The New Mexico Legislative Lottery Scholarship Program, run by the New Mexico Higher Education Department (NMHED) – and funded through the NM Lottery – offers graduating seniors and recent graduates with a GED/HSE credential the opportunity to receive funding to help make their goal of higher education become a reality. This scholarship can help recent New Mexico grads attend college or vocational programs with relatively less debt. It will pay a percentage of the student’s tuition, and this amount varies from year to year.
A recent change to the Lottery Scholarship gives students 16 months in which to enroll full time after they date when they graduate or pass their GED/HSE. It can only be used at a two or four-year accredited institution in New Mexico.
The Lottery Scholarship starts the second semester after students begin college or a vocational program, and will be funded up to seven semesters for a bachelor’s degree, or three for an associate degree. Some NM colleges and universities offer a supplementary scholarship to help bridge the first semester gap; eligibility requirements vary by institution.
Criteria to earn and keep the Lottery Scholarship is specific:
- Be a NM resident
- Graduate from an accredited NM public or private high school, or have earned a GED/HSE credential
- Students enrolled at a four-year public NM college or university must take 15 credit hours
- Students enrolled at a two-year NM community college must take 12 credit hours
- Maintain a 2.5 GPA
Students with a documented disability can seek accommodations for the Lottery Scholarship. Speak with your school’s Financial Aid office to find out if you can obtain a reduced class load or an extension on your length of your eligibility.
To learn more, visit the NMHED website, contact your enrolled or prospective institution or email Bridges at info@bridgesproject.org to make an appointment with one of our college counselors.
