Duration of Eligibility
Institutional Scholarships are only applied to the Fall and Spring semesters. Students are required to maintain full-time enrollment each semester and enroll in the requisite number of credit hours needed to maintain their scholarship for an award to be disbursed. All courses taken to meet scholarship requirements have to be offered at the UNM Main campus. UNM scholarships may be awarded up to eight (8) consecutive semesters. Students are not eligible for their scholarship upon completion of a bachelor’s degree even if the student has not received the award for eight (8) semesters. The eight semesters of eligibility includes semesters in which the student was ineligible to receive an award. Exceptions are made for students participating in a co-op program or those on a pre-approved leave of absence. Students are not eligible to receive a scholarship award while on a co-op program or a pre-approved leave of absence. The scholarship award will be reinstated provided the student re-enrolls at UNM immediately upon the completion of the co-op or approved duration of the leave of absence. Students may not apply any unused semesters of eligibility toward graduate or professional school. Additionally, you will forfeit your scholarship if you choose to attend another branch, college or institution at any time.
Non-renewal of Scholarship and Appeal Process
Scholarships will not be renewed if the eligibility requirements are not met. Students are responsible for ensuring they understand the requirements to maintain any award(s) they receive as indicated on the Scholarship Website. Scholarship recipients can appeal the cancellation of a scholarship through a petition process. Information regarding this process is located on the Petition Process website. To initiate the petition process please complete and submit the scholarship petition coversheet, a personal statement detailing the circumstances for not meeting the scholarship requirements, and any related supporting documentation to the UNM Financial Aid Office.
Leave of Absence
Students may petition for a leave of absence from their education for a church mission, military service, co-op program or exceptional (extenuating) mitigating circumstances. A leave of absence will not be approved to attend another branch, college or institution. Students should submit a scholarship petition coversheet, personal statement, and supporting documentation to the UNM Financial Aid Office before beginning a leave of absence. A request for a leave of absence submitted after a student returns to the University may not be approved. Students on an approved leave of absence who enroll in courses during the leave of absence are required to meet all scholarship program requirements. While on an approved leave of absence, students will not receive a scholarship award. The scholarship will be held until the student returns to UNM. To reactivate the scholarship upon returning from an approved leave of absence students must notify the Scholarship Office prior to the start of the semester they will be returning.
National or International Student Exchange Programs
Students participating in a national or international student exchange program are obliged to meet the published requirements to maintain their scholarship. Please ensure official transcripts are sent from the institution you visit on exchange to the UNM Admissions Office. Completed coursework will be transferred to UNM and academic progress will be evaluated to confirm all scholarship requirements have been met. Transcripts for coursework completed during the equivalent of UNM’s spring semester are due by October 15 to determine eligibility for the following fall semester. Transcripts for coursework completed during the equivalent of UNM’s fall semester are due by March 15 to determine eligibility for the following spring semester. Transcripts not submitted by the deadlines will result in the cancellation of scholarship awards for the eligibility period being evaluated.
Discontinuance
A scholarship is claimed by registering in fifteen credit hours at the UNM Main campus and using the scholarship to pay tuition and other academic related fees and expenses. Dropping below the minimum credit requirements, not attending or, once enrolled, discontinuing attendance for any reason will result in the cancellation of the scholarship. Any amount owed to UNM is the responsibility of the student. Any student who needs to discontinue their enrollment because of illness, injury, or extenuating circumstances should follow the Leave of Absence procedures provided above.
Graduation Semester
Students may request a reduction in the credit hour requirements for certain scholarships during their last semester prior to graduation unless you are obligated by contract to take more. This request is made by submitting a scholarship petition coversheet and personal statement to the UNM Financial Aid Office. Full-time enrollment (12 credit hours) is still required.
Academic Policies
- Credit/No Credit Option: Students may take one credit/no credit option class per semester. (Policy suspended during COVID-19)
- "T" Courses: "T" courses include technical, vocational, or special courses. They do not count toward scholarship credit hour or GPA requirements.
- Audit courses do not count toward scholarship credit hour or GPA requirements.
- Credit hours received through CLEP, ACT, SAT, advanced placement or concurrent enrollment may apply to specific degree programs but will not count toward scholarship credit hour or GPA requirements.
- Credit hours earned through the "Examination to Establish Credit" Program may be counted toward scholarship credit hour and GPA requirements.
- Health, Physical Education and Recreation courses: Students may use credit for only one non-professional PE course toward scholarship requirements each semester.
- Correspondence courses: Students are permitted to receive credit hours for scholarship purposes by participating in UNM correspondence courses applicable to their degree program. Complete the Correspondence Course Verification Form for Scholarships and submit it to the UNM Financial Aid Office. To count as earned credit, or to be calculated as part of your GPA in order to meet scholarship requirements, all UNM correspondence courses need to be completed by the last day of the semester during which the correspondence course(s) was/were added to your schedule.
- Grades of "F, I, W, or NC” do not result in earned credit hours toward scholarship credit hour requirements.
- 100 level courses will not appear on your grade transcript; These courses do count toward scholarship hour requirements. However, they do not count towards GPA requirements.
- Students with qualified disabilities who are registered with UNM’s Accessibility Resource Center may be approved for a reduced course load. The Financial Aid Office must receive certifications by the end of the third week each fall and spring semester. All other scholarship requirements remain the same.
If you remain uncertain about a specific policy or you have further questions, please contact the UNM Financial Aid Office at (505) 277-8900.
Note: Information contained in this document is subject to change. And all information pertaining to The NM Legislative Lottery Success Scholarship is subject to Legislature change.
