10 New Mexico Scholarships to Save You Thousands on College
What’s Covered:
- 10 New Mexico Scholarships to Save You Thousands on College
- Tips on Applying to Scholarships
- How Much Will College Cost Your Family?
New Mexico is called the land of enchantment thanks to its charming culture, architecture, scenery, and cuisine. Unfortunately for college-bound students, it takes a special type of sorcery to control college costs. Scholarships are one trick for lowering the expense of higher education and there are a number of awards specifically for New Mexico students and the state’s colleges and universities.
10 New Mexico Scholarships to Save You Thousands on College
1. Del Norte Credit Union (DNCU) Scholarship Program
Amount: Up to $3,000
Deadline: March 2
Eligibility: DNCU member who is a high school senior planning on attending college full time
Application Requirements: Minimum 2.5 GPA, transcript, and recommendation
The DNCU Scholarship Program provides 11 awards—ten $1,000 awards and one $3,000 award—to its members who are high school seniors planning to pursue full-time undergraduate study. Academic record, demonstrated leadership, participation in extracurricular activities, goals, aspirations, and any unusual personal or family experiences are all factors used to select scholarship recipients; financial need is not considered.
2. James Knott Memorial Scholarship Fund by the New Mexico Manufactured Housing Association
Amount: $1,000
Deadline: N/A
Eligibility: Graduating New Mexico high school senior who resides in a manufactured home with plans to attend a two- or four-year college or university full time
Application Requirements: Minimum 3.0 GPA, proof of residence, essay, teacher or counselor reference, and a written statement of financial need
The New Mexico Manufactured Housing Association (NMMHA) provides one to two of these awards annually in support of New Mexico high school seniors living in manufactured homes—whether owning, renting, or otherwise occupying. The NMMHA has been awarding this scholarship since 1997. Scholarship recipients are required to write a letter of appreciation before the funds are released and their achievement is recognized at the annual NMMHA Convention.
3. Korean American Scholarship Foundation KASF Mountain States Region Scholarship
Amount: $500-$5,000
Deadline: June 30
Eligibility: Korean heritage and full-time enrollment at a school in Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, New Mexico, or Wyoming
Application Requirements: Minimum 3.0 GPA, essay, recommendations, and demonstrated financial need
This award is provided by the Korean American Scholarship Foundation (KASF) and provides support to students with Korean heritage (i.e., students with a Korean parent, grandparent, or great-grandparent, or who are adopted from Korea). Applicants are evaluated based on their financial need, scholastic achievement, community service, and extracurricular activities. Applicants must also attend school within the KASF mountain states region, which includes New Mexico as well as Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, and Wyoming.
4. New Mexico Scholars
Amount: Tuition, books, and fees
Deadline: Varies
Eligibility: New Mexico residents under 21 years old, from families with a combined annual income under $60,000, and planning to enroll in an undergraduate program full time
Application Requirements: Must graduate in the top 5% of their class, or score a 25 or higher on the ACT, or an 1140 or higher on the SAT
The New Mexico Scholars program provides financial support to academically talented New Mexico students from low-income families in pursuit of undergraduate education. The scholarship covers tuition, books, and fees at eligible public and private not-for-profit post-secondary institutions. The award is for one year but is renewable for up to four years.
5. New Mexico Student Incentive Grant
Amount: $200-$2,500
Deadline: N/A
Eligibility: New Mexico resident who has completed high school or high school equivalency credential and is an undergraduate at least half-time in a New Mexico public college, New Mexico university, or tribal college
Application Requirements: Demonstrated financial need
This grant is for New Mexico high school students with high financial need. The grant is for one year but is renewable annually until the recipient graduates with a bachelor’s degree from an eligible institution.
6. National Independent Automobile Dealers Association (NIADA) Foundation Region IV Scholarship
Amount: Varies
Deadline: March 26
Eligibility: High school seniors with a desire to work in the automotive industry from the following states: Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Alaska, or Hawaii
Application Requirements: Transcript, essay, and up to five letters of recommendation
This scholarship established by NIADA, a 70-year-old trade association, is one of four awards the group presents annually. The intent of the award is to encourage and support students who are interested in pursuing a career in the automotive industry—as part of the essay, applicants are asked to share their interest in the automotive industry and the role they wish to play in it—and recipients are required to demonstrate an aptitude for college-level work.
7. Sussman-Miller Educational Assistance Award Program
Amount: $500-$2,000
Deadline: June 14
Eligibility: New Mexico resident for at least a year who has completed at least one semester of undergraduate work and whose financial aid package doesn’t meet demonstrated need
Application Requirements: Minimum 3.0 GPA, financial aid award letter, complete Federal Student Aid Report, transcript, resume, personal statement, and academic reference
The Sussman-Miller Educational Assistance Award Program is designed to help students fill in the gap between their financial aid awards and their demonstrated need. Awards are based on financial need, rather than scholastic achievement, and are renewable annually. The award was established in 1994 and is named after Shirley Sussman Spiewak, who believed education to be “the one possession that is permanent.”
8. Workers’ Compensation Association Toby Wright Scholarship
Amount: Varies
Deadline: December 30
Eligibility: New Mexico residents between the ages of 16 and 25 pursuing a degree full-time with a parent who was killed or seriously injured in an employment-related accident which resulted in a New Mexico worker’s compensation claim
Application Requirements: Transcript, personal statement, demonstrated financial need, a brief description of the employment-related accident, and parents’ basic employer information
The Toby Wright Scholarship provides financial support to children of permanently injured, catastrophically injured, and deceased workers pursuing post-secondary education. Scholarships are available to students attending New Mexico colleges, universities, and trade schools that lead to professional certification. The award is renewable every semester/quarter provided the recipient maintains a minimum 2.5 GPA. Scholarship amounts are determined by a student’s individual financial need.
9. New Mexico State P.E.O. Scholarships
Amount: Minimum $2,600
Deadline: January 22
Eligibility: Female residents of New Mexico who are full-time college juniors or seniors at a New Mexico college or university
Application Requirements: Transcript, faculty letter of recommendation, personal statement, and resume
The New Mexico State P.E.O. Scholarships are designed to provide financial support to full-time, female, New Mexico students studying at in-state institutions. The award is provided by P.E.O., a college society similar to a sorority that was established more than a century and a half ago and today has 66 chapters and more than 2,100 members in New Mexico. This merit-based award is based on an applicant’s academic ability, extracurricular activities, and potential for future success.
10. New Mexico Alliance for Hispanic Education Eloy Reyes Title V Memorial Scholarship
Amount: $500-$2,500
Deadline: June 25
Eligibility: Students enrolled for a minimum of six credit hours in an associate’s degree program—at a New Mexico community college—that transfers to a four-year institution
Application Requirements: Minimum 2.0 GPA, personal statement, and FAFSA
This scholarship honors Eloy Reyes, the past President of the New Mexico Alliance for Hispanic Education. The scholarship provides support to students enrolled in an associate’s degree program that is transferable to a four-year institution. Eligible applicants are required to be enrolled for a minimum of six credits and maintain satisfactory academic performance. Preference is given to top Hispanic applicants.
Tips on Applying to Scholarships
Scholarships are an increasingly important way for college students to control rising college costs. As more students turn to scholarships, competition for them is intensifying. Fortunately, there are some simple steps you can take to improve your odds of earning an award.
Seek Out Scholarships from Schools
Colleges are the best source of scholarships—they award $175 billion annually compared to $11 billion provided by outside sources. Many of the scholarships provided by colleges are merit-based, meaning they’re awarded based on a student’s academic or extracurricular achievements. Great grades, fantastic test scores, and impressive accomplishments outside of the classroom can all put you on the path to an award. Applying to schools where your profile is particularly strong is another proven strategy. Want more advice on winning merit-based scholarships? Check out our article, The Secret to Winning Merit Scholarships.
Go to Work
Winning scholarships can pay off when it comes time to pay for college, so treat them like a job. Schedule yourself a few “shifts” a week, and spend that time searching and applying for scholarships. This ensures that you’re always working toward earning money for college and helps break up the scholarship process, which relieves some stress and makes the process less daunting.
Put In the Work
The more requirements a scholarship has typically equates to fewer applications and less competition for an award. It’s likely that you’re not the only person who finds the prospect of writing a 1,000-word essay discouraging or is intimidated by the need to gather multiple letters of recommendation. It’s also probable that numerous potential applicants will move on to other, easier-to-apply-for scholarships. Remember, treat scholarships like a job—you need to put in the work to get paid.
How Much Will College Cost Your Family?
You know college is expensive, but just how much is earning your degree going to cost you? The cost of college varies from student to student, which makes sticker price a poor indicator of what you can expect to pay for school. Net price paints a more complete picture of the actual expense of college—it’s a calculation that considers financial aid, like scholarships, when calculating cost. Most college websites provide a net price calculator, but our free Financial Aid Calculator allows you to easily estimate the expense of college for hundreds of schools in one place and in just minutes.
