Reaching the third year at a four year school typically requires at least a certain minimum GPA (at least 2.0 in college, or whatever the minimum for transfer admissions is for those who started at a community college).
The Opportunity Scholarship Program will be a “last payer” scholarship. NM students already receive substantial education funding through the NM Lottery Scholarship Program which pays 65%-85% of tuition (depends upon the the type of college and the specific program a student enrolls in) to colleges and community colleges for every NM HS grad enrolled after the student has completed 1 semester of college.
To qualify for the Lottery Scholarship program, one must graduate from HS with 2.5 GPA, immediately enroll in college/community college (no gap years allowed except for religious mission work or military service) and earn a 2.5 GPA in 15 credits of non-remedial coursework during their first semester of college. Starting college OOS will also disqualify one for the Lottery.
What the Opportunity Scholarship program will do is pay for that first semester of college/community college (which many students have identified as a barrier to college enrollment in statewide surveys) and provide additional funding to cover the remaining 15-35% of the tuition during the last 3 or 7 semesters, as well as any fees charged by the college program.
So the whole “free college for everyone” is bit misleading.
College will be tuition-free if you:
- graduate from a NM high school with 2.5 GPA
- immediately enroll in a NM college or skilled trades program at a NM CC
- take at least 15 credits (12 credits if at a CC) of non-remedial coursework every semester
- maintain a 2.5 GPA
I think that’s fair deal.
@WayOutWestMom : Additionally, adults receive free tuition at any of New Mexico’s two year colleges. Not sure if this applies to those who already have a college degree, but desire a new skill or trade (such as wind energy or paralegal studies).
@ucbalumnus : Not sure that it is a good investment to provide scholarships for those who have earned only a 2.0 GPA after 2 years of college. WayOutWestMom wrote that one must maintain at least a 2.5 GPA which is better, but New Mexico’s colleges & universities are not among the most academically challenging schools in the US.
Regardless, New Mexico deserves praise for this proposal.
There is a huge opportunity cost to continuing education for everyone for another four years past high school. Most people are not suited to college and would not benefit much from attending one. In addition, if a college degree becomes even more commonplace than it is in the local NM markets, then a college degree will lose any signaling ability and any real power to generate increased earnings.
The idea that everyone should go to college, or even vocational school, for employment prospects is just an attempt to paper over the inadequacies of the K-12 system. If we can’t get the majority of people ready for gainful employment in 13 years of taxpayer funded education, another four will not do it either.
If a student is a late bloomer who did poorly in high school (e.g. < 2.5 HS GPA, or needs remedial courses), or if s/he take gap year(s) for reasons other than military service or religious missions, could s/he later earn his/her way into this tuition-free program after some amount of acceptable college work completed (as a tuition paying student)?
There has been a general trend that employers want higher credentials than before, at the applicant’s (or government public schools or previous employers) expense. Employers are less willing now to hire “raw material” (high school graduates with no further education or training) and do on-the-job training.
Even jobs traditionally associated with college degrees have seen increasing credentials. For example, the CPA prerequisites now include 5 years of college credit, and some health care professions have moved to higher entry level degrees (e.g. occupational therapy changed from a bachelor’s degree to a master’s degree not too long ago).
Actually, a college degree may still result in increased earnings over the lack thereof, which may have negative signaling value. But as the economic growth in the economy becomes increasingly concentrated at the already-wealthy and to capital holders, it is likely that both college graduates and others who earn income through selling their labor will see falling incomes and living standards (the college pay premium is likely to be retained as both groups become worse off).
Unless this is part of the new initiative, (and I’m pretty sure it isn’t) I can assure you this simply isn’t true. There are special senior discount programs for those over 65 where you can take any class offered at a CC for $5/credit, but adult education at a CC in NM is NOT free.
Under current Lottery Scholarship requirements–no they can’t. However, students who earn a GED instead of graduating from high school are eligible for the Lottery Scholarship so long as they enroll in college or CC within 16 months of receiving their GED.
Students who need remedial classes are encouraged to enroll in them in the summer immediately after HS graduation, paying OOP, so they can preserve their eligibility for the Lottery.
https://hed.state.nm.us/financial-aid/scholarships/legislative-lottery
New Mexico went from 17% population with a 4-year college degree in 2000 (first cohort under scholarship system) to 27% today. Still not enough to make it “commonplace” but clearly efficient in raising the population’s skills.
Further, the fact students who need remedial classes are encouraged to take them right away would have a powerful effect in ensuring students do keep up.
Nowadays, businesses look at workforce qualification as a primary criterion (vocational, two-year, or, especially, 4-year college graduates) + most jobs which pay decently require a degree and thus have good ROI, which is why Tennessee Promise was implemented. It’s just a good investment for growth.
Sounds fair.
I still think the funding estimate is underestimated.
Is this for 4 years total only?
@WayOutWestMom : Yes, it is part of the new initiative.
Why do people always talk about taxpayers and parents as if they are not one in the same. If the taxpayer is paying for it then yes the parent and student are paying for it because they are taxpayers.
Good for 4 or 8 semesters depending on the college and program one enrolls. in.
If you need additional time to complete your degree/program–funding that is the student’s responsibility.