New Mexico Scholarships

Incoming first-year and transfer students from WUE-eligible Western states who are admitted to the University of New Mexico are automatically considered for the Western Undergraduate Exchange Plus program. Eligible students need a 3.0 GPA or 20 ACT (1030 SAT). WUE Plus reduces non-resident tuition to the New Mexico resident rate, with a value of up to $23,149 per year. The award is renewable for up to four years with 15 credits and a 2.5 GPA each fall and spring semester. No separate scholarship application is required, but applying by your admission deadline improves consideration.

Automatic WUE nursing award for incoming nonresident first-year students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents from a participating WUE state or territory, hold an unweighted GPA of 3.90 to 4.00, and are Pre-Nursing or Nursing majors. The scholarship covers 150% of resident tuition, saving about $16,339 per year for up to four years with full-time enrollment and a 3.00 renewal GPA. Construction Management, Radiological Science, alternative fee, and fully online majors are ineligible. Admission files must be complete by December 15 for fall.

The Regents' Scholarship is a top institutional award for entering New Mexico resident freshmen admitted to the UNM Main campus. Recipients receive approximately fifteen thousand five hundred dollars per year covering base tuition, fees, and housing, renewable for four years. Applicants must complete the admissions and scholarship application by December 2 with a minimum 3.90 unweighted cumulative GPA or a GED scaled score of 175 or higher. Freshman Regents' Scholars must complete fifteen new credit hours with a 3.3 GPA each fall and spring semester and live in the Scholars Wing in Hokona Hall.

Individual visual artists and collectives who live and work in New Mexico may apply. Applicants must stage a public-facing event accessible to the general public. Current students enrolled during the application or grant period, 501(c)(3) organizations, and commercial businesses are ineligible. The 2027 Fulcrum Fund will distribute $60,000 in grants ranging from $2,000 to $10,000 for experimental, artist-led visual arts projects outside traditional museum and gallery systems. Applications are submitted via Submittable only. The 2027 cycle timeline is listed as TBD on the sponsor site; the 2026 awards were announced in March 2026. Info sessions precede each cycle. 516 ARTS in Albuquerque administers Fulcrum Fund through the Andy Warhol Foundation Regional Regranting Program, having awarded over $925,000 to 352 New Mexico artists since 2016.

New Mexico resident high school seniors applying to the University of New Mexico as incoming freshmen may compete for the Presidential Scholarship. Applicants need at least a 3.75 GPA and must complete both admissions and the scholarship application by the stated deadlines during their senior year. Recipients receive approximately $6,000 per year. Up to 75 awards are available. The scholarship is renewable for four years if students complete 15 new credit hours with a 3.0 GPA each fall and spring semester and submit a thank-you letter by December 1 each year. The award recognizes academic strength and citizenship skills shown in the classroom and in leadership roles.

Master traditional folk artists in New Mexico may apply to teach an apprentice in short-term (2-5 month) or long-term (6-11 month) apprenticeships. Activities must occur between July 1 and May 31 of the grant year. Short-term awards include a $1,500 master artist fee plus up to $1,500 for supplies and travel; long-term awards include a $3,000 fee plus up to $3,000 for expenses (maximum total budget $6,000). Applications are due annually in mid-January through the New Mexico Arts online grants system. Panel review occurs in March with commission approval in June. New Mexico Arts is the state arts agency; this is its primary individual-artist cash pathway outside organization grants.

One New Mexico high school senior receives a $5,000 scholarship paid over four years of undergraduate study at an accredited in-state college or university. Applicants must be graduating seniors with at least a 3.0 GPA after six semesters, complete FAFSA, and demonstrate commitment to strengthening New Mexico agriculture or the broader food and agriculture economy through essays and application materials on the New Mexico Community Foundation portal. Full-time enrollment beginning fall 2026 is required; the award recognizes passion for local agricultural impact.

Woodward Scholars is a four-year renewable institutional scholarship for entering New Mexico resident freshmen at the University of New Mexico Main campus. Recipients receive four thousand dollars per year. Applicants must apply to UNM by February 1 with an unweighted cumulative GPA between 3.85 and 4.00 and be a New Mexico high school graduate or GED recipient with a scaled score of 175 to 200. Scholars must complete fifteen new credit hours with a 3.0 GPA each fall and spring semester to retain the award.

High school seniors or college students in the Dairy MAX region who have ties to the dairy industry may apply for Dairy MAX academic scholarships. Eligible applicants live in Colorado, southwest Kansas, Louisiana, Montana, New Mexico, western Oklahoma, Texas, or Wyoming and are either a child of a dairy farmer, a child of a dairy farm employee at a checkoff-funding dairy, or an FFA or 4-H dairy show participant in junior or senior year of high school. Three $2,500 scholarships are awarded. Selection weighs scholastic achievement, leadership, and agricultural involvement. Applications are available on the sponsor site. Dairy MAX supports students continuing their education in agriculture across its multi-state territory.

New Mexico residents with substantial financial need who are enrolled at least part time as undergraduates at eligible public or private nonprofit colleges in New Mexico may receive the Student Incentive Grant. Grants of up to $2,500 per year help cover educational costs. The actual amount varies by institution. Awards are renewable annually while pursuing a bachelor's degree. Apply through your college's financial aid office. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and demonstrate financial need. Contact your institution for application deadlines.