New Mexico Administrative Code
Title 5 - POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION
Chapter 7 - TUITION AND FINANCIAL AID
Part 9 - NEW MEXICO SCHOLARS PROGRAM
Section 5.7.9.7 - DEFINITIONS

A. "Academic year" means any consecutive period of two semesters, three quarters or other comparable units commencing with the fall term each year.

B. "Award recipient" means a student awarded a New Mexico Scholars Act scholarship.

C. "Combined family income" means the adjusted gross income for the student's family as taken from the federal income tax form(s) filed in compliance with internal revenue service (IRS) regulations and guidelines.

D. "Department" means the higher education department.

E. "Eligible institution" means any public or private non-profit post-secondary institution in New Mexico.

F. "Satisfactory academic progress" means completion of at least twenty-four semester credit hours per year (or the equivalent in quarter hours) and maintenance of a cumulative grade point average of a minimum of 3.0 or higher on a scale of 4.0.

G. "Scholarship" means a scholarship awarded pursuant to the New Mexico Scholars Act.

H. "Top five percent" means total headcount of the student's New Mexico high school graduating class times .05 rounded upward to the next whole number regardless of the fraction.

I. "Tuition" means the amount of money charged to students for instructional services, which may be charged per term, per course or per credit.

J. "Required fees" means a fixed sum charged to students for items not covered by tuition and required of such a proportion of all students that the student who does not pay the charge is an exception. General fees include fees for matriculation, library services, student activities, student union services, student health services, debt service and athletics. Excluded are specific services or fines (transcript copy fees, graduation fees, library fines, etc.).

K. "Books" is the amount used by the financial aid office for books in the calculation of cost of attendance for campus based programs.