By requiring students to complete 12 credit hours in their first semester in college with a 2.5 GPA to qualify for the scholarship, New Mexico is the only Promise-funding state to base benefit eligibility entirely on collegiate performance. Once eligible, students can receive the scholarship for the next semester and receive a retroactive payment for their first semester.

Since 1996, more than 90,000 students from across the state have attended New Mexico public colleges, universities and technical colleges with the help of Legislative Lottery Scholarships. This scholarship encourages the state’s high school graduates and GED recipients to enroll full time and complete a two-year degree within four semesters or a four-year degree within eight. The program — for those meeting the required 2.5 post-secondary GPA — covers full tuition beginning with the second semester of college enrollment and may be used at 25 public colleges, junior colleges or universities in New Mexico.