New Mexico Lawmakers Deliberate College Funds for Native Americans
University of New Mexico. PhotoL Zruda/Flickr/CC2.0
March 4, 2021
New Mexico lawmakers are deliberating on a bill that proposes allocating more funds for higher education throughout the state so that colleges and universities are better equipped to serve Native American students.
If it is approved, House Bill 87 would provide more than $26 million for public colleges, universities, and tribal colleges. These funds are expected to meet the needs of Native American students and would be implemented during fiscal years 2022 and 2023.
The
New Mexico Political Reportpointed out that the state’s indigenous students, which compose around 10 percent of the student population, “lag behind their New Mexico peers in several education benchmarks.”