New Mexico State University
The following is a list of frequently asked questions that students and parents have about scholarships and financial aid at NMSU. If your question is not here use the “Contact Us” link below to ask additional questions.
How do scholarships differ from financial aid?
Scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic achievement, talent, financial need, or a combination of the two. Financial need is rarely the primary factor considered, but it is often used to make a decision among equally qualified finalists. Many scholarships have additional requirements as well. For example, you may have to be resident of a particular state, be involved in extracurricular activities, have a special talent, or be pursuing a specific major. Scholarships are generally classified as gifts and rarely have to be repaid.
Back to topWhat types of scholarships are distributed at New Mexico State University?
The Financial Aid Office at NMSU distributes about $12 million of scholarship aid each year. These scholarships are from both institutional and private sources.
Institutional Scholarships:
Institutional scholarships are provided to New Mexico State University by gifts from corporations, foundations and individual donors. The donors specify the award criteria but the selection of recipients is made by the appropriate college, school, or department within NMSU. Scholarships which are created through donations vary widely in their eligibility criteria. Information about New Mexico State University incoming freshmen and transfer students scholarships is available at the Financial Aid and Scholarship Service's website. Graduate students should contact their respective academic departments for fellowship and grant opportunities.
Private Scholarships:
Private Scholarships are scholarships that are provided by organizations outside of the University such as Elks, Rotary, your local high school, national organizations, etc. You apply directly to the organization sponsoring the scholarship. The organization then selects the recipient(s) and sends the funds to the University to apply to your bill.
Back to topWhere can I look for scholarships?
Please visit our scholarship page, http://fa.nmsu.edu/scholarships/index.html
Back to topHow do I apply for New Mexico State University scholarships?
Log-in to the Scholar Dollar$ application at http://scholarships.nmsu.ed u with your NMSU User ID and password (create a user name through myNMSU and answer all the questions thoroughly.
What is Scholar Dollar?
A single application that will collect information and allow you to be considered for all scholarships at NMSU for which you may be eligible; each student's application will be unique to their own academic record, including criteria such as campus, college, major, GPA, etc.
What are some tips on applying for scholarships?
How are scholarship paid?
Most scholarships, both institutional and private, are credited to your University bill each semester. Some may be sent directly to you, but this is rare. The University must confirm that you have been accepted and have enrolled full time in courses before payment will be made. If you know that you will be enrolled less than full time, you will need to have your donor or department contact the scholarship office (in Financial Aid and Scholarship Services) to approve payment of your scholarship(s). If your scholarship arrives after your bill is already paid for the semester, or if the scholarship is more than your bill, a refund may be issued to you. It is recommended that you check your bill on myNMSU account to confirm that your credit is posted. If you have a refund or have signed up for direct deposit you can expect your refund in approximately three to five days after the scholarship is received.
Scholarships will not credit to your bill until you are enrolled full time (15 NMSU-Las Cruces campus valid hours for President's Associates Excellence, High Achiever Leadership or Honors Excel or 12 NMSU hours or more for all other scholarships). Wait listed, correspondence, and classes for no credit do not count toward enrollment. If you receive the scholarship in cash, you are obliged to notify us. If you are receiving any other type of financial aid, we may be required under Federal regulations to adjust your financial aid package. However, please note that we do not reduce the total amount of aid you are eligible to receive; we only adjust the type of aid. First, we will reduce any loans you may have been offered.
Back to topIf I receive an outside scholarship check payable to me, what am I suppose to do with the check?
Make it payable to the University, but you may cash the check to apply to your Student Account. You are required, however, to report any outside scholarship awards you are or will be receiving, as they are considered to be a resource in your financial aid award. Scholarship funds are divided and half is applied to the fall term and half to the spring term, unless otherwise specified by the scholarship donor.
Back to topHow do scholarships work in regard to taxes?
The Tax Reform Act of 1986 made changes to the Internal Revenue Code that directly affects scholarship awards. Scholarships received that exceed your total cost of tuition and required fees, books, and educationally related supplies and equipment are subject to federal income tax. Other costs such as room and board, transportation, and personal expenses are not allowed. You are encouraged to keep your receipts and copies of University bills. Questions regarding taxation of scholarships should be addressed to the local IRS office, where you can obtain IRS Publication 970.
Back to topWhat makes a good essay?
How to I maintain my scholarship?
Read your award letter carefully. For renewal criteria for the major state scholarships, President's Associates Excellence Scholarship, High Achiever Leadership, Honors Excel, Regents Success, Transfer Achievement, Out-of-State Competitive or NM Scholars please visit our website, http://fa.nmsu.edu/scholarships/current-students/students-on-renewable-scholarship.html. You might have to contact the donor, college scholarship coordinator or representative to verify the scholarship criteria. Make sure you know.
Back to topIf you have a scholarship or other related financial resources; what impact does this have on my eligibility for other financial aid?
If you receive a scholarship or other related financial resources, this may impact your financial aid award since the combination of all financial aid and scholarships cannot exceed your total budget. First, we will reduce loans that are offered to you, then other aid. We will email you an award notification to verify the changes. If you know that you will be receiving an additional resource, including all scholarships, please contact our office as soon as possible to ensure timely disbursement of funds to your University bill.
Back to topWhere do I mail my scholarship check?
Scholarship checks should be mailed to:
New Mexico State University
Financial Aid and Scholarship Services
MSC 5100, P.O. Box 30001
Las Cruces, NM 88003
Back to top
Can I accept only grants and scholarship and decline all the loan and work programs offered by financial aid?
Yes, you may accept or decline each award offered independently.
Back to top