45th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2001

RELATING TO HIGHER EDUCATION; REQUIRING THE TUITION CREDIT FOR ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIPS TO REFLECT ACTUAL TUITION INCREASES; AMENDING A SECTION OF THE NMSA 1978.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

Section 1. Section 21-1-2 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1970, Chapter 9, Section 1, as amended) is amended to read:

"21-1-2. MATRICULATION AND TUITION FEES.--

A. Except as otherwise provided in this section and in Section 21-1-4.3 NMSA 1978, the boards of regents of the university of New Mexico, New Mexico state university, New Mexico highlands university, western New Mexico university, eastern New Mexico university, New Mexico military institute, New Mexico institute of mining and technology and New Mexico junior college shall establish and charge matriculation fees and tuition fees as follows:

(1) each student shall be charged a matriculation fee of not less than five dollars ($5.00) upon enrolling in each institution;

(2) each student who is a resident of New Mexico shall be charged a tuition fee of not less than twenty dollars ($20.00) a year;

(3) each student who is not a resident of New Mexico shall be charged a tuition fee of not less than fifty dollars ($50.00) a year;

(4) each student shall be charged a tuition fee of not less than ten dollars ($10.00) for each summer session; and

(5) each student may be charged a tuition fee for extension courses.

B. Except as otherwise provided in this section and in Section 21-1-4.3 NMSA 1978, the board of regents of northern New Mexico state school shall establish and charge each student a matriculation fee and a tuition fee.

C. The board of regents of each institution may establish and grant gratis scholarships to students who are residents of New Mexico in an amount not to exceed the matriculation fee or tuition and fees, or both. These scholarships are in addition to the lottery tuition scholarships authorized in Section 21-1-4.3 NMSA 1978 and shall be granted to the full extent of available funds before lottery tuition scholarships are granted. The number of scholarships established and granted pursuant to this subsection shall not exceed three percent of the preceding fall semester enrollment in each institution and shall not be established and granted for summer sessions. The president of each institution shall select and recommend to the board of regents of his institution, as recipients of scholarships, students who possess good moral character and satisfactory initiative, scholastic standing and personality. At least thirty-three and one-third percent of the gratis scholarships established and granted by each board of regents each year shall be granted on the basis of financial need.

D. The board of regents of each institution set out in this subsection may establish and grant, in addition to those scholarships provided for in Subsection C of this section, athletic scholarships for tuition and fees. In no event shall the board of regents of any institution be allowed to award scholarships for tuition and fees for more than the number of athletic scholarships set out in this subsection and in no event shall more than seventy-five percent of the scholarships granted be for out-of-state residents:

(1) the board of regents of the university of New Mexico may grant up to two hundred ninety-three athletic scholarships;

(2) the board of regents of New Mexico state university may grant up to two hundred seventy athletic scholarships;

(3) the boards of regents of New Mexico highlands university, eastern New Mexico university and western New Mexico university may each grant up to one hundred forty athletic scholarships; and

(4) the board of regents of New Mexico junior college may grant up to fifty-two athletic scholarships.

E. In establishing the budget for any fiscal year for the institutions set out in Subsection D of this section, the commission on higher education shall increase the tuition credit for athletic scholarships by the same percentage that the board of regents of the institution has increased tuition and fees for that fiscal year.

[E.] F. In the event that the number of athletic scholarships exceeds the number of athletic scholarships permitted that institution by regulations and bylaws of the national collegiate athletic association or the national association of intercollegiate athletics of which that institution is a member, the appropriate board of regents shall reduce the number of authorized tuition scholarships to comply with association rules and regulations.

[F.] G. Matriculation fees and tuition fees shall be fixed and made payable as directed by the board of regents of each institution, collected by the officers of each institution and accounted for as are other funds of the institutions. Matriculation fees shall be charged only once for each institution in which a student enrolls."