Ron Martinez, director of UNM's Financial Aid Office, said that while the retention and success rates of the Lottery Scholarship recipients are stellar, the program is continuing to miss its desired target: low-income students.
"The success of the program is undeniable, however it has not increased the number of low income students attending college," Martinez said. "So far it is funding middle-and-higher income students. We need to decide if that is the direction we want the program to continue."
Martinez attributes the lack of low-income students benefiting from the Lottery Scholarship to an unsatisfactory public educational system in New Mexico and seldom-used advanced placement programs in high school.
The New Mexico Lottery Scholarship, funded through the New Mexico Lottery Act of 1996, has distributed more than $59 million to scholarship recipients since its introduction in the fall of 1997.
According to the New Mexico Commission on Higher Education, 1,294 Lottery Scholarship recipients have graduated from UNM since 1997, with 5,481 more currently enrolled.
"This program continues to demonstrate its value for the citizens of New Mexico," said Elizabeth Jenkins, executive director of the New Mexico Commission on Higher Education. "It provides students a wonderful reason to continue their education and improve their own, and our state's, economic future."
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Martinez said that the scholarship, which provides full tuition compensation for up to eight concurrent semesters, is only available to New Mexico residents who have graduated from high school in state and are maintaining a 2.5 GPA while enrolled full- time in a state university.
He said that New Mexico residents who pass the GED exam are also eligible for the scholarship as an incentive to increase overall education levels statewide.
Although the Lottery Scholarship is not available until the second semester of a student's college education, Martinez said the Bridge to Success Scholarship is in place to ease the financial burden of the first semester's costs.
"Many students see college as their opportunity to shine," Martinez said. "They see us giving them every opportunity to succeed and make the most of it."
He said the criteria for the Bridge Scholarship is the same as that of the Lottery Scholarship, although it is not an essential component of receiving the Lottery Scholarship.
He added that the Bridge Schoslarship is funded through the University and provides recipients a one-time incentive of $1,000.
Martinez believes the Lottery Scholarship is responsible for the noticeable increase in enrollment at UNM, something he believes is beneficial to the community.
"Not only has the University attracted more students, adding to the diversity on campus, but it has increased the educational profile of the student population as well," Martinez said.
He said one of the biggest benefits of the Lottery Scholarship has been the reduction in "brain drain" at institutions statewide.
Because of the incentive of a free education, smarter students are opting to stay here instead of leaving the state to pursue their degrees, Martinez added.
The funding for the scholarship, which is 100 percent of the revenue collected through the New Mexico Lottery, is expected to last through 2011, Martinez said, although several bills already in legislation would significantly reduce that time.
He said the bills are advocating increased eligibility of the Lottery Scholarship to include dependants of military personnel who are New Mexico residents but who graduate out of state or country due to circumstances beyond their control but come back for college, and dependants of certified teachers from out of state as incentive to reduce the extreme lack of teachers in New Mexico.
"The New Mexico Commission on Higher Education has recommended no changes to the current program," Martinez said.
He added that concerned students should research those bills and voice their opinions on any possible changes to the scholarship requirements.
Many students believe that eligibility should be increased to incorporate all those interested regardless of the time constraints, and that future legislation should be focused on seeking additional funding.
"It's a good program, so who wouldn't want to be included," said Brad Rodgers, a senior biology major who is on the Lottery Scholarship.
"The scholarship provides an opportunity that for many would make a college degree otherwise unattainable," Rogers said. "It forces students to work hard to see that privilege to fruition, and as a result the majority of students find the success they seek."
Martinez said that the Lottery Scholarship will continue to be a godsend to students who feel the pinch financially and make obtaining a degree possible.
"The long term effects of the program are boundless," Martinez said. "Students will be able to look forward to a debt-free future and pursue the American dream, which will benefit the economy of our state and our country."
