Aiming to boost N.M.’s college enrollment
State program gets funding as Congress members push for national program
While Sen. Pete Campos, D-Las Vegas, was a student at the University of New Mexico, he worked three jobs. He pumped gasoline.
He stocked auto parts.
He sold life insurance.
“I was doing all that because I needed to ensure that I had resources to pay for my tuition; pay for books, fees, materials; and have a place to live,” Campos said Wednesday.
Though Campos’ experience may sound familiar to many modern college students, the longtime state senator argued policy changes are necessary to alleviate some of the strain and instability that can come with seeking a degree.
New Mexico’s state and federal lawmakers are working on that, looking for ways to ensure would-be college students have the support they need to start — and finish — degree and certification programs.
Earlier this month, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed a bill, sponsored by Campos, to continue funding New Mexico’s Opportunity Scholarship, which pays for up to 100% of tuition for state residents at two- and four-year public colleges pursuing higher education later in life.
The nearly $1 billion trust fund, Campos said, will have a “calming effect” for college students and administrators: It’s an indication they’ll be able to rely on the Opportunity Scholarship in the long term.
Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich and U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury on Wednesday put forth a bill to expand student support services at colleges and universities across the country. If passed, the Postsecondary Student Success Act would bolster tutoring services, academic advising, career counseling and faculty and peer mentorship opportunities, among other programs that keep students in college.
“This bill builds off the leadership of Governor Lujan Grisham and the state Legislature who made college universal for everyone in New Mexico,” Stansbury said in a statement announcing the act. “It’s past time we support those who are shaping their own futures!”
Only about half the students who start pursuing a bachelor’s degree in New Mexico actually finish it, according to analysis by the Legislative Finance Committee. Just three out of 10 graduate in four years; four drop out in
the first year.
Completion rates across the U.S. are only slightly better. Data from the National Center for Education Statistics shows that only 63% of first-time, full-time undergraduates at public institutions graduate within six years.
Despite its low completion rates, New Mexico has made gains in terms of college affordability.
Data from College Board places cost of tuition and fees at two-year institutions in the state among the most affordable in the nation, second only to California’s community colleges. The same study ranks the cost of tuition and fees at New Mexico’s four-year public institutions as the 10th-least expensive in the U.S.
The 2022-23 academic year marked the first time college students could take advantage of the Opportunity Scholarship, which pays tuition costs for certifications as well as degree programs at two-year and fouryear institutions.
The Opportunity Scholarship differs from the state’s Lottery Scholarship in terms of eligibility criteria: While both pay up to 100% of college tuition at public colleges, the Lottery Scholarship is for students who recently graduated from high school, while the Opportunity Scholarship is for students who pursue higher
education later in life.
Since then, New Mexico’s public colleges and universities have seen an influx of students — after a decade of steady decline and sharp drops during the coronavirus pandemic.
During this year’s legislative session, Campos put forth a bill to set aside $959 million to create New Mexico’s Higher Education Trust Fund.
The fund serves as a “solidifier” for state-run scholarship programs like the Opportunity Scholarship, Campos said, and it will ensure funding for the scholarships isn’t dependent on the whims of lawmakers each year.
But the hope is that the consistent funding won’t just get students in the proverbial front door
of higher education institutions, Campos said: It’ll help them cross the graduation stage, too.
“When everyone realizes that there will be resources available to ensure that tuition is paid ... then the institution becomes steadfast in its approach,” Campos said. “Students know that programs aren’t going to be eliminated. They can complete their degrees as intended.”
Heinrich and Stansbury’s Postsecondary Student Success Act takes aim at the same problem, offering up millions of dollars in federal grants for student support services at colleges and universities across the U.S. and collect data tracking student outcomes.
In particular, the bill prioritizes programs targeted toward “highneed” students, including those who are low income, first-generation college students, caregiving, disabled, military veterans and “justice-impacted,” or people who attend college after incarceration or other contact with the legal system.
The bill, co-sponsored by Oregon Republican Rep. Lori Chavez-Deremer, has garnered support from the University of New Mexico, New Mexico State University, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities and the Association of Community College Trustees.
“Every New Mexican deserves a fair shot at success,” Heinrich said in a statement announcing the legislation. “With the Postsecondary Student Success Act, we’re moving one step closer to making this goal a reality — unlocking the long-term success that can come from higher education.”