NMSU Scholarships

Scholar Dollars is a scholarship application and database for students at New Mexico State University.  All NMSU students should apply  every year on the Scholar Dollar site, unless you are completing  your last year of study at NMSU.   All NMSU scholarships and even some off-campus scholarships use this system and database.    When you apply for Scholar Dollars, try to reserve at least two hours to complete the questions.  Or if you are partially done, save  your work so that you can return later to finish it.   If you have a resume, have it by your side in case you want to easily input information about awards you have received, community service you may have performed, leadership positions (i.e. an officer of an organization or club), jobs that you have held, hobbies, etcetera.  Try to be as thorough in answering the questions as possible.  

Take your time and thoroughly fill in all the questions or blanks that you justifiably can. 

This database searches for certain key words or phrases like “leader”, “volunteer”,  “veteran”, “single parent”, “band member” etc. If there is a scholarship that is related to individuals who have this designation or experience, your file will go in the pool of potential names for that scholarship.  If you rush through this site, you could lose out on a scholarship that you might otherwise receive.  

Scholar Dollars closes on March 1 each year.

To apply now, go to scholarships.nmsu.edu.

Jose Garcia Scholarship

The Jose A. Garcia Scholarship is named in memory of Jose A. Garcia,  a retiree from the Office of Facilities and Services at NMSU.  Jose always encouraged bright young people to study.  He often wished that he could pay to send young people to college.  Mr. Garcia’s widow, Carmen Salinas de Garcia is the donor of the scholarship.   There is no application for this scholarship.   The runner-up applicant of the Hispanic Faculty Staff Caucus once a year is selected to receive this $500 award.

Dr. Narcisa Zarate Scholarship

The Narcisa Zárate scholarship is named for it’s  donor,  Dr. Narcisa Zárate, a  former Assistant Director at Chicano Programs.  Dr. Zárate spent many years encouraging students and advocating for the educational needs of low-income, first-generation and Hispanic students.

The Zárate scholarship is a tuition-only award.  Students must be New Mexico residents, preferably New Mexico natives.  There is also a preference for Hispanic students.   The Zárate Scholarship is an excellent opportunity for New Mexico students who have run out of their Lottery scholarship and/or financial aid to complete school.  Both undergraduates and graduates are eligible for this scholarship.  This scholarship is generally  awarded once a year in the spring.