At NMSU, a majority of students rely on scholarships, grants, and loans to pay for school (College Navigator). Some scholarships and grants are automatically awarded to students, but they often require that the student complete a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). The FAFSA process has gotten easier to complete than it used to be, but it still requires detailed financial aid information that can be difficult for students and their families to provide.

But for the last academic year, students in Las Cruces-area high schools had extra help in completing the FAFSA. College students knowledgeable about the process were on hand at FAFSA completion events at local high schools. They gave guidance not just on how to complete the form but also on the benefits of FAFSA completion. In the 2021-2022 academic year, New Mexico students completing a FAFSA increased by 7.6% over the year before. Students in the Las Cruces Public Schools, who were served by the FAFSA Completion Project, increased the number of completions by 17.2% over the previous year! New Mexico has a high rate of poverty, financial aid makes higher education affordable for many students, and completing the FAFSA is crucial to getting that aid. 

Sherri Garcia and Michael Kuechmann led the FAFSA Completion Project for University Financial Aid and Scholarship Services, through a grant obtained by Dr. Tony Marin in the Office of Student Engagement. This project supports NMSU LEADS 2025 through Goal 1: Enhance Student Success and Social Mobility and demonstrates the Division of Student Success mission to Engage – Empower – Guide.