Thread: New Mexico is paying college tuition for illegal immigrants with COVID relief funds

New Mexico is paying college tuition for illegal immigrants with _{COVID relief funds}

The New Mexico Opportunity Scholarship Act provides scholarships covering tuition and fees at the state's public higher education institutions.

Campus Reform covered the bill's advancement through the legislature in February.

Alexa Schwerha | Reporter
Wednesday, April 13, 2022 10:09 AM

New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has signed the New Mexico Opportunity Scholarship Act into law, which provides scholarships covering tuition and fees at the state's public higher education institutions.

The law extends to illegal immigrants, The New York Times reports, in addition to prison inmates and students from "tribal nations" that extend beyond state borders.

"A fully funded Opportunity Scholarship opens the door for every New Mexican to reach higher, strengthening our economy, our families and our communities,” Lujan Grisham said in a press release.

The New York Times reports that the program will cost $75 million for the 2023 fiscal year, with "$63 million com[ing] from pandemic relief funds."

Alternative funding will be needed after 2023, according to the newspaper.

Campus Reform covered the bill's advancement through the legislature in February. Originally, the plan was expected to rake $85.5 million from the fund to cover partial tuition for undergraduate students.

Per the administration's calculations, the scholarship is expected to support up to 35,000 students starting in the fall semester.

Eight Republicans voted in favor of this Democrat-led legislation, which was spearheaded by state lawmakers Senator Elizabeth Stefanics and Representative Joy Garratt.

Scholarships will be reserved for students who have not earned a Bachelor's degree and are enrolled in a minimum of six credit hours but do not surpass 18 in one semester.

Students must meet the evaluated criteria to renew for the next semester, including maintaining a 2.5 GPA.
Campus Reform has contacted Lujan Grisham and bill sponsors for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.

​Campus Reform | New Mexico is paying college tuition for illegal immigrants with COVID relief funds

That is embezzlement and misappropriation of our tax dollars aiding and abetting illegal aliens.

They should not be in our country, let alone in our schools!