Reach Higher New Mexico

Not sure where to begin? We can help!

To get started let's answer a few questions. Do any of these apply to you within the last 18 months?

  • I graduated from high school
  • I completed a high school equivalency credential
  • I was honorably discharged from the military

Yes No

It looks like you are considered a recent high school graduate.

The Lottery Scholarship, New Mexico’s first tuition-free college program, covers 100% of tuition for recent New Mexico high school graduates.

Click here to learn more about scholarship options for you!
Do you plan on enrolling in a for-credit certificate, two-year, or four-year program at a public college or university in New Mexico?

Yes No

New Mexico state scholarship programs can only be used at public colleges or universities in New Mexico.

New Mexico state scholarship programs can only be used toward for-credit certificate and degree programs at one of the 29 participating public colleges and universities in the state.

Click here to view participating schools.
Do any of these apply to you?
  • I have already earned a bachelor's degree
  • I have 160 credit hours or more on my transcript from previous college attendance

Yes No

The New Mexico Lottery and Opportunity Scholarships are for students who have not yet earned a bachelor's degree and who have fewer than 160 credit hours on their transcript.

However, we encourage you to explore our loan-for-service and loan repayment plans:

It looks like you are considered a returning adult student.

The Opportunity Scholarship makes it possible for you to pursue a college degree or career training certificate, even if you are starting college for the first time later in life, or going back after many years.

Click here to learn more about scholarship options for you!

Reach Higher New Mexico

College In New Mexico Is Now Tuition-Free, Even For Part-Time Students

Mar 9, 2022

It’s the most wide-reaching tuition-free scholarship program in the United States, according to the office of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.

According to the governor’s office, the program is the most wide-reaching tuition-free scholarship program in the United States. New high school graduates and adult learners are eligible, with funds available for career training certificates, associate degrees and bachelor’s degrees.

The scholarship is funded by $75 million in general appropriations ― enough to support 35,000 students beginning this fall, or more than half of New Mexico’s current undergraduate student population.

New Mexico already had an expansive scholarship program funded through the New Mexico Lottery; unlike the new scholarship, however, full tuition reimbursement via the lottery scholarship is only available for undergraduates taking at least 15 credit hours per semester.

Making the new scholarship available for part-time students was important to bill sponsor Joy Garratt, a Democratic state representative who earned her undergraduate degree six credits at a time.

“I am an adult learner who actually graduated from college by taking six credits per semester, so this bill is personally important to me,” Garratt said in a release. “I am proud to have sponsored this legislation, and I know it will change the lives of thousands of New Mexicans.”