Current through Register Vol. 35, No. 6, March 26, 2024
A. A
scholarship may be awarded to a student in their second semester who has met
first semester eligibility requirements as follows:
(1) has established and maintained New Mexico
residency as defined in
5.7.18.9
NMAC or is eligible for a nondiscrimination waiver as defined in Subsection K
of
5.7.18.10 NMAC. All
residency requirements must be met upon completion of high school, graduation,
or receipt of a high school equivalency credential recognized by the State of
New Mexico;
(2) has been determined
to be a qualified student pursuant to Subsection N of
5.7.20.7
NMAC;
(3) has met the requirements
in Subsection G of
5.7.20.7
NMAC;
(4) has met requirements in
Paragraphs (1) through (3) of Subsection A of 5.7.20.8 NMAC or students with
exceptional mitigating circumstances as determined by the institution's lead
financial aid officer; students who are incapable of meeting the requirements
specified in Paragraphs (1) through (3) of Subsection A of 5.7.20.8 NMAC due to
a documented exceptional mitigating circumstance do not forfeit eligibility for
the legislative lottery scholarship; however, the following requirements shall
apply:
(a) the student shall provide documents
certifying the nature of the students exceptional mitigating circumstance to
the institution's lead financial aid officer at the post-secondary educational
institution at which the student is enrolling or will enroll; the institution's
lead financial aid officer shall exercise professional judgment to determine
whether the exceptional mitigating circumstance is beyond the student's control
and precludes the student from meeting the requirements specified in Paragraphs
(1) through (3) of Subsection A of 5.7.20.8 NMAC;
(b) if, in the professional judgment of the
institution's lead financial aid officer, the student's exceptional mitigating
circumstance is recognized as a valid reason for the student's inability to
meet the requirements specified in Paragraphs (1) through (3) of Subsection A
of 5.7.20.8 NMAC the student's initial eligibility for the legislative lottery
scholarship shall be suspended or deferred unless and until such time that the
student is capable of meeting the requirements of Paragraph (4) of Subsection A
of 5.7.20.8 NMAC; and
(5) has not been awarded a New Mexico
scholars' scholarship or other state scholarships which are designated for one
hundred percent tuition.
B. Other provisions regarding initial
eligibility.
(1) Students with disabilities
shall obtain a referral from the student services division of the
post-secondary educational institution where the student is enrolled that
oversees students with special needs' requests to reduce the credit hours to be
considered full-time for scholarship eligibility; referrals and any sufficient
documentation shall be received within 30 days of the start of the student's
first semester.
(2) Students are
encouraged, but are not required, to complete a free application for student
aid (FAFSA) for lottery scholarship eligibility.
(3) During the 16 months after graduation,
completion of the requirements of a home-based or non-public-school primary
educational program, or receipt of a high school equivalency credential
recognized by the State of New Mexico a student may attend a public
post-secondary educational institution or tribal college prior to their
qualifying semester less than-full time without affecting future program
eligibility. Once a student is enrolled and attends a public post-secondary
educational institution or tribal college full-time during the 16 months after
graduation, completion of the requirements of a home-based or non-public-school
primary educational program, or receipt of high school equivalency credential
recognized by the State of New Mexico, the student shall be considered to have
commenced the qualifying semester and must meet the qualifying semester
eligibility requirements within Subsection N of
5.7.20.7
NMAC.
C. Continuing
eligibility. Upon satisfaction of the qualifying semester eligibility
requirements, the scholarship will be awarded to the student beginning with
their second semester of enrollment. A student's continuing eligibility shall
be determined on a semester basis.
(1) A
legislative lottery scholarship award may be re-awarded to a student who:
(a) maintains a minimum of a 2.5 cumulative
GPA; a student has the right to request use of the student's cumulative GPA
earned at all New Mexico public post-secondary educational institutions and
tribal colleges; and
(b) maintains
full time enrollment as provided in Subsection G of
5.7.20.7 NMAC; when a
qualified student transfers after completion of the first semester from a two
year institution to a four year institution for enrollment during the second or
subsequent program semester, a student will have met eligibility requirements,
but said student must enroll in 15 credit hours upon transfer to maintain
eligibility;
(i) receipt of a transfer
transcript for sufficient documentation for eligibility;
(ii) student transfers shall defer to the
receiving institution to determine eligibility.
(2) Students with disabilities may be
re-awarded the legislative scholarship under the following conditions:
(a) a referral is obtained for each semester
in which a reduction in credit hours is requested;
(b) maintains a minimum of a 2.5 cumulative
GPA; and
(c) in no case shall
eligibility extend beyond 14 consecutive semesters at a four year institution
and seven consecutive semesters at a two year institution.
(3) An eligible student that transfers shall
continue to be eligible at the receiving institution after receipt of the
student's transfer transcript containing eligibility confirmation.
D. Probation. Students who have
been determined eligible and subsequently have exceptional mitigating
circumstances as determined by the institution's lead financial aid officer may
be placed on a probationary status under the following conditions:
(1) the student shall provide documents
certifying the nature of their exceptional mitigating circumstance to the lead
financial aid officer at the post-secondary institution at which the student is
enrolling or will enroll;
(2) the
lead financial aid officer shall exercise professional judgment to determine
whether the exceptional mitigating circumstance is beyond the student's control
and precludes the student from meeting the requirements specified in Paragraph
(4) of Subsection A of 5.7.20.8 NMAC; and
(3) a student may receive scholarship funding
while on probationary status, however under no circumstances shall the student
receive program awards in excess of those prescribed in Subsections A and B of
5.7.20.9
NMAC.