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AN ACT
RELATING TO HIGHER EDUCATION; DEFINING TUITION AND FEES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
Section 1. Section 21-1-4 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1971,
Chapter 235, Section 1, as amended) is amended to read:
"21-1-4. TUITION AND GENERAL FEE CHARGES--
DEFINITIONS.--
A. The state educational institutions set forth in
Article 12, Section 11 of the constitution of New Mexico and
their branches, community colleges as provided in Chapter 21,
Article 13 NMSA 1978 and technical and vocational institutes
as provided in Chapter 21, Article 16 NMSA 1978 shall charge
tuition, which is in addition to general or other earmarked
fees, as provided by law.
B. "Tuition" means the amount of money charged to
students for instructional services, which may be charged per
term, per course or per credit. "Tuition" does not include
required general or other fees.
C. "General fee" means a fixed sum charged to
students for items not covered by tuition and required of
such a proportion of all students that the student who does
not pay the charge is an exception. General fees include
fees for matriculation, library services, student activities,
student union services, student health services, debt service
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and athletics. An institution may charge fees in addition to
general fees that are course-specific or that pertain to a
smaller proportion of students.
D. During the regular academic year, "full-time
student" means a student who is taking twelve or more credit
hours in one semester or quarter. Full-time students during
the academic year shall be charged tuition at rates provided
by law.
E. During the summer session, "full-time student"
means a student who is taking at least a minimum number of
credit hours, which minimum is in the same proportion to
twelve credit hours as the duration and normal credit-hour
load of the summer session in the particular institution is
to the duration and normal credit-hour load of the
institution's regular semester or quarter. Full-time
students in the summer session shall be charged tuition at
resident and nonresident rates in each institution, which
rates shall be in the same proportion to the full-time
resident and nonresident rates of that institution for the
regular semester or quarter as the minimum number of credit
hours is to twelve hours.
F. "Part-time student" means a student who is
taking fewer than the minimum number of credit hours in a
semester, quarter or summer session required for full-time
student status. Part-time students shall be charged tuition
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at rates per semester credit hour or quarter credit hour as
provided by law.
G. The higher education department shall define
resident and nonresident students for the purpose of
administering tuition charges in accordance with the
constitution and statutes of the state and after consultation
with the appropriate officials of the institutions concerned.
Each institution shall use the uniform definitions so
established in assessing and collecting tuition charges from
students."