Graduate School

 

The Graduate School

New Mexico State University

PO Box 30001 MSC 3G

Las Cruces, New Mexico 88003-0001

Ph:505-646-2736 Fax:505-646-7721

Memorandum

To:         Graduate Program Department Heads and Graduate Directors

From:     Dean Lacey, Graduate School

Subject: Nominations for the New Mexico Higher Education Department,

formerly Commission on Higher Education Graduate

Fellowships (CHE)/Assistantships for 2007

On our web site at the  Graduate School, we have a link called Award Announcements.   We provide announcements on all of the funding of the Graduate School.   One of the announcements is for the New Mexico Higher Education Department Graduate Fellowships.  While we have not heard from the New Mexico Higher Education Department about the number of new slots for next year, we are collecting nominations.  If students can give you a copy of their FAFSA form and a copy of the students’ transcripts, it will speed up the process of making the awards.

The awards are for women and minority persons who are citizens or permanent U.S. residents and who are a first year student or a student that is beginning their graduate studies in any graduate department at the master’s or doctoral level at NMSU.  The selected student must be admitted to your program prior to applying for this award. 
CHE fellowships/Assistantships carry stipends of $7,200 per annum and matched of $7,800 from departments (10 hours per week) teaching assistantship provided by the student’s department for a total award of $15,000. 

Fellowships are available for 2 years for master’s students and 3 years for doctoral students.  One of the New Mexico Higher Education Department fellowships is, when possible, designated for a McNair Scholar.  Please indicate in your nomination letter if the student is a McNair Scholar.  Eligible nominees will be judged using the following criteria:

 

Grade point average (at least 3.0)

Recommendation of Department Head or Graduate Director

Financial need:  in order for the student to establish financial need, students must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form available in the Financial Aid Office. This form is not to be returned to the Graduate School.  The form must be mailed to the Federal Student Aid Programs, address listed on the application or submitted via computer at the Financial Aid Office.  The results will be sent to the student and the Financial Aid Office.  Students must have a complete file and have been approved for financial aid to be considered for this award.

Preference will be given to those students that have a current FAFSA form on file at the NMSU Financial Aid office.  This will allow the Graduate School to select students immediately.  In the past we have waited 6 to 8 weeks for all students to complete the FAFSA form.  As a result we have lost some top students.  I will reserve a slot or 2 for those students that have not filed a FAFSA form.

Department Heads or Graduate Directors wishing to nominate eligible students for this fellowship should provide evidence relating to the criteria stated above along with their endorsement and a copy of the students’ transcripts.   Letter nominations should be sent to the Graduate School as soon as possible but no later than April 30th.