New Mexico State University announced Thursday that it will make up the difference between tuition costs for the spring 2015 semester and the amount covered by the state’s Legislative Lottery Scholarships for all eligible students at NMSU’s Las Cruces campus. Due to recent changes at the state-level, NMSU Las Cruces students eligible for the Legislative Lottery Scholarship now receive just 95 percent of the average tuition for 4-year comprehensive universities in New Mexico. That means students attending NMSU Las Cruces would have had to pay as much as $128.80 out of their own pocket, or through other means of student aid.
“Due to the uncertainty in Lottery Scholarship funding and mid-year changes in the funds allotted by the state, many students were left owing money for their classes at the beginning of the semester,” said Bernadette Montoya, NMSU’s vice president for student affairs and enrollment management. “We wanted to make sure we did what we could for these students.”
“The real credit goes to Student Body President Wes Jackson for pushing this issue and to our folks in the Office of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management for making this possible,” said NMSU Executive Vice President and Provost Dan Howard. “NMSU is a caring community, and we’re committed to doing what we can to help our students succeed.”
“I think this is great news,” Jackson said. “For many students, $129 can be the difference between being able to buy a textbook for a class or not. I appreciate NMSU’s administration for making this a priority and ensuring that students’ voices are being heard at the highest levels. We’re fortunate to have the best university president and provost in the state of New Mexico.”
NMSU’s Financial Aid Office is currently working to update student accounts to reflect the new changes. Students with questions are encouraged to work closely with their financial aid advisers.
Information from NMSU