24 New Mexico Colleges Waive Application Fees for November; Enrollment Hits 115,231
On November 1, New Mexico's "Free Application Month" officially began: throughout November, state residents can apply to 24 in-state colleges and universities without paying an application fee. The state Higher Education Department said the annual campaign works alongside the state's tuition relief policies, under which eligible students can attend public institutions tuition-free.
Among the participating schools, Diné College, New Mexico State University and New Mexico Tech are waiving application fees during November, while 21 others — including Central New Mexico Community College, San Juan College and Eastern New Mexico University — charge no application fee year-round, for a total of 24. Preliminary figures from the department show that enrollment at the state's public institutions reached 115,231 students in fall 2026, a fifth consecutive year of growth.
The campaign is supported jointly by the state Higher Education Department, the Public Education Department and the New Mexico Education Assistance Foundation, and aims to lower the application threshold so more families learn about and use existing scholarship and tuition assistance programs. The secretary of higher education said that combining fee waivers with scholarship policies helps put college access within reach of more New Mexico families.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 位于阿尔伯克基的新墨西哥大学 Zimmerman 图书馆（资料图）。PerryPlanet at English Wikipedia摄，Public domain，经Wikimedia Commons。 / Zimmerman Library at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque (file photo). Photo by PerryPlanet at English Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
