Scholarship Information
Scholarships are awarded first in your financial aid package. If you receive financial aid, your scholarship aid will be awarded before you are considered for grants, loans, or a work-study program. If you receive scholarships from other sources outside the university or state, those awards will also be considered in your total financial aid package. You may not receive more aid than the total cost of attendance at Highlands during a year. This amount is calculated by adding tuition and fees to an estimated average for room and board, books, personal items, and transportation. Also note that you may only receive one source of tuition payment; if your scholarship is designated to cover tuition only one such payment may be applied to your student account. This also applies to any type of waivers that may be awarded.
Many state scholarship awards are based on academic achievement and on state residency. Private scholarship awards are available due to the contributions of individuals. These donors may designate awards for students from certain schools or areas in New Mexico, with certain majors, or with financial need. In addition, there may be particular specifications for the personal essays and letters of recommendation submitted. If you are interested in a specific scholarship, be sure to check the scholarship’s requirements for application.
The number of scholarships available varies with changes in state and private funding, and the economy. Endowed scholarships are funded through the interest paid by investments, and that amount is always changing. The amount of individual scholarship awards may also vary given increases in tuition and fees and other variables.