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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Madalena

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

1/25/06

HB 103

SHORT TITLE NMSU American Indian Program Counselor

SB

ANALYST Dearing

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY06

FY07

$52.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Relates to HB 99

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Indian Affairs Department (IAD)

Higher Education Department (HED)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 103 appropriates $52,000 from the general fund to the New Mexico State University

general fund to provide for a counselor for students enrolled in the American Indian program.

Any unexpended or encumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2007 will revert to

the general fund.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $52,000 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund.

Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2007 shall revert

to the general fund.

House Bill 103 – Page

2

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

The NMSU American Indian Program's mission is to provide programs and services designed to

enable Native American students to successfully achieve their post-secondary goals. The purpose

of the American Indian Program at NMSU is to recruit, retain, and graduate Native American

students in higher education. Currently there are 953 Native American students attending

NMSU. The main branch shows an enrollment of 469 students, with an approximate enrollment

of 480 within NMSU state-wide extensions, however, the requested funds will benefit Native

American students enrolled primarily at the main campus.

The American Indian Program (AIP) serves almost all of these 469 students on a consistent ba-

sis. Forty percent of the student body access AIP services on a daily basis, another forty percent

access services at least two times a week and the remaining twenty percent access services at

least once or more a month. Currently, AIP has one individual that serves as both Student Assis-

tant and Recruiter. With the increase in enrollment and students utilizing AIP services, there is a

need to divide the workload to more than one individual. The focus of the counselor will be to

improve retention and graduation rates.

NMSU entered into Memorandum of Understanding (MOU’s) with twelve of New Mexico’s

Tribal governments (Navajo Nation, Jicarilla and Mescalero Apache Nations, and 9 Pueblos) to

partner in addressing issues impacting college students. In these MOUs, both the Tribes and the

University acknowledged the need for culturally sensitive services. A counselor that will spe-

cifically serve Native American students will help address the need for culturally sensitive ser-

vices in order to improve overall retention rates.

Native American students continue to make significant gains in college enrollment. A recent

report on minorities in higher education nationwide found that from 1991 to 2001, Native

American enrollment grew by 35 percent, up from 110,000 in 1991 to nearly 150,000 in 2001

(American Council on Education, 2004). 79 percent (79%) of Native American college fresh-

men in New Mexico, however, drop out during their first year. HB 103 would assist in the effort

to retain Native American students to finish college by offering additional services.

The New Mexico Higher Education Department is committed to the adequate and equitable sup-

port of necessary instructional student services, and academic support initiatives for all students

in New Mexico. Activities to be funded in this proposal are currently recommended for funding

through the Instruction and General (I&G) higher education funding formula within the General

Appropriation Act. Funding of this program without consideration of similar needs at all institu-

tions could weaken the equitability and thus the integrity of the established I&G formula funding

process.

This legislation is not currently included as NMSU Board of Regents legislative priorities for the

2007 fiscal year.

CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP OR RELATIONSHIP

Relates to HB 99. House Bill 99 appropriates $62,000 to the New Mexico State University

Board of Regents for the purpose of hiring a recruiter for the American Indian Program.

House Bill 103 – Page

3

WHAT WILL BE THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT ENACTING THIS BILL

The American Indian Program would continue at status quo.

PD/yr