GRADUATE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SCHOLARSHIP ACT

HB 375 creates the Graduate Behavioral Health Scholarship Act, providing debt-free education for New Mexico graduate students pursuing master's or doctoral degrees in behavioral health fields (counseling, psychology, social work, psychiatric nursing, or addiction medicine). The scholarship covers tuition, fees, books, and licensing costs after other state aid is applied, but recipients must commit to practicing in New Mexico for a number of years equal to the scholarship duration. The Higher Education Department will administer the program using $10 million appropriated for fiscal year 2026, with unspent funds rolling over annually. Students who graduate but fail to fulfill their practice commitment face penalties up to three times the scholarship value.