Early this month, the New Mexico Senate passed a bill that would allow students living illegally in the United States to receive financial aid (for which they are not currently eligible). Under this legislation, admission to a university as well as eligibility for in-state aid (e.g., New Mexico's Lottery Success Scholarship) would be governed by a nondiscrimination policy, "regardless of immigration status." [For a poll on the topic of financial aid for illegal immigrants, click here]

 According to NMSU's Provost William Flores, the university already allows students living in other states that are within 135 miles of the university to qualify for state aid. "If you can give it to athletes or to Texans, why not to illegal immigrants? They're simply one more group."

The number of students who can benefit from this legislation, however, may be small; the Senate bill's fiscal impact report estimates only about 50 to 250 illegal immigrants are currently attending state-supported colleges or universities in New Mexico. This number does not include illegal immigrants who may be enrolled at community colleges in the state.

Not every administrator at NMSU agrees with the proposed legislation. Associate Students of NMSU director of govermental affairs, Joseph Gurule, opposes the extension of aid to illegal immigrants. He argues, "the purpose of the scholarship is to serve students in New Mexico, not to attract students from out of state."

If the Senate's bill is enacted, New Mexico would not be the only state to award financial aid to illegal immigrants; Texas and California each make aid available. And, just recently, Arizona state senators rejected a bill that would have denied state financial aid benefits to illegal immigrants attending a state university of community college. Federal law, however, prohibits awarding financial aid and in-state tuition to illegal immigrants.

Tip: Did you know that many privately-sponsored scholarships do not inquire about citizenship status? To find out more about these, check out a comprehensive scholarship directory like Kaplan Scholarships.