New Mexico Administrative Code
Title 5 - POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION
Chapter 7 - TUITION AND FINANCIAL AID
Part 20 - LEGISLATIVE LOTTERY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
Section 5.7.20.13 - ADMINISTRATION OF THE legislative lottery SCHOLARSHIP

(1) notify students of their possible eligibility, during their first regular semester of enrollment including transfer students who had the legislative lottery scholarship at previous institutions;

(2) designate their institution's lead financial aid officer to be responsible for determining initial and continuing student eligibility for the legislative lottery scholarship under the terms of these rules and regulations;

(3) maintain a listing of each participating student to include, but not be limited to:

(4) draw-down files should be submitted to the department for eligible students as defined in 5.7.20.10 NMAC per semester; all fiscal year draw-downs shall be for eligible students enrolled during the same fiscal year;

(5) for students that satisfied the first semester eligibility requirements and seek continuing eligibility consideration, use professional judgment to determine that exceptional mitigating circumstances beyond the students control, for which documentation exists in the student's file; the institutions shall defer to their institutional satisfactory academic progress policy when considering circumstances which include, but are not limited to, consideration for falling below the cumulative GPA requirement or successfully maintain full-time enrollment as defined in Subsection G of 5.7.20.7 NMAC;

(6) provide to the department by April 15 each year the projected enrollment and tuition rates for the following academic year for their appropriate institution as follows: comprehensive, research institution in their second through eighth program semester including qualified students in their fifth through eighth program semesters who transferred from a community college; projected enrollment at each community college at each community college in their second through fourth program semesters;

(7) publish the probation policy as defined in 5.7.20.10 NMAC;

(8) encourage consortium agreements, as defined in the code of federal regulations, 34 CFR 6685, in order to facilitate the enrollment of students and to facilitate the student's participation in this program;

(9) each semester, ensure during the qualifying semester all available merit-based aid packages, three percent scholarships, institutional award packages, and state aid are awarded first before granting the New Mexico opportunity scholarship for tuition. If the student does not qualify for any merit-based aid packages, three percent scholarships, institutional award packages or state aid the student may qualify to receive the New Mexico opportunity scholarship for tuition and fees during the qualifying semester at the discretion of the lead financial aid officer.

(1) determine the scholarship award pursuant to the provisions of 5.7.20.10 NMAC; all eligible institutions will be notified prior to June 1 annually;

(2) conduct audits to ascertain compliance with rules and regulations, if, during the audit process, evidence indicates that a student should not have received a legislative lottery scholarship, the department will provide guidance to the institutions for appropriate action;

(3) make available to the legislative finance committee and department of finance and administration, by November 1, the following information: