NMSU Scholarships.

New Mexico State University Financial Aid and Scholarship Services is proud to offer a ground-breaking scholarship management system, the Scholar Dollar$ scholarship system. One scholarship application serves all NMSU students, regardless of campus. NMSU has a variety of scholarships that are offered to incoming freshmen, transfer students, and continuing students. Most scholarship awards have multiple eligibility requests, so ALWAYS read details carefully and ALWAYS know scholarship deadline dates.

Department of Art Scholarships.

Every Spring, our art majors have the opportunity to apply for a range of scholarships and awards. To apply, students must have completed their annual FAFSA and ScholarDollar$ registration. Students will make their applications through a Canvas course created for the purpose. Please notes that each scholarship and award is set up with different eligibility requirements ranging in GPA requirements, class standing, a written essay and/or submission of a portfolio. These scholarships and awards create a competitive spirit among our motivated art majors in the undergraduate and graduate programs seeking opportunities to help enhance and finance their education. Opportunities for travel to art exhibits at major museums, attending workshops or presenting art history papers at conferences outside of Las Cruces are some of the benefits students can take advantage of through the various awards. These opportunities help to enrich a student’s experience and education at New Mexico State University.

Gabriel and Geraldine Martinez and the New Mexico State University Foundation, Inc. created the Liette Martinez Memorial Endowed Scholarship This scholarship is dedicated to Liette Martinez, a student in graphic design and is offered to an art major whose emphasis is in graphic design.  The scholarship goes to a junior or senior who does not qualify for financial aid, is working towards an art degree with an emphasis in graphic design, and has a minimum 3.0 GPA. This scholarship requires submission of a portfolio with 10 images and a short essay on their career goals.

The Ken Barrick Memorial Endowed Scholarship is funded by his daughters, Kay Barrick Rickets and Barbara Barrick Edmonds, and friends. It is in honor of Mr. Barrick’s long-time commitment to the arts and his legacy as a professor at NMSU’s Department of Art. This scholarship is for full-time students in the MFA program with a demonstrated commitment to a professional career in the arts. The application requires the submission of a portfolio of 10 images.

Jose Cisneros Art Student Travel Award was established by Mr. J. Paul Taylor and goes to a student from Southern New Mexico; Chihauhua, Mexico; or El Paso, Texas. The applicant is required to write a letter describing how he or she will use the money to travel outside of this region to enhance their education in the arts.

The Mary Lawbaugh Endowed Fund was established in 1978 by Sylvia L. Ahern and has continued to be funded through Mary Lawbaugh’s children. This award allows the University Art Museum to purchase an artwork that was accepted into the annual Juried Student Show and can go to any undergraduate or graduate student in good standing.

Mesilla Valley Arts Guild
This award goes out to a full-time undergraduate student majoring in the studio arts or graphic arts program and has a 2.5 GPA. Students must apply with a portfolio of 10 images of recent work.

Janet Swenson Memorial Scholarship honors the legacy of artist and teacher, Janet Swenson, and is awarded to an undergraduate or graduate student major in the Department of Art that will be a full-time student the year following the award, with a GPA of 3.2 or higher and a resident of NM. A portfolio of 10 images or a sample of research scholarship is required.

Jean H. Dodier Scholarship is available to juniors and seniors majoring in art or art history with a GPA of 3.0 or better. A portfolio of 10 images or a sample of research scholarship is required.

Vivian B. Head Scholarship is awarded to an undergraduate or graduate student from the Departments of Art, Music, Theatre Arts, and the Creative Media Institute. This scholarship is applied to through a separate system, and requires an application, transcripts, two letters of recommendation, a list of academic accomplishments, and an essay on Free Trade.

Karl J. and Sylvia P. Schueppert Endowed Scholarship reflects their lifelong passion for art and music and Mr. Schueppert’s career in Chemistry. This scholarship will be awarded to students on a rotational basis between three departments: Bio-chemistry and Chemistry (1st year), Art (2nd year) and Music (3rd year). The qualifications for this scholarship include full time enrollment with a sophomore, junior, or senior class ranking, a minimum GPA of a 3.0, and an officially declared a major in the area to be awarded.

Candis J. Stern Endowed Scholarship, recently created through the generous donation made by Candis J. Stern to support students who have declared art as their major with an emphasis in Museum Conservation. Other qualifications for this award include a minimum GPA of 3.0 and preference for students who have taken or are currently enrolled in ARTS 490, Museum Conservation Internship.

The Philip Wrench Endowed Scholarship, funded through an initial gift from Peter Y. Wrench to award majors in the Department of Art who have a focus in one of the following: Retablo Art, Mexican Religious Art, New Mexican Religious Art or Iconography.  The highest GPA from qualifying students will be given preference in the awarding of this scholarship. Students must submit a portfolio of 10 images or a sample of written scholarship along with an accompanying explanation how their research relates to the preferred themes.

Reece Schleich Endowed Scholarship
The Reece Schleich Endowed Scholarship was established in his memory and in honor of his kindness and love for life. Scholarship recipients are undergraduate students with a declared major in the College of Arts and Sciences. Preference will be given to students with a declared major in the Department of Art, and whose legal residence is Wyoming.

Teddie Current Use Scholarship
Established by Cowboy Poet Baxter Black and his three brothers in memory of their beloved mother, the scholarship rotates on an annual basis to support undergraduate students with declared majors in Art, English, or Mathematical Sciences. The recipient must be a U.S. citizen, a New Mexico resident, and has demonstrated need as determined by official FAFSA results.

Rachel Stevens Scholarship was established in honor of Professor Emeritus Rachel Stevens, who taught sculpture in the Department of Art from 1994 until 2019. This award goes to undergraduate students with a declared major in the Department of Art, a GPA of 3.0, is a New Mexico resident, and has demonstrated need as determined by official FAFSA results. 

Devasthali DV & Sudha Endowment

Established in 2020, the Mr. DV and Mrs. Sudha Devasthali Endowed Scholarship supports the College of Arts and Sciences. Recipients must have a declared major in the Department of Art, maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 and be classified as a sophomore, junior, or senior level student.