Military and Veterans Programs (MVP)

New Mexico State University Alamogordo is a veteran and military-friendly university which strives to provide the best possible service to our current and former servicemembers as they pursue their educational goals. NMSU-A Military and Veterans Programs promotes lifelong learning and professional development for veterans, active-duty military and their families, assisting them in their higher education goals by offering:

  • In-state tuition rates for active-duty military and their dependents stationed at regional military installations (including Ft. Bliss); or those eligible for U.S. department of Defense (DoD) Tuition Assistance (TA) or U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) education benefits. 
  • Facilitation of MyCAA military spouse benefits and DoD TA
  • Facilitation of all Department of Defense Tuition Assistance (TA) Benefits
  • Courses taught online and at locations on or near regional military installations
  • Innovative technology and course delivery methods
  • Work-study opportunities for veterans and dependents using VA educational benefits
  • Student advocacy at every level, from admissions to graduation
  • Priority registration for all military and veteran students
  • Connection with student organizations

In accordance with Title 38 US Code 3679(e), our educational institution adopts the following additional provisions for any students using U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Post-9/11 GI Bill® (Ch. 33) or Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment (Ch. 31) benefits, while payment to the institution is pending from VA.  This educational institution will not:

  • Prevent the student’s enrollment;
  • Assess a late penalty fee to the student;
  • Require the student to secure alternative or additional funding;
  • Deny the student access to any resources (access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities) available to other students who have satisfied their tuition and fee bills to the institution.

Provide 90 days after the date the institution certified tuition and fees following the receipt of the COE

NMSU degree programs are approved by the New Mexico Department of Veterans’ Services. Eligible veterans and dependents may receive education benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

For further information, contact:

Veterans Programs
2400 N. Scenic Drive
Alamogordo, NM 88310
Phone: (575) 439-3600, or
Email: veteransNMSUA@nmsu.edu

Veterans Priority Registration: Veterans Priority Registration will go into effect after proof of service has been shown to the Veterans Programs Office. Acceptable proof of service is:

  • DD214
  • Veterans Affair’s ID
  • NM Driver License indicating Veteran Status.

New Students are not eligible for Veterans Priority Registration until proof of service has been provided.

Costs

Active-Duty: Active-duty military personnel (Armed Forces,) stationed in New Mexico or at Fort Bliss, Texas may complete a “Resident Tuition Application for Active Duty Military” waiver to qualify for in-state tuition. Spouses and minor children of active-duty personnel who are stationed in New Mexico and Fort Bliss, Texas who are not otherwise entitled to claim in-state residency, may apply for in-state tuition by submitting a “Resident Tuition Application for Active-Duty Military, Veterans, and Dependents of the US Armed Forces” waiver to the Military and Veterans Programs office. Applications are available by contacting:

Veterans Programs
2400 N. Scenic Drive
Alamogordo, NM 88310
Phone: (575) 439-3600, or
Email: veteransNMSUA@nmsu.edu

Dependents Receiving VA Educational Benefits: Per NM 2015 HB 427: A spouse or child of a veteran of the armed forces is entitled to pay tuition and fees at the rate provided for New Mexico residents provided that the spouse or child is eligible for benefits pursuant to the federal Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 or any other federal law authorizing educational benefits for a veteran and the dependents of a veteran. Applications are available by contacting:

Veterans Programs
2400 N. Scenic Drive
Alamogordo, NM 88310,
Phone: (575) 439-3600, or
Email: veteransNMSUA@nmsu.edu

Veterans: Veterans receiving U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs education benefits are eligible for in-state tuition through the Veterans In-State Tuition Act by submitting a “Resident Tuition Application for Active Military, Veterans, and Dependents of the US Armed Forces” waiver. For further information concerning approved programs and application process, eligible persons should contact:

Veterans Programs
2400 N. Scenic Drive
Alamogordo, NM 88310,
Phone: (575) 439-3600, or
Email: veteransNMSUA@nmsu.edu

Veteran students enrolled under the following programs are responsible for their tuition and fees in the same manner as a nonveteran student:

  • Montgomery GI Bill®-Active Duty (CH30)
  • Dependents (CH35)
  • Montgomery GI Bill®-Selected Reserve (CH1606)

GI Bill® is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA). More information about education from benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.

Post 9/11 students will have the following tuition based scholarships reduced from the amount of tuition reported to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: New Mexico Lottery Scholarship, Bridge Scholarship, NMSU-A Continuing Education Scholarship, New Mexico Opportunity Scholarship, and any other tuition based scholarships.

Post 9/11 student tuition and fees will be reported to the Department of Veterans Affair’s after census date.

Tuition and fees of students enrolled under the Vocational Rehabilitation Program (CH31) will be paid by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs under contract with the university.

Veterans Lounge: The Veterans lounge is open to all student veterans and their dependents. The lounge is a quiet place to decompress and regain your focus. To request the lounge code, please speak with the Veterans Programs office, or fill out the online request form at https://alamogordo.nmsu.edu/military/veterans-programs.html. You will need to provide proof of veteran or dependent status.

For further assistance, contact the NMSU-A Veterans Programs at (575) 439-3600 or email veteransNMSUA@nmsu.edu

Air Force Portal: Airmen can request information from the Education Office on base by calling (575) 572-3971.

Regulations

Note: These regulations apply to all campuses of NMSU and are effective with the publication of this catalog. Tuition amounts, fees, and similar items subject to annual review and change are all effective with the current catalog.

Credit for Military Service: New Mexico State University will award academic credit to United States military personnel for courses and Military Occupational Specialties (MOS), based on the American Council of Education Guide (ACE) as well as through national standardized tests, such as CLEP, AP, PEP, and DANTES. Credit for military-training is in accordance with NMSU Faculty Senate Legislation Proposition 24-07/08, which was passed in May 2008. Military Training and Military Occupational Specialties (MOS) must have a recommendation evaluation by ACE (in the ACE Guide) for credit to be awarded. Courses accepted for transfer credit become part of the student’s official NMSU transcript and academic record. If a student wishes to appeal a decision regarding the acceptance of military training/education and/or MOS for academic credit, the student must submit a written statement of appeal to the Dean of the College to which the student has applied. The Dean will review the merits of the appeal and render a decision. The decision of the Dean is final.

Only Primary MOS (s) are eligible for academic credit in the initial review and evaluation. Credit for Duty and /or Secondary MOS may be eligible for academic credit if the student petitions the college’s Associate Dean. Primary MOS is the primary specialty of a soldier and reflects the broadest and most in-depth scope of military experience. Veterans, active-duty personnel, National Guard and Reservists who are current students or students applying for admission to New Mexico State University may be granted academic credit on a case-by-case basis upon evaluation of military transcripts - the Joint Service Transcript (https://jst.doded.mil/jst) and the Community College of the Air Force transcripts. Course equivalencies and credit hours awarded for a particular NMSU degree are determined by colleges and/or academic departments. Credit hours may be awarded for specific courses toward degree requirement, or as elective credit. The number of credit hours awarded will be determined by the college and/or academic department.

Note: Students submitting military transcripts for credit evaluation must remember it can affect the Maximum Time Frame- Pace of Progression policy. Please review the Financial Aid Section for more information.

Tuition Assistance: Tuition Assistance (TA) is a benefit paid to eligible active duty members of the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines and Navy. The Department of Defense (DoD) has given each service the ability to pay up to $250 per semester credit hour of the actual cost of tuition (no fees) during the fiscal year (Oct. 1 - Sept. 30). TA must be requested and approved prior to the start date of the course.  Refer to your Service portal for specific TA deadlines and procedures.  TA is paid directly to the school by the individual services.

Service members must first be admitted to NMSU before they enroll in any classes at NMSU. Prior to applying, speak with your military service or Educational Services Officer to know your education options and make an informed decision.  Please be aware of NMSU admission and registration process:

  1. Service members must apply online to be admitted,
  2. login to my.NMSU.edu to register for classes, and

  3. create an account and Request TA through their service online portal. Each service has its own criteria for eligibility, application process and restrictions. Refer to our website for service login information: https://alamogordo.nmsu.edu/military/currently-serving.html.

It is important to request TA for the same class and section number as enrolled in NMSU for tuition and grading purposes. Only enrollments requested and approved through their service online portal will be eligible for TA. Refer to our website for further information at https://alamogordo.nmsu.edu/military/currently-serving.html or contact:

Veterans Programs
2400 N. Scenic Drive
Alamogordo, NM 88310
Phone: (575) 439-3600, or
Email: veteransNMSUA@nmsu.edu

MyCAA: The My Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) Scholarship Program is a career development and employment assistance program. MyCAA helps military spouses, who have successfully completed high school, pursue licenses, credentials, or associate degrees with a specific concentration or major to pursue an occupation or career with transferable and portable skills. MyCAA provides a maximum education benefit of $4,000 with an annual fiscal year (Oct. 1 – Sept. 30) cap of $2,000 to assist eligible military spouses. Refer to our website for MyCAA eligibility and procedures at https://mvp.nmsu.edu/military-members/mycaa-spouse-scholarship.html or contact Military and Veterans Programs for assistance.

State Tuition Assistance:  New Mexico National Guard Tuition Scholarship Program (NMGTSP) also referred to as State Tuition Assistance (STA). The scholarship provides eligible members of the New Mexico National Guard an opportunity to complete a bachelor's degree or below. Air National Guard yearly cap is $8,000. Army National Guard yearly cap is $4,000. STA fiscal year is from July 1 – June 30. STA is paid directly to the school and is invoiced after the term’s Last Day to Drop a Course without a “W” (100% refund). Refer to our website for STA deadlines and procedures at https://mvp.nmsu.edu/military-members/state-tuition-assistance.html or contact the Military Veterans Programs for assistance.

Military Withdrawal:  New Mexico State University understands that our military and Veteran students may be called to active duty, specialized training, or disaster Military and Veterans Programs (MVP) 3 relief efforts with little notice. U.S. active duty military students wishing to withdraw from all their classes must present their orders and their request for full withdrawal, as indicated below. However, the below policy does not pertain to a student’s basic and/or annual training. A student who has an order for training is encouraged to formally request through the proper military chain of command, a postponement of their orders until the summer or the end of the semester they are currently enrolled in. If a student’s request for postponement is denied, the student may then follow the below steps but must provide documentation that their postponement request was formally denied. All NMSU students that have been called up for active duty must take the following steps in order to withdraw from all their classes:

  1. Veterans Programs. VA students ordered to Active Duty must provide a copy of orders to the Veterans Programs Office to assist in reporting accurate information to the VA Regional Office, student should also provide, in writing, last day of class attendance.
  2. NMSU-A Office of Admissions and Records. All students presenting their orders to the Office of Admissions and Records, (575) 439-3600, will receive a military withdrawal from classes and a full tuition and fees refund for that semester.
  3. Bookstore. Students who still have their receipts for textbooks purchased the semester in which they are called to active duty will be given a full refund for these textbook purchases when they present their orders. (575) 646-4431

Note: The NMSU-Las Cruces Military and Veterans Program processes all Military Withdrawal and will use the documentation submitted to determine eligibility.

Veterans’ Attendance and Satisfactory Progress: The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs requires all veterans receiving VA education benefits to make satisfactory progress and systematic advancement toward an educational objective or be liable for over-payments. Satisfactory progress and regular class attendance are expected of such students.

If a veteran receiving benefits is suspended for academic reasons, benefits are terminated and will be restored only after readmission to NMSU.

If the university has liability claims filed against it as a result of a veteran failing to meet compliance requirements of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the university will not release any academic records on the veteran until such time as the veteran has reimbursed the federal government for funds drawn in violation of those requirements.

A student receiving VA education benefits who is pursuing a degree program offered by New Mexico State University should adhere to the curriculum of that program. Failure to do so will result in the student being certified for less than full-time status or becoming liable for an overpayment.

Responsibility of Veteran Students: Students must be pursuing a degree in a specific program to be eligible for benefits. Admission procedures for veterans and other eligible persons are the same as for all students. Students must submit a signed degree plan from their Academic advisors to the Veterans Programs prior to certification. For continued certification, students must submit a “Class Schedule” to the Veterans’ Programs office every semester.

Veterans must notify the Veterans’ Program office when any of the following occurs:

  • Dropping or adding course(s)
  • Withdrawing from course(s)
  • Discontinuing regular class attendance
  • Changing programs (academic majors)

VA education benefits are payable for regular attendance in courses that are part of the veteran’s program (major) curriculum. VA educational benefits are not payable for:

  • Classes not attended regularly
  • Repeating a course for which a passing grade was received
  • Classes for which credit is received through successful completion of a proficiency test or grade by examination
  • Classes taken on an audit basis
  • Classes that are dropped or withdrawn from
  • Classes taken that are not part of the veteran’s program (major) curriculum

For further information, contact:

Veterans Programs
2400 N. Scenic Drive
Alamogordo, NM 88310
Phone: (575) 439-3600, or
Email: veteransNMSUA@nmsu.edu