New Mexico to Focus on College Affordability, Financial Aid
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The former leader of the Taos campus for the University of New Mexico was named Wednesday by Democratic Gov.-elect Michelle Lujan Grisham to lead the state's higher education department when she takes office next week.
Kate O'Neill will oversee the state's network of community colleges and public universities. She will be inheriting the agency at a time when many schools around the state are grappling with funding cuts and enrollment declines.
O'Neill most recently served as CEO of the University of New Mexico at Taos, a position she held for years. She started at the campus as an adjunct faculty member in 1994 and worked her way up. During her leadership tenure, she developed a nationally accredited nursing program and increased the campus' budget.
O'Neill and Lujan Grisham said affordability for students will be among the priorities for the new administration. They discussed the importance of the state's lottery-funded scholarship program while acknowledging that it's not currently sustainable because revenue from ticket sales has declined and tuition costs have increased.
Read more: https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/new-mexico/articles/2018-12-26/college-affordability-to-be-focus-in-new-mexico