44TH LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - FIRST SESSION, 1999

RELATING TO HIGHER EDUCATION; INCLUDING TRIBAL AND FEDERAL INDIAN POST-SECONDARY SCHOOLS AS BENEFICIARY INSTITUTIONS FOR THE PURPOSE OF RECEIVING LOTTERY TUITION SCHOLARSHIPS; CLARIFYING TRANSFER PROVISIONS.

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) 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 governing 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] four-year or two-year post-secondary educational institutions 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 a high school curriculum at a public or accredited private New Mexico high school or upon 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] a four-year post-secondary educational institution. Each tuition scholarship shall be awarded for up to four consecutive years beginning the second semester of the recipient's first year of 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 a high school curriculum at a public or accredited private New Mexico high school or upon 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 years, whichever is sooner, transfer to [one of the] a four-year post-secondary [state] educational [institutions set forth in this section] institution. Those students shall be eligible for a tuition scholarship for two consecutive years while attending a two-year post-secondary educational institution and an additional two consecutive years while attending a four-year post-secondary educational institution, 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 institution full time during the regular academic year.

D. 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 governing board [of regents] of each institution to enable a uniform availability of the [resident student] tuition scholarships.

E. As used in this section:

(1) "four-year post-secondary educational institution" means 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, any of their branches or any New Mexico branch of a four-year college created by an Indian nation, tribe or pueblo or by the federal government and accredited by the north central accrediting association; and

(2) "two-year post-secondary educational institution" means a two-year public post-secondary educational institution located in New Mexico or a New Mexico campus of a two-year post-secondary educational institution created by an Indian nation, tribe or pueblo or by the federal government and accredited by the north central accrediting association."