HOUSE EDUCATION COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR

HOUSE BILLS 109 & 426

46th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2004

AN ACT

RELATING TO HIGHER EDUCATION; PROVIDING TUITION SCHOLARSHIPS FOR QUALIFIED INDIVIDUALS WHO ATTEND A STATE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION WITHIN ONE ACADEMIC YEAR AFTER COMPLETING HIGH SCHOOL OR RECEIVING A GRADUATE EQUIVALENT DIPLOMA; CHANGING THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR CERTAIN HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES; PROVIDING TUITION SCHOLARSHIPS FOR UP TO TWO AND ONE-HALF YEARS TO QUALIFIED INDIVIDUALS WHO ATTEND CERTAIN TWO-YEAR INSTITUTIONS.

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

     Section 1. Section 21-1-4.3 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1996, Chapter 71, Section 3, as amended) is amended to read:

     "21-1-4.3. TUITION SCHOLARSHIPS AUTHORIZED--CERTAIN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS.--

          A. To the extent that funds are made available by the legislature from the lottery tuition fund, the boards of regents of New Mexico state university, New Mexico institute of mining and technology, eastern New Mexico university, western New Mexico university, the university of New Mexico, New Mexico highlands university and northern New Mexico state school shall award tuition scholarships for qualified resident students attending their respective institutions and branches of those institutions.

          B. Except as authorized in Subsection C of this section, the tuition scholarships authorized in this section shall apply only to full-time resident students who, [immediately upon completion of] within one academic year of completing a high school curriculum at a public or accredited private New Mexico high school or, while being New Mexico residents, at a public high school located within one hundred miles of New Mexico or [upon] of receiving a graduate equivalent diploma, are accepted for entrance to and attend one of the state educational institutions set forth in this section or one of the branches of those institutions. Each tuition scholarship shall be awarded for up to four consecutive years beginning the second semester of the recipient's first year of full-time enrollment, provided that the recipient has maintained residency in New Mexico and maintained a grade point average of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale during his first semester of full-time enrollment.

          C. The tuition scholarships authorized in this section shall also apply to full-time resident students who, [immediately upon completion of] within one academic year of completing a high school curriculum at a public or accredited private New Mexico high school or, while being New Mexico residents, at a public high school located within one hundred miles of New Mexico or [upon] of receiving a graduate equivalent diploma, attend a two-year public post-secondary educational institution in New Mexico and who, upon the completion of that curriculum or at the end of two and one-half consecutive years, whichever is sooner, transfer to one of the post-secondary state educational institutions set forth in this section. Those students shall be eligible for a tuition scholarship for [two] up to a combined total of four consecutive years beginning the second semester of the recipient's first year of full-time enrollment; provided that those students maintain residency in New Mexico, maintain a grade point average of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale and attend [the] each institution full time during the regular academic year.

          D. The tuition scholarships authorized in this section shall also apply to full-time resident students who:

                (1) within one hundred twenty days of completion of a high school curriculum at a public or accredited private New Mexico high school or, while being New Mexico residents, at a public high school located within one hundred miles of New Mexico or of receiving a graduate equivalent diploma, begin service in the United States armed forces; and

                (2) within one hundred twenty days of completion of honorable service or medical discharge from the service are accepted for entrance to and attend one of the state educational institutions set forth in this section.

          E. The commission on higher education shall prepare guidelines setting forth explicit student continuing eligibility criteria and guidelines for administration of the tuition scholarship program. Guidelines shall be distributed to the board of regents of each institution to enable a uniform availability of the resident student tuition scholarships."

     Section 2. Section 21-13-10 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1963, Chapter 17, Section 9, as amended) is amended to read:

     "21-13-10. BOARD DUTIES.--

          A. It is the duty of the community college board to determine financial and educational policies of the community college. The community college board shall provide for the management of the community college and execution of these policies by selecting a competent president for the community college, and, upon the president's recommendation, the board shall employ other administrative personnel, instructional staff or other personnel as may be needed for the operation, maintenance and administration of the community college.

          B. The community college board shall have the power to fix tuition and fee rates for resident and nonresident students of the district, to accept gifts, to accept federal aid, to purchase, hold, sell and rent property and equipment and to promote the general welfare of the institution for the best interest of educational service to the people of the community college district.

          C. To the extent that funds are made available by the legislature from the lottery tuition fund, the community college board shall award tuition scholarships for qualified resident students attending their respective institutions.

          D. The tuition scholarships authorized in this section shall apply only to full-time resident students who, [immediately upon completion of] within one academic year of completing a high school curriculum at a public or accredited private New Mexico high school or, while being New Mexico residents, at a public high school located within one hundred miles of New Mexico or [upon] of receiving a graduate equivalent diploma, are accepted for entrance to and attend a community college. Each tuition scholarship shall be awarded for up to two and one-half consecutive years beginning the second semester of the recipient's first year of full-time enrollment; provided that the recipient has maintained residency in New Mexico and maintained a grade-point average of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale during his first semester of full-time enrollment and each semester thereafter and upon transfer will be eligible for a combined total of four consecutive years.

          E. The commission on higher education shall prepare guidelines setting forth explicit student continuing eligibility criteria and guidelines for administration of the tuition scholarship program. Guidelines shall be distributed to community college boards to enable a uniform availability of the resident student tuition scholarships."

     Section 3. Section 21-16-10.1 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1996, Chapter 71, Section 6, as amended) is amended to read:

     "21-16-10.1. TUITION SCHOLARSHIPS AUTHORIZED.--

          A. To the extent that funds are made available by the legislature from the lottery tuition fund, the board of a technical and vocational institute shall award tuition scholarships for qualified resident students attending a technical and vocational institute.

          B. The tuition scholarships authorized in this section shall apply only to full-time resident students who, [immediately upon completion of] within one academic year of completing a high school curriculum at a public or accredited private New Mexico high school or, while being New Mexico residents, at a public high school located within one hundred miles of New Mexico or [upon] of receiving a graduate equivalent diploma, are accepted for entrance to and attend a technical and vocational institute. Each tuition scholarship shall be awarded for up to two and one-half consecutive years beginning the second semester of the recipient's first year of full-time enrollment; provided that the recipient has maintained residency in New Mexico and maintained a grade-point average of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale during his first semester of full-time enrollment [with renewal of an additional two years upon transfer] and each semester thereafter and upon transfer will be eligible for a combined total of four consecutive years.

          C. The commission on higher education shall prepare guidelines setting forth explicit student continuing eligibility criteria and guidelines for administration of the tuition scholarship program. Guidelines shall be distributed to the boards of technical and vocational institutes to enable a uniform availability of the resident student tuition scholarships."

     Section 4. APPLICABILITY.--The provisions of this act extending eligibility for tuition scholarships to those students who attend a public post-secondary educational institution within one academic year of either completing a high school curriculum or receiving a graduate equivalent diploma apply to students who complete a high school curriculum or receive a graduate equivalent diploma on or after May 1, 2003.