VISTA Scholarship

The VISTA scholarship will provide students up to $1,000 per semester for their first four semesters at UNM (up to $4,000 total) in addition to their regular financial aid. To receive the full amount, students must meet two conditions: 1) enroll in at least 12 credit hours in the first semester and at least 15 credit hours in each of the three subsequent semesters; and 2) maintain a 2.0 grade point average or higher. Payments will be paid throughout the term. – The first payment of $250 will be given three weeks after the semester starts, for students who meet the enrollment requirement. Payments of $250 at mid-terms and $500 at the end of the semester will be made to students meeting both enrollment and grade requirements. The scholarship will be paid by a check to eligible students through the Bursar’s office.

The VISTA scholarship provides students with several opportunities to meet the eligibility criteria:

• Students who do not meet mid-term criteria will be eligible to receive the mid-term payment if they meet the criteria at the end of the semester;
• Students who do not meet the criteria at the end of the semester will be eligible for payments if they meet the criteria during intersession courses; and
• Students who do not meet the criteria for a given semester will still be eligible for payments in later semesters if they meet the criteria during those semesters.

Who is eligible?

Only students who agree to be part of a study of the VISTA scholarship program will have the opportunity to receive such a scholarship. You can take part in the study if:

1. You are a first year student;
2. You or your parents have completed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FASFA,) and the UNM Financial Aid Department determines that you are eligible for a Pell Grant.
3. You are a New Mexico resident.
4. You are 18 years old or older and agree to participate in this study, or if you are under age 18, both you and a parent or guardian agree to you being a part of this study.

What does it mean to be a part of this study?

UNM expects to receive funds to provide approximately 500 students with VISTA scholarships: 250 students enrolling in Fall 2008 and 250 students enrolling in Fall 2009. Since there are not sufficient funds to help everyone who meets the eligibility criteria and because MDRC and UNM plan to study the extent to which these scholarships help students stay enrolled and perform well at college, a process called “random assignment” will be used to determine who is offered a VISTA scholarship. Random assignment is like a lottery or a coin toss. If you agree to be part of the study, you have a 50-50 chance of being assigned to one of two groups:

• The VISTA Scholarship Group: Students in this group will be offered the VISTA scholarship in addition to their regular financial aid. Students in this group will be asked to meet with VISTA counselors at least twice each semester to discuss their academic progress. VISTA counselors will approve scholarship payments for students who meet the scholarship payment conditions. Students can choose to pick up their checks from the Bursar’s office or have them deposited directly into their bank accounts.
• The Regular Services Group: Students in this group will receive all regular financial aid that they qualify for, including Pell grants, but will not be offered a VISTA scholarship. Students in this group will not meet with VISTA counselors, but may use all other counseling and advising services offered by the university.

By comparing the academic outcomes of students in the two groups, researchers at UNM and MDRC will determine whether the VISTA scholarships improve student achievement. You will be notified which group you are assigned to before the start of the fall semester

VISTA Advisors

Vanessa Harris

vgharris@unm.edu

VISTA Project Coordinator

Sarah Kieltyka

skieltyk@unm.edu

 

Scott Karlman

skarlman@unm.edu

 

 

 

 

William McClary

wmclary@unm.edu