If a student plans to enroll in the military after high school can they return to college to receive the Legislative Lottery Scholarship?
· Yes. According to state regulations, students who, within 120 days of completion of a graduate equivalent diploma, begin service in the United States armed forces can establish eligibility for the scholarship during their first college semester if within 120 days of completion of honorable service or medical discharge from the service are accepted for entrance to and attend of the state educational institutions. The New Mexico Higher Education Department encourages students to directly contact their college or university regarding proper paperwork that may need to be filed prior to military service.
If a New Mexico student attends a college out-of-state is he or she eligible for the Legislative Lottery Scholarship?
· No, the Legislative Lottery Scholarship only applies to New Mexico students who are enrolled full-time at an eligible New Mexico public college or university.
Does the Legislative Lottery Scholarship fund graduate students?
· No, the Legislative Lottery Scholarship is only available to undergraduate students.
Are home schooled students eligible to receive the Legislative Lottery Scholarship?
· Yes, but they must have received a New Mexico GED prior to enrollment and meet all eligibility criteria.
If a student graduated from an out-out-state high school and obtained a New Mexico GED are they eligible?
No, If a student graduated from an out of state High School, and obtained a New Mexico GED, they are not eligible for the Legislative Lottery Scholarship.
Are high school students who are concurrently enrolled in college eligible for the Legislative Lottery Scholarship?
· No. Students must have graduated from high school before they can meet the eligibility requirements.
Can the Legislative Lottery Scholarship be used for summer sessions?
· No. The Legislative Lottery Scholarship is only awarded for fall and spring semesters.
Can summer sessions be used in determining GPA for the Legislative Lottery Scholarship?
· For the initial fall qualifying semester, any summer courses that a recent high school graduate completes prior to college enrollment may not be calculated to determine Legislative Lottery Scholarship eligibility. Eligibility for the Legislative Lottery Scholarship is based on completion of 12 credit hours and a 2.5. GPA for the qualifying fall semester.
· In addition, once a student is receiving the Legislative Lottery Scholarship, the student may use summer courses after the semester ending to be factored into the cumulative GPA as well as the total credit hours to continue eligibility.
Example: If a student loses eligibility in the fall, they may make up their requirements during the short term course offered.
If a student loses eligibility in the spring, a student may use summer courses following to continue eligibility.
Can a student start to receive the Legislative Lottery Scholarship at either an eligible two-year or eligible four-year institution?
· Yes, If a student attends a two-year institution, they will only be eligible for Lottery for the two years. They would need to transfer to a four-year institution, in order to receive Lottery for four years. If the student transfers on the fourth year and maintains eligibility, they will qualify for the last year of Lottery funding.
Can a student transfer from a two-year to a four-year institution and maintain eligibility?
· Yes. A student may transfer from a two-year to a four-year or from a four-year to a two-year institution. A student can also transfer two-to-two or four-to-four if the institution where the student is enrolling determines that the student continues to make satisfactory academic progress. In no case shall a student receive more than eight semesters of the Legislative Lottery Scholarship for a Bachelor degree and no more than four semesters for an Associate degree.
If a student stops-out and subsequently re-enrolls is that student still eligible to continue receiving the Legislative Lottery Scholarship?
· Eligibility is contingent on continuous full-time enrollment and maintaining a 2.5 GPA. In certain cases students may obtain an approved leave of absence if the student provides sufficient documentation to the aid officer to justify the leave of absence. As always, students are strongly encouraged to directly contact their institution’s Financial Aid Department for exact rules and regulations concerning a leave of absence.
If a student is eligible for another scholarship that covers tuition, and that scholarship terminates, would the student then be eligible to begin receiving the Legislative Lottery Scholarship?
· Yes. The intent of the scholarship is for students to complete a four-year degree within 9 semesters of post-secondary education or a two-year degree within 5 semesters. The institution would be required to subtract the number of semesters that the student had been enrolled to determine the remaining number of semesters of eligibility.
Are mid-year high school graduates eligible to receive the Legislative Lottery Scholarship?
· Yes, students who receive a graduate equivalent diploma which is dated after the eligible institution’s admission deadline for degree status in the first regular semester shall be permitted to enroll and establish eligibility in the next immediate regular semester (excluding summer session).
Can students be concurrently enrolled in more than one public post-secondary institution and receive the Legislative Lottery Scholarship?
· Yes. In certain cases, students for example may enroll in 6 hours at a community college and 6 credit hours at a four- year college. Each institution drafts their own consortium agreements with regard to how Legislative Lottery Scholarship funds are dispersed.