Alumni Resources

The Need

Over 60% of NMSU students receive financial aid, and the percentage of students receiving need-based federal financial aid at NMSU is higher than the national average. Thus, while costs are modest compared to other universities, we have a greater proportion of economically disadvantaged students who need our help. Your annual gift for scholarships or a gift of $25,000 for a permanently endowed scholarship will create opportunities for these deserving scholars.

About scholarship Funds Endowed scholarships provide much needed financial assistance to worthy and needy students, and can be tailored to meet your specific goals. A minimum of $25,000 is required to establish an endowed scholarship. The donor specifies the purpose the endowed gift and how the fund is to be administered, all within the framework of University policy. The NMSU Foundation, Inc. then carefully preserves and adds earnings to the principal of your endowed fund as an investment, while a portion of the investment income is available each year for the purpose you specify.

You may also decide how to fund the scholarship. You may fund it now with cash, or fund it partially or completely through a planned gift or a bequest from your estate. If you establish the fund now, you have the opportunity to be recognized for participating and have the chance to meet your recipient. Your named fund can grow with the help of family and friends. Additional gifts can be made at any time. Often relatives and friends make gifts in lieu of birthdays or holiday presents.

By creating an endowed fund, you make a lasting contribution to the future of New Mexico State University as an institution of distinction. There may be no better way to honor the memory of a loved one than to establish a scholarship or an endowed professorship in his or her name. A named memorial gift fund becomes a lasting symbol of the bond between New Mexico State University and those who are permanently honored. An endowed fund provides annual support to teaching, learning, and research in perpetuity.

An alternative to an endowed scholarship is a current-use fund. Current-use scholarship funds are awarded the year the gift is made. These funds do not grow but provide immediate financial assistance to NMSU students. You can create a named current-use scholarship for as little as $1,000.

For more information, contact:

Rolston St. Hilaire
Plant and Environmental Sciences Department
P.O. Box 30003 MSC 3Q
Skeen Hall Room 127N
New Mexico State University
Las Cruces, New Mexico 88003-8003
Phone: (575) 646-3405 or (866) 884-7231