Finally, some good news – really good news our college students and their families can bank on.
State officials announced last week that after years of failing to live up to its promise, New Mexico’s Legislative Lottery Scholarship program will once again cover full tuition for eligible in-state students in the next academic year.
“This is what is needed at the tail end of a pandemic,” says Higher Education Secretary Stephanie Rodriguez.
And how.
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While it’s shy of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s vision of free college, it’s an important step in that direction. Established in 1996, the lottery scholarship paid full tuition for eligible students from 1996 to 2015, leveling the playing field for tens of thousands of students every year. The scholarship was reduced to levels as low as 60% in 2017 due to rising tuition rates, lagging lottery sales and a lack of state funding. It covered only 66.7% of tuition at UNM this school year. And it does