your Scholarship and Aid Opportunities? www.hed.state.nm.us.  

The COVID-19 Pandemic has exposed the value of family-sustaining careers. The State of New Mexico provides and encourages opportunities for all its residents to excel economically. New Mexico law does not require citizenship status in order for a resident to benefit from state financial aid programs, and financial aid offices have alternative applications for awarding students who are not eligible to complete the FAFSA (NMHED).  Eligible non-citizens must contact the financial aid office to determine eligibility.

In many cases, receiving financial aid determines whether or not a student can pursue or continue higher education. “Without the Opportunity Scholarship, I would not have been able to fully register for fall classes, and I would be further behind on achieving my goal,” said Ramon Trujillo, who is pursuing an associate’s in Business Administration at the University of New Mexico’s branch campus in Los Alamos. “The scholarship ensured that I had enough money to pay for all my schooling materials as well as the classes that were not covered by my federal Pell grant.”  Trujillo made the difficult decision to leave his job amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and is also balancing being a first-time father with attending school full-time (NMHED).

Full information about New Mexico financial aid opportunities can be found on the New Mexico Higher Education Department’s website at www.hed.state.nm.us .  

Eligibility questions or requests, click this link: http://mslnd.cc/financialaid Email: [email protected] or call: 575-461-4413

*(NMHED) New Mexico Higher Education Department Released information in a Press Release: “For New Mexico Student, Financial Aid Opportunities Abound”, December 14, 2020, Montoya, Stephanie, J. *