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

New Mexico implements free college education statewide

Apr 5, 2022

Source: The Washington Examiner

New Mexico passed a law to ensure that its public university students will receive tuition free of charge, effective July 1.

Residents who enroll in at least six credits can work toward their certificate, associate degree, or bachelor’s degree completely tuition-free. As long as the students maintain a 2.5 out of 4.0 GPA, they can continue their “Opportunity Scholarship,” the titular name of the law. This applies to New Mexico’s 29 public colleges and universities.

For now, the $75 million-dollar plan has $63 million of its coronavirus relief funding. This amount will only last students one year.

“The ‘opportunity scholarship fund’ is created as a nonreverting fund in the state treasury, consisting of income from investment of the fund and any specified distributions, appropriations, gifts, grants and donations to the fund,” the bill reads. “Money in the fund is appropriated to the department for scholarship awards as provided in the Opportunity Scholarship Act.”

“New Mexico is the first state to offer free college tuition for all residents,” Sen. Ben Lujan posted to social media Tuesday. “I’m proud that we have made higher education attainable for all and I hope every other state will follow our lead.”

“I can tell you that we believe New Mexico’s Opportunity Scholarship is fantastic for the state of New Mexico and we know it will benefit many of our [New Mexico State University] students,” NMSU Vice President Justin Bannister told the Washington Examiner. “The Opportunity Scholarship helps to ease the financial burden of attending college, not just for our current students, but also for students who may have left the university before graduation and who are now interested in returning.”

Currently, state residents hold about $7 billion in student loan debt, with the average graduate owing about $34,211. Just over 10% of the state’s population has student loan debt.