New Mexico Higher Education Department (NMHED) highlights 2023 milestones

On Tuesday, the New Mexico Higher Education Department (NMHED) released a list of milestones they hit in 2023. The department recognized support from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and other partners who helped in reaching the past year’s goals.

NMHED says they saw a 2.3% increase in undergraduate student enrollment in public colleges and universities. This year was the second consecutive year of growth with help from the Opportunity Scholarship Act in 2022. An additional 6,700 students enrolled, a 7% increase over the past two years.

Officials say the Health Professional Loan Repayment Program awarded a record 724 New Mexico healthcare professionals with debt relief. The department also granted over 400 working New Mexico teachers $4.9 million in debt relief.

The NMHED also says they allocated $14.3 million in Technology Enhancement Fund money in support of research in medicine, education, agriculture, transportation engineering, and other areas. The money went to four state universities and the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center.

“I am proud to celebrate the strides we’ve made this year in a multitude of areas, including college access, student success, research, innovation, and many more. Thanks to our continued support of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and lawmakers, higher education continues to be a priority. With sustained investments during the upcoming legislative session, we look forward to building upon the record progress we’ve made over the past several years toward achieving the positive outcomes higher education brings for New Mexicans,” said Acting Higher Education Secretary Patricia Trujillo, Ph.D in a statement.