scholarships

The International Competitive Scholarship offers qualifying students a discount to pay in-state tuition instead of out-of state tuition (which is about 3 times lower), plus awards a $100 stipend cash award each fall and spring. The award is based on applicant’s GPA (grade point average) and TOEFL/IELTS scores. *It is only awarded to new incoming, degree-seeking students on F-1 visa WHO HAVE RECEIVD THEIR I20, is renewable for a maximum of:

8 consecutive semesters maximum or graduation (whichever comes first) for undergraduate students;
4 semesters for master's students;
8 semesters for doctorate students; OR
For transfer students, eligibility depends on total number of semesters attended at all previous institutions for a maximum of 8 semesters for undergraduate and doctorate students or 4 semesters for master's students or graduation (whichever comes first)

Eligibility

1. BEFORE STARTING THIS APPLICATION

Students admitted to one of the NMSU system community colleges (DACC, Grants or Alamogordo) are not eligible for this scholarship. Freshman students who have graduated from a New Mexico high school and new graduate students who have an assistantship of 10 or more hours should not fill out this application as these students are already awarded a tuition discount and will pay in state tuition rates.
The International Competitive Scholarship does not offer any money or funds directly; the scholarship allows for a discount on tuition, so a student who receives the scholarship will be approved to pay in-state tuition rates instead of out of state tuition rates.
All awards are tentative pending submission of all documents required for I-20 issuance within 1 week of initial award date.
The scholarship award cannot be automatically deferred to a later semester if the student is unable to attend NMSU the semester they are applying for. A new application must be submitted.
If a Student receives another admission after graduation, the scholarship will not be transfered to the new degree. in such case, the student needs to reapply for the scholarship.
All awards are tentative pending submission of required documents for the issuance of I-20 , arrival on campus and class registration. Student must enroll in a full course load by the first day of classes.
International Student and Scholar Services will notify all students after scholarship selections have been made via email within 4 weeks from the date the application was submitted.

2. AVAILABILITY OF APPLICATION AND DEADLINE

Scholarship applications will be available only from:

· May 1st for the Fall Semester

· October 1st for the Spring Semester

As scholarship availability changes from semester to semester, we can only accept applications one semester in advance. Applications submitted before the respective semester acceptance date will not be accepted.

The deadline to submit scholarship applications depends on the number of awards available for that semester. Once all the awards are given we will no longer continue to accept applications for that semester and the application portal will be closed.

3. ELIGIBILITY FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

A. To be eligible for a scholarship, a student as a freshman must:

(1) Have a U.S. equivalent of a high school diploma from an accredited high school and have a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher, as determined by the Undergraduate Admissions Office, and a TOEFL of 520/68; IELTS 6.0; Duolingo 95 or;

(2) Have a U.S. equivalent of a high school diploma from an accredited high school and have a cumulative GPA of3.25 or higher, as determined by the Undergraduate Admissions Office, and a TOEFL of 550/79; IELTS 6.5;Duolingo 100 or;

(3) Have a U.S. high school diploma from an accredited high school and have a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher with an ACT score of 26; SAT score of 1240, or;

(4) Have a U.S. high school diploma from an accredited high school and have a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher with an ACT score of 23; SAT score of 1140, or;

(5) Students from countries that are exempt from submitting an English proficiency score are required to have a GPA of 3.50 or higher.

B. To be eligible for a scholarship, an undergraduate transfer student* must:

(1) Have a transfer cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher from an accredited institution.

C. For undergraduate recipients, scholarship eligibility may be renewed for a maximum of eight (8) consecutive semesters or graduation, whichever comes first. For undergraduate transfer students, eligibility depends on total number of semesters attended at all previous institutions, for a maximum of eight (8) semesters, or graduation, whichever comes first. For example, if you have completed two years at another institution and you will now be a new junior at NMSU, you will receive the International Competitive Scholarship for 4 semesters (2 years). An undergraduate student must successfully complete fifteen (15) graded credit hours and maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.50 or higher each semester.

* A transfer student is defined as a student who is pursuing a college degree in their home country or within the U.S and is transferring to NMSU to continue their studies in the same education level.

4. ELIGIBILITY FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS

A. To be eligible for a scholarship, a graduate student must:

(1) Have a U.S. equivalent of a bachelor's or master's degree from an accredited institution and a cumulative GPA of 3.25; and,

(2) a TOEFL of 550/79 or 6.5 IELTS or 100 Duolingo if this score is required for admission to your graduate program.

(3) Students from countries that are exempt from submitting an English proficiency score are required to have a GPA of 3.50 or higher.

B. For graduate recipients, scholarship eligibility may be renewed for a maximum of four (4) consecutive semesters for Masters or, eight (8) for PhD candidates, or graduation, whichever comes

first. For graduate transfer students, eligibility depends on total number of semesters attended at all previous institutions, for a maximum of four (4) semesters, or graduation, whichever comes first.

C. For graduate transfer students*, eligibility depends on total number of semesters attended at all previous institutions, for a maximum of four (4) semesters for Masters, and eight (8) for PhD or graduation, whichever comes first. For example, if you are a master’s student and you have completed one year at another institution, you will receive the International Competitive Scholarship for two semesters (one year).

A graduate student must successfully complete newly nine (9) graded graduate-level credit hours and maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.50 each semester.

*A transfer student is defined as a student who is pursuing a college degree in their home country or within the U.S and is transferring to NMSU to continue their studies in the same education level.

*Note: if you are a continuing student, please click here.

Apply for International Competitive Scholarship

Other Funding Sources

Graduate assistantships are working positions usually in one’s field of study in the form of a teaching or research position. If interested, applicants should contact their academic department directly to inquire.
Office of Experiential Learning offers on-campus employment on a part-time basis. To find suitable positions, students use the on-line campus employment webpages to register and apply for jobs. International students can only apply for regular on-campus student employment and are not eligible for work-study positions. Employment is limited to 20 hours per week on campus during the fall and spring semesters.