New Mexico students will soon be able to attend college tuition and debt-free. On Wednesday, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced a new scholarship program that will cover the cost of attending college for in-state students.
The New Mexico Opportunity Scholarship will cover complete tuition and fees of the eligible students who are planning to enroll in undergraduate programs at various higher education institutions in the state.
It will benefit at least 55,000 students by filling the tuition gap that results after students receive federal grants or the New Mexico Lottery Scholarship.
“By covering the last dollar of tuition and fees, by making college significantly more accessible to New Mexicans of every income, of every background, of every age, we are putting students first. We are creating a meaningful opportunity for all,” Governor Grisham said while speaking at the 2019 New Mexico Higher Education Summit, where he announced the program.
The program has been designed to better serve the underserved communities in the state and better prepare ta diverse future workforce.
Starting the fall 2020 semester, the scholarship program to be administered by the New Mexico Higher Education Department will benefit high school graduates, students with high school diploma and adult learners. All the community college students will also be covered under the program
“We are making a meaningful investment in our students,” said Higher Education Secretary Kate O’Neill.
“We’re broadening opportunity for so many New Mexicans who want to learn, who want to get a head start on a great career, who want to provide for themselves, their families and our communities,” she added.
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