BY Edgar Gonzalez, Staff reporter
In order to receive the most help everyone should fill out a FAFSA form which will indicate how much help you are able to receive, said Brian Melton at the CNM financial aid department.
If someone is unable to receive federal aid, there are still things you could do in order to receive aid for the year, he said
The school itself is able to give out scholarships from donors and although funds for these types of help are very limited it is very important to try and get these scholarships as soon as possible, he said.
Some of these include the PNM Renewable Technology Success Award, he said.
This award is for the school of applied technology students and awards $1000 for enrollment and books, he said.
Other types of scholarships include emergency scholarships like the RUST scholarship that can be awarded to students depending on the severity of the emergency situation, he said.
“If you get a cut on your finger you only need a band aid (little help), if you break your hand you need to go to the hospital (larger amount of help), and if you completely tear your arm off there is only very little help that they can give you.” Melton said.
These situations include paying for car repairs, and paying for necessities for a while until the student at hand is able to come up with an alternative solution, he said.
The situation that always comes first are living expenses such as rent because rent for the most part is a student’s greatest expense, he said.
This help is intended to make sure that students can continue to pursue their education goals, he said.
“These scholarships are available year round to students in order to further aid the students in their struggles,” he said.
There are other types of help such as the vet success programs in order to help veterans continue their education, Meltron said.
This program can help veterans by giving them materials that are needed for success at college like giving veterans laptops if needed, he said.
CNM also has counselors for vets and their families in order to deal with psychological issues they may face, he said.
There are also other veteran specific scholarships at CNM which include the Vietnam Veterans scholarship, he said.
Further information can be found at the schools website.
People with disabilities also have specific scholarships and emergency scholarships that can help them further their education, Melton said.
The emergency scholarships can give people in need with disabilities certain things needed to go about their day such as wheel chairs, he said.
“There are plenty more scholarships like this one but it varies from the needs of the student and how much funding there is,” he said.
In order to receive this help the person who is attempting to receive this scholarship needs see the DRC office in order to be classified as a special needs person, he said.
People who are returning to school or have attained a GED or both have several scholarships options as well like the Daniels Fund Boundless, he said.
“This is set up to help nontraditional students pursue their education goals and there is more information about this available at the CNM webpage,” he said.
Students can do an application on the CNM webpage called the General Scholarship which can actively enroll students to multiple scholarships at once, said Liberal Arts major, Jasmine Viramontes.
The school then decides which scholarships are more applicable to the student that has applied, she said.
I received two scholarships by doing the scholarship process this way and this application made the whole process of receiving scholarships way easier, she said.
This scholarship is applicable in all terms and it is recommended to apply every term in order to have the best chance of receiving the most scholarships, she said.
CNM Foundation Scholarships:
Amey P. Sanchez Scholarship Endowment
Minimum Criteria:
- Students enrolled in Architectural/Engineering Drafting Technology
Ann and Peter Ziegler Scholarship Endowment
Minimum Criteria:
- Female Liberal Art students with financial need planning to transfer to a four year institution
Barbara Silva Book and Tool Scholarship Endowment
Minimum Criteria:
- Excellent CNM student who has completed at least two terms at CNM
CSI Construction Specification Institute Scholarship
Minimum Criteria
- Student in Construction Technology or Architectural Engineering Drafting Technology
CVI Laser Photonics Scholarship
Minimum Criteria:
- Assist students in the Photonics Program
For More Info go to https://www.cnm.edu/depts/financial-aid/scholarships
