New Mexico Higher Education Secretary Urges Colleges to Freeze Tuition

New Mexico Higher Education Secretary Stephanie M. Rodriguez told the state's 29 public colleges and universities this week to hold tuition and fees flat for the coming academic year, arguing that record state investment has removed any reasonable basis for passing new costs to students.

"There is no justification for shifting additional costs to students with how the state invests in higher education, like with the Opportunity Scholarship and Lottery Scholarship," Rodriguez said in a statement issued March 17 from Santa Fe.

The statement cited a cascade of recent state commitments: a record $162 million invested in the Opportunity Scholarship this year, a record $1.1 billion in operational funding for colleges and universities approved by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, and $324 million in state funding for higher education facilities. Rodriguez also pointed to what she described as the nation's largest trust fund for tuition-free college, established by New Mexico.

Rodriguez framed the request in terms of student hardship rather than institutional finances. "Students across our state are already navigating rising costs of housing, food, transportation and other basic needs. Increasing tuition or fees in this environment only deepens those challenges and puts educational attainment further out of reach for those who need it most," she said.

She urged governing boards and institutions to align with her department's commitment to hold costs steady, adding that "now is the time to prioritize students and protect affordability."

In her statement, Rodriguez also contended that the Opportunity Scholarship has already driven significant enrollment growth at colleges and universities statewide, generating greater revenue that further reduces any financial justification for tuition hikes. She framed full institutional cooperation as essential to New Mexico's standing on affordability: "Without the full collaboration of every college and university, we cannot maintain our position as the national leader in college access and affordability."

The guidance stopped short of a mandate. Rodriguez's statement was framed as a formal urging directed at governing boards, not a binding regulatory order. Whether individual institutions will comply remains an open question; no public college or university had publicly responded to the request as of Friday.

For students at Western New Mexico University, Navajo Technical University, and the University of New Mexico-Gallup, all of which serve McKinley County residents, the outcome of that decision could directly affect fall 2026 enrollment costs.