Students who lost their lottery scholarship may find it's not so easy to get it back.
More than $27 million was awarded to Lottery Success Scholarships recipients in 2004, said Jim Perry, director of finance for New Mexico Commission on Higher Education.
The lottery scholarship helps thousands of students pay tuition at New Mexico universities every year.
A student must be a New Mexico resident, attend college full-time the semester following high school graduation and have a 2.5 GPA in that semester to be eligible for the scholarship.
Thereafter, recipients must maintain a 2.5 cumulative GPA and earn 12 credit hours a semester to retain the scholarship.
Kathleen O'Keefe, director of financial aid, said the first semester is the most crucial in meeting eligibility.
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It is after a freshman's first semester that they can become eligible for the scholarship.
If students lose the scholarship it is very difficult for them to regain it, she said.
Once lost, a student may appeal to UNM's Scholarship Committee.
The committee decides what the student needs to do to regain eligibility for the scholarship, such as making up lost credits or raising their GPA.
"We are not in the position to take scholarships away," O'Keefe said. "We want to keep money in the hands of the students as long as they fulfill requirements for eligibility."
The majority of students who lose their scholarships and then go through the appeal process receive their scholarships back, she said.
The eligibility requirements for the scholarship are very manageable and the appeal process is also very reasonable, she said.
"However, if a student does believe the requirements for the scholarship are unfair, I would encourage them to contact the Commission on Higher Education," O'Keefe said.
The scholarships can only be used during the fall and spring semesters and can only be awarded for eight consecutive semesters, including ones during which a student didn't receive the scholarship.
Ideally, in the future the scholarship would extend beyond eight semesters so students who can not complete their degree in four years would still receive financial aid, O'Keefe said.
"It's all a matter of money," she said.
Students cannot use the scholarship for graduate or professional school and will lose the scholarship if they transfer to another university.
If a student fails to meet the requirements for maintaining the scholarship, money awarded to the student will be returned to the University and then ultimately back to the lottery scholarship fund, Perry said.
"The lottery scholarship requirements are good because they force the student to perform academically," said Alexa Beier, a scholarship recipient. "If you work hard then you should receive money."
