If there’s one factor that holds most working-class Hispanics back from graduating from college, it’s the high cost of tuition. In addition, many Latinos need to work, full-time or part-time, which becomes a burden that can get in the way of earning a bachelor’s degree.

But the state of New Mexico is doing something about that, for Latinos, minorities and all of its students, by offering free college tuition at its public community colleges and four-year colleges for all state residents, starting in the fall of 2022. Leading the effort of the New Mexico Opportunity Scholarship is Stephanie Rodriguez, New Mexico’s Secretary of Higher Education.

In fact, free tuition will likely have a dramatic impact on a large number of Latino and Native American students, who combined account for 60% of the state’s population. In fact, up to 35,000 students could benefit from the New Mexico Opportunity Scholarship, starting this fall.  The state’s population is relatively small, with 2.1 million people (about a quarter of the 8.8 million people who reside in New York City).

A statewide program with broad eligibility

There are 29 eligible public institutions participating in New Mexico’s Opportunity Scholarship,   and they include a wide range of institutions, from four-year colleges such as the University of New Mexico and New Mexico State University, to community colleges including Santa Fe Community College and New Mexico Junior College, and Native American institutions such as the Institute of American Indian Arts and Navajo Technical University.

To be eligible, students who are residents of New Mexico must apply on their own to the college and gain acceptance. Out-of-state colleges are not part of the program. Moreover, immigrants, no matter what their legal status, are eligible as well.

Rodriguez noted that immigrants are included because New Mexico is a border state in proximity to Mexico. “We have many students who are undocumented but will contribute to New Mexico. If you live in New Mexico, you have an opportunity to go to college tuition-free,” she explained, which will benefit the state in innumerable ways.

Rodriguez said that the state has gone out of its way to make it easy to apply for the program.  “What’s great about the program is it’s accessible to all students and all are eligible. All you must do to qualify is be a New Mexico resident, maintain a 2.5 grade point average, and apply for a certificate, associate or bachelor’s degree,” she said.

In addition, students who started but didn’t complete their studies - with fewer than 90 credit hours toward an associate degree or under 160 toward a bachelor’s degree - can apply.  Students must continue their studies; if they withdraw, they relinquish eligibility in the program.

Although the program only covers tuition, students can apply for additional financial aid such as Pell Grants and use those funds to pay for books, materials and room and board.

A boost for New Mexico’s workforce

When New Mexico was researching this bill, Rodriguez explained, it learned that the average age of college students in the state was 26 and in the past ten years, it has added 10,000 jobs with an average salary of over $90,000. But the bulk of these jobs required higher education. “We wanted more New Mexicans to fill these jobs,” she noted.

Moreover, the average New Mexican’s salary is $51,000 compared to a national average of $65,700, so helping to boost annual incomes is critical.

Rodriguez also noted that if students aren’t required to take out expensive student loans, which weigh them down after graduation, they can contribute more to the state economy. “Getting a  post-secondary education debt free, they’re contributing to our workforce and economy,” she noted.

Latino students will also benefit in many ways since 72% of Hispanics take out college loans compared to 60% of white students.

Rodriguez herself is multi-faceted, having earned a master’s degree from the University of New Mexico’s School of Architecture, served as a provost at that architectural school and as the liaison for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

President Biden had battled for free community college tuition in Congress but failed to win over enough legislators to come aboard. In New Mexico, however, bipartisanship prevailed, and both political parties voted to apply 1% or $75 million of the state’s budget to tuition fees for universities, community colleges and tribal colleges. Other states, such as Washington and Tennessee, offer free tuition for public community colleges, but New Mexico’s plan exceeds theirs and includes four-year colleges.

Rodriguez said that the free-tuition bill will appeal to students on many levels. For some students, certificates will work, associate degrees for others, and bachelor’s degrees for many.  “We have several workforce needs,” she said, including teachers and nurses, which require four-year degrees.

Latinos and American Indians will be key beneficiaries of this new program.  “It’s going to be astronomical for them,” Rodriguez noted. Currently, 40% of students enrolled in public New Mexican colleges are Hispanic and American Indian, and that number should spike. “Providing access to these opportunities is critical to our success, as is getting them into the workforce to earn higher wages,” she added.

It also encourages many people who, like Rodriguez herself, want to change careers. “This scholarship allows people who attended college but didn’t finish or have not yet earned a bachelor’s degree the chance to go back to school and continue their education,” she explained.

Looking towards the future: a sustainable model of access and opportunity

There is one limitation of the program. The budget allocated $75 million during the 2022-23 fiscal year, of which $63 million stems from pandemic relief funds. Hence, legislators will have to ratify the free tuition bill if it is going to persist beyond one year.

Rodriguez downplays the possibility of this program serving as a one-year flash in the pan, however. “We were so successful in making this a bipartisan effort. We want to provide different pathways for people to succeed. In the Southeast of the state, electricians and plumbers are needed, but in other areas, it’s teachers and nurses, and this bill provides opportunities for students throughout the state,” she emphasized.

The spending for the program only covers 1% of the budget, so it’s a manageable investment.  “We want to show them the numbers and make sure we can continue the investment for years to come,” she noted. She implies that the support is there to sustain this program beyond one-year and ratify it again.

Nor is she concerned that parents pursuing a free college education will pick up and move to New Mexico. “We have residency requirements; a student must be a recent New Mexico graduate so there are some guardrails,” she said.

“I think the biggest thing is that since we’re a small state, we’re able to be more community-oriented and support programs that benefit all of our residents. We wanted to be a national model for access and opportunity,” Rodriguez stated.