
The University of New Mexico
NEWS RELEASE
Media Contact: Karen Wentworth (505) 277-5627
kwent2@unm.edu
March 5, 2007
UNM Students Make Lottery Scholarships a Success Story
Freshmen at the University of New Mexico are qualifying for the New Mexico Lottery Success Scholarship at a record rate. “This year 75% of the freshmen who were eligible have qualified for the tuition scholarship,” said UNM Provost Reed Dasenbrock. “That's 4% higher than any previous year. This scholarship is having the effect state lawmakers believed it would.”
This year 2,603 UNM freshmen have earned the grade point required for the scholarship.
Earning and maintaining the scholarship has been a challenge for many UNM freshmen and it has led to major changes in the way the university supports students. UNM Regents made freshmen retention a priority and set aside half a million dollars that was used to hire an additional 130 instructors to teach freshman courses. Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education Peter White says, “The money from the regents made the difference for many freshmen. We can see the effect their decision had on the freshmen class and we appreciate their generosity.”
UNM is also making a special effort to help all students maintain academic progress through greater access to core courses. The university offered more than twenty courses to 700 students during the break between the fall and spring semesters this year, and funds have been set aside to increase core courses during the upcoming summer session as well. Dasenbrock says, “Graduation is the name of the game. We're doing everything we can to make it a reality for as many students as possible.”
The Lottery Success Scholarship covers tuition for students who graduate from NM high schools and who earn and maintain a 2.5 grade point average. If a student falls below that average in any semester, the scholarship is withdrawn. If the student maintains the 2.5 grade average, the scholarship is available for eight semesters.
www.unm.edu