The New Mexico Lottery Scholarship program has been around since 1996, and since then it has provided more than half a million dollars for college students and educational institutions. A portion of every dollar spent on New Mexico lottery tickets is put toward a special college fund, and that fund is then used to generate scholarships for students in the state. If you are a New Mexico resident pursuing a college degree, you may be eligible for one of these awards. Let’s take a look at what a lottery scholarship could do for you.
The Value of the Scholarship
The monetary value of a lottery scholarship will vary by student, but the award as a whole will cover the cost of tuition for up to eight consecutive semesters. This scholarship program does not cover the cost of living expenses, school supplies, or class fees, but it can wipe out a student’s need to pay for tuition. You will have to check with your school to see the exact value of your tuition each semester. With this scholarship though, you can rest assured that you will not have to pay for any of that.
Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible for the Legislative Lottery Scholarship, you must graduate from a New Mexico high school, private school, or GED program. You must also commit to attending a college within the state. A list of acceptable colleges is available below so you can plan out where you might want to go for college. This is award is only available for undergraduate students, and those students must attend school full time to receive the award. That means that you will have to complete 12 hours of education each semester you attend college. In addition to all of that, you must uphold a 2.5 GPA to remain eligible for this scholarship program.
How to Apply
To obtain a New Mexico Lottery Scholarship, you do not have to fill out an application. The school you apply to will review your previous grades and academic status, and they will determine if you are automatically eligible for an award. Some schools will require you to complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), but they will not require anything else in terms of an application. If you are enrolled in a school eligible for the program, you have already completed your application process.
If you are eligible for a lottery scholarship, you will not have to accept the award. Scholarships are much like grants in the sense that they do not have to be paid back. Thus the school will automatically accept the award for you because you will not go into debt as a result of it. Then you can enjoy going to school without having to pay for your tuition. The process for receiving this scholarship could not be easier, so you can start looking forward to it right away.
List of Eligible Schools
In total, there are 25 schools in the state of New Mexico where a lottery scholarship can be used. Those schools can be broken down into four-year institutions, two-year branch institutions, and two-year independent institutions. Here is a list of eligible colleges and universities so you can determine if you can use this scholarship:
Four-Year Institutions
- Eastern New Mexico University: 1500 S. Avenue K, Portales, NM 88130
- New Mexico Highlands University: 800 University Avenue, Las Vegas, NM 87701
- New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology: 801 Leroy Place, Socorro, NM 87801
- New Mexico State University: P. O. Box 30001/MSC 5100, Las Cruces, NM 88003
- Northern New Mexico College: 921 Paseo De Oñate, Española, NM 87532
- University of New Mexico: 1 UNM, MSC11 6320, Albuquerque, NM 87131
- Western New Mexico University: 1000 W. College Avenue, Silver City, NM 88061
Two-Year Branch Institutions
- ENMU-Roswell: 52 University Boulevard, Roswell, NM 88203
- ENMU-Ruidoso: 709 Mechem Drive, Ruidoso, NM 88345
- NMSU-Alamogordo: 2400 N. Scenic Drive, Alamogordo, NM 88310
- NMSU-Carlsbad: 1500 University Drive, Carlsbad, NM 88220
- NMSU-Doña Ana: 3400 S. Espina Street, Las Cruces, NM 88003-0105
- NMSU-Grants: 1500 North Third Street, Grants, NM 87020
- UNM-Gallup: 200 College Road, Gallup, NM 87301
- UNM-Los Alamos: 4000 University Drive, Los Alamos, NM 87544-1999
- UNM-Taos: 115 Civic Plaza Drive, Taos, NM 87571
- UNM-Valencia: 280 La Entrada Road, Los Lunas, NM 87031
Two-Year Independent Institutions
- Central New Mexico Community College: 525 Buena Vista SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106
- Clovis Community College: 417 Schepps Boulevard, Clovis, NM 88101-8381
- Luna Community College: 366 Luna Drive, Las Vegas, NM 87701
- Mesalands Community College: 911 S. 10th Street, Tucumcari, NM 88401
- New Mexico Junior College: 1 Thunderbird Circle, Hobbs, NM 88240
- New Mexico Military Institute: 101 West College Boulevard, Roswell, NM 88201
- Santa Fe Community College: 6401 Richards Avenue, Santa Fe, NM 87508
- San Juan College: 4601 College Boulevard, Farmington, NM 87402
If you are enrolled in one of those universities, you could apply for a New Mexico Lottery Scholarship. As long as you maintain your grades and overall eligibility, you could have your college tuition paid for through this program. Sometimes it pays to live in New Mexico – literally.
