PHOTO CUTLINE: Quinn Thompson, a junior mechanical engineering student at New Mexico State University, solves an equation at the engineering tutoring center. Thompson is one of more than 1,300 students to receive scholarships through the Scholar Dollar$ program. Because of the financial assistance, he received enough money to reduce his tuition to $0 per semester. (NMSU photo by Allison Brady)
WRITER: Allison Brady, engr_media@nmsu.edu
The New Mexico State University College of Engineering awarded nearly $1 million in scholarships to more than 1,300 students during the 2025–2026 academic year using the Scholar Dollar$ application.
To help build the future engineering workforce, hundreds of scholarships have been established through the generosity of alumni, industry partners, families and other donors who give through the NMSU Foundation. These scholarships help ease the financial burden many students face while pursuing their degrees.
“Scholarships are one of the most important investments we can make in the future of engineering,” said David Jáuregui, interim dean of the College of Engineering. “They strengthen our ability to recruit talented students from New Mexico by complementing the New Mexico Opportunity and Lottery Scholarships, while also making an NMSU engineering education more attainable for students from outside New Mexico who have fewer comparable sources of financial support.”
For many students, scholarships make the difference between simply hoping to attend college and earning a degree. Caleb Eugene-James Ballerstein, a junior majoring in civil engineering, said scholarships allowed him to pursue higher education and transition toward a new career path.
“If I didn't have the scholarships, I would most likely not be attending college, and I would still be working construction jobs and volunteer firefighting,” Ballerstein said. “Those jobs were severely damaging my body. Sometimes I could not even move on the weekends without being in pain.”
For some students, scholarships can reduce tuition costs to zero or even provide a refund after educational expenses have been covered. Quinn Thompson, a junior mechanical engineering student and president of the Mini Baja student organization, has effectively earned a full-ride education by combining multiple scholarships.
Thompson said scholarships have given him the freedom to fully embrace the college experience. Instead of working countless hours to pay for school, he can focus on academics, leadership opportunities, student organizations and personal growth.
“Not being able to have these need- and merit-based scholarships would really hurt my ability to attend,” Thompson said. “I wouldn’t be able to be as academically involved or involved in extracurricular activities. It would be hard to keep up any kind of leadership position in a club without having these scholarships to support me and ensure that I don't have to work as much.”
Scholar Dollar$ is the university's centralized scholarship application system, allowing students to apply for nearly all NMSU scholarships through a single application.
Students can access Scholar Dollar$ by logging into my.nmsu.edu and selecting the Scholar Dollar$ widget. After logging in, they complete a single application that matches them with scholarship opportunities across the university. While some awards are based on financial need, many recognize academic achievement, leadership, involvement and other accomplishments, making them available to a wide range of students.
Olivia Dulany, the College of Engineering’s scholarship program coordinator, encourages students to take advantage of every opportunity to showcase their experiences.
“I always encourage students to be as thorough as possible,” Dulany said. “Include your campus involvement, volunteer service, leadership roles, work experience, internships, athletics or community organizations. Every section you complete helps tell your story and can qualify you for additional scholarships because each award has its own criteria.”
A complete application helps students qualify for more scholarship opportunities, including awards with specialized criteria and smaller applicant pools. The more information students provide, the more opportunities they can be matched with, including nearly 300 scholarships available through the College of Engineering.
Students who need assistance completing the application can schedule an appointment with Dulany to review their application and identify scholarships for which they may be eligible.
“Scholarships do more than help pay for college,” Dulany said. “They give students the opportunity to spend less time worrying about finances and more time focusing on their education, gaining hands-on experience and preparing for successful careers. That’s the kind of investment that changes lives.”
“We are also encouraged to see more scholarships being established for graduate students, recognizing the important role that graduate education and research play in advancing engineering,” Jáuregui said. “Just as inspiring is the generosity of our alumni, industry partners, families and friends, many of whom understand firsthand the sacrifices required to earn an engineering degree and now choose to give back by helping the next generation of Aggie engineers succeed.”
Individuals, businesses and organizations interested in supporting future engineers can contact the Office of Engineering Academics at engr-oea@nmsu.edu to establish a scholarship through the NMSU Foundation. Donors have the opportunity to create scholarship criteria that reflect the students and programs they are most passionate about, leaving a lasting impact on future generations of Aggie engineers.