New Mexico State University

Most graduate assistantships offered by New Mexico State University are awarded by the student’s academic department and are not funded by the Graduate School. Please contact your department of study to receive information on graduate assistantships and scholarships. The student must be admitted to the Graduate School before a request for an assistantship or scholarship will be considered by the department or the Graduate School.
The university limits the number of years a student may be supported on funds from the state of New Mexico. A student should check the Guidelines on Employment for Graduate Assistants. Departments may place additional limitations on the years of support.

Awards Administered by the Graduate School

For awards administered by the Graduate School, nomination from faculty associated with the students' program must be received. The nomination window each year is in the Spring, with announcements made in May.

The “Call for Nominations” is sent to Department Heads, Associate Deans for Academics, and Graduate Program Directors. Graduate students also are notified via a post in the graduate students’ listserv that the nomination window is open. 

Below is a summary of those awards. Not every award may have funding available each year. Some awards carry both tuition scholarship and graduate assistantship (20-hour per week or 10-hour per week), but some have only one of the two components.

• Awards Featuring Graduate Assistantship and Tuition Scholarship
  

  1. The Paul D. Coverdell Fellowship for Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCV)

     This award is for Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCV) only and features a 0.25 FTE (10 hours per week) graduate assistantship and a $2,590 tuition award per fall and spring semesters. RPCVs often have a deep desire to help others. One way for RPCVs to continue their passion to serve others is to begin a Graduate School program of study. The NMSU Graduate School and the Paul D. Coverdell Fellowship help make graduate studies possible for RPCVs. The Coverdell Fellowship is specifically for aiding qualified RPCVs in pursuing a master’s degree, doctoral degree, or professional certificate.
     NMSU is a proud Fellowship partner with the Peace Corps’ Coverdell Fellowship, administering both tuition support and a 10-hour per week Graduate Assistantship for qualified RPCV applicants who choose a graduate program of study with the College of Health, Education, and Social Transformation (HEST) or the College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences (ACES).
     The same action-oriented service opportunities that attracted Peace Corps Volunteers to serve overseas are embedded in the service requirement of a Coverdell Fellowship. Each Coverdell fellow completes a minimum 300 hours per academic year internship to serve or to benefit a significantly under-resourced segment of their local community; 300 hours is equivalent to a 10-hour graduate assistantship in the fall and spring semesters.
     For more information, please visit these webpages: HEST Coverdell Fellowship and ACES Coverdell Fellowship. For more information on eligibility requirements for the Paul D. Coverdell Fellowship, visit the Peace Corps website, here.

• Awards Featuring Graduate Assistantship

  1. Distinguished Graduate Assistantship Award for Ph.D. Students. The Distinguished Graduate Assistantship Awards for Ph.D. students (0.5 FTE, 20 hours/week) are granted through a competitive basis to help increase the quality of Ph.D. students at NMSU. Please note that this award is for only one academic year (Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 semesters). The selected student must be admitted to a Ph.D. program prior to being nominated for this award. To apply for Distinguished Graduate Assistantship award, department heads or graduate program directors must submit the following:
     1. A written statement (no more than 2 paragraphs) demonstrating that the applicant will be engaged in promising research or creative scholarship.
     2. Retention plan that outlines specific strategies that will support the student’s success in the program.

  2. Preparing Future Faculty (PFF). The Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) Graduate Assistantship award is designed to promote the development of future faculty at community colleges and institutions of higher education. The Program requires students to work 10 hours a week for an instructional unit on campus and participate in the PFF workshops offered by the Graduate School and Teaching Academy. PFF is a 0.25 FTE (10 hours per week) Graduate Assistantship provided by the Graduate School. Awardees may combine the PFF assistantship with another 0.25 FTE (10 hours per week) Graduate Assistantship from a different funding source. Participation in the program is limited to one academic year. 

     Award qualifications: 

     The PFF program is open to all full-time students in good academic standing and having a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0.

     Preference is given to: 

     1. Ph.D. students with aspirations to become faculty, and/or 
     2. Underrepresented Ph.D. students that wish to teach at a community college or 4-year institution. Underrepresented students in their field of study include minority students in fields of study where they are underrepresented in their department of study (e.g., male students in the Nursing department, women in STEM fields).
     3. Student must have been accepted as a Ph.D. student by the department
     4. International students must take the NMSU Graduate International Teaching Assistant Screening (ITAS) exam administered by NMSU. 
     5. The student must be engaged in the instructional mission of NMSU. They cannot be a Graduate Research Assistant or Graduate Assistant-Other.
     6. The student must be willing to participate in, and complete, approximately 20 hours of Teaching Academy events in the fall and approximately 10 hours in the spring. Below are workshops that we offer that may be of particular interest:
        1. PFF Orientation (1.25 hours in fall)
        2. Foundational Teaching Series (8 hours in fall) 
        3. Getting a Job in Academe or Industry (8 hours in fall)
        4. Ace Your Academic Interview (1.25 hours in spring)
        5. Develop and refine your teaching demonstration (1.5 hours in spring)
        6. Publish and Flourish (6 hours in spring)
        7. Supercharge Your CV (1.25 hours in spring)
        8. Teaching Statements (1.25 hours in spring)

     If you cannot participate in these series, please participate in other Teaching Academy workshops and complete, by some other means, you are required 20 hours in the fall and 10 hours in the spring. For times and dates, see https://teaching.nmsu.edu/events/upcoming-events.html.

     1. The student meets with the faculty mentor 3 times in the fall and 3 times in the spring and documents each meeting on the spreadsheet provided by the Teaching Academy. In the spring, there are readings to prepare for each meeting.
     2. The student must have a faculty mentor, who will:  
     1. 1. Participate in the Entering Mentoring Workshop,
        2. Meet with their mentees at least three times in the fall and spring semesters, with the spring meetings based upon short co-read articles.

     Continuation to spring semester: Continuation from one semester to the next is based on faculty mentor evaluation of their student performance, academic performance, and attendance in the PFF workshops.  

     Please Note: The PFF award prioritizes Ph.D. students over Master’s, but Master’s students are still eligible for the award.

• Awards Featuring Tuition Scholarship Only

  1. Outstanding Graduate Research Scholarship Award. To recognize outstanding Graduate Assistants who are engaged in the research mission of New Mexico State University, the Graduate School will award $3,000 ($1,500 per academic semester) annually to one Graduate Research Assistant from each of the five academic colleges. One nomination each from the Dean (or Designee) of the Academic Colleges must be sent to the Graduate School.The Outstanding Graduate Research Scholarship Award will not count towards the Union Tuition Scholarship.
  2. Outstanding Graduate Teaching Scholarship Award. To recognize outstanding Graduate Assistants who are engaged in the teaching mission of New Mexico State University, the Graduate School will award $3,000 ($1,500 per academic semester) annually to one Graduate Teaching Assistant from each of the five academic colleges. One nomination each from the Dean (or Designee) of the Academic Colleges must be sent to the Graduate School. The Outstanding Graduate Teaching Scholarship Award will not count towards the Union Tuition Scholarship.
  3. State of New Mexico Higher Education Department (NMHED) Graduate Scholarship. New Mexico Higher Education Department (NMHED) offers Graduate Scholarship for underrepresented groups who are citizens or permanent U.S. residents. NMHED Graduate Scholarship carry up to $7,200 per annum. Students must serve in an unpaid internship or assistantship at the eligible institution, a government agency or private industry approved by the major department for ten hours per week during the academic year. NMHED Graduate Scholarships are available for two years for master’s students and for four years for doctoral students. Priority will be given to New Mexico students from those groups with the most severe under-representation and students with the greatest financial need. To establish financial need, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form at https://studentaid.gov/. Please include NMSU School code 002657. The results will be sent to the student and the NMSU Financial Aid Office. Students must have a complete file and must be approved for financial aid to be considered for this fellowship.
  4. State of New Mexico Higher Education Department (NMHED) STEM Scholarship. To be eligible for the NMHED STEM Scholarships, students must have graduated from a New Mexico high school, have NM residency, and be enrolled full time in a master’s or doctoral STEM degree program. Eligible students will receive an award amount no greater than $7,200 per academic year. There is no need to apply for this Scholarship. Eligible students will have appropriate amount of Scholarship posted in their Scholar$ System.

Looking for information about Union Scholarship?

Please view the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) here.

Article 8 of the CBA refers to Scholarship Awards.

More Details About Graduate Assistantships

Graduate assistantships in teaching and research are available primarily through the department in which the student is enrolled. Eligibility for teaching assistantships includes

• Acceptance by and subsequent registration in the Graduate School and academic department,
• Admitted as a “Regular” graduate student,
• Enroll in at least nine graded credit hours each semester
• Maintain a 3.0 grade-point average.

Graduate students accepted on a provisional basis cannot serve as Graduate Teaching Assistant or Graduate Assistant-Other. However, they can serve as Graduate Research Assistants. Eligibility for Graduate Research Assistant includes:

• Acceptance by and subsequent registration in the Graduate School and academic department,
• Classification as a “Provisional” graduate student,
• Enroll in at least nine graded credits hours each semester,
• Funded on research projects of the faculty of NMSU.

Note: Conference Travel Awards are funded by the Graduate Student Council and/or ASNMSU. Please contact ASNMSU for more information about travel funds.

Other Funding Opportunities

Funding Opportunities for NMSU Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars

Click on the link above to view all of the Funding Opportunities for NMSU Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars through the Research Administration Services. Restrictions and deadlines are available for each funding opportunity.

Pivot ProQuest

Government Grants