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Financial Aid

Various types of financial assistance are available to graduate students. Need-based aid, in the form of work-study grants and/or loans is available through the Office of Student Financial Aid. To apply, students must complete the FAFSA form.

The Latin American & Iberian Institute administers and awards merit-based aid, including graduate assistantships, graduate fellowships, and departmental scholarships. These awards are based primarily on outstanding academic performance though other criteria may also be considered.

The Latin American Studies Program also participates in an exchange program that allows students from 12 Western states to study at UNM at the in-state tuition rate. A small amount of scholarship assistance for summer study abroad is also available. (See the next section for detailed information regarding field research grants.) In many cases, need-based loans can also be applied to foreign study.

Also available are programs which allow some eligible out-of-state students to study at UNM at the in-state tuition rate, and a small amount of scholarship assistance for summer study abroad. (See the next section for detailed information regarding field research grants.) In many cases, need-based loans can also be applied to foreign study.

Graduate Assistantships

Every year the LAII is able to offer approximately seven graduate assistantships to new and/or returning students. An assistantship includes a waiver of tuition and a ten-month work stipend based on 20 hours a week at the Latin American and Iberian Institute. Applicants to the Latin American Studies program are automatically considered for available assistantships in the fall of each academic year. Current students seeking an assistantship must submit a letter requesting consideration for financial aid and submit a letter of recommendation from a UNM faculty member. Graduate Assistantships are renewable for a second year if the student is making satisfactory academic progress.

LAII Ph.D. Fellowships

The LAII awards ten fellowships annually to students seeking their Ph.D. in Latin American Studies or related fields. The fellowship provides a living stipend and a waiver of tuition for full-time study. Students who are awarded LAII Ph.D. fellowships may receive other awards that directly support the costs of research activities, but may not, however, receive both the LAII Ph.D. fellowship and other fellowships that provide a basic living stipend.

Please request application materials and/or departmental nomination forms from Lauren Koller.

Richard E. Greenleaf Fellowship

Applications are currently being accepted for the 2008-2009 Richard E. Greenleaf Graduate Fellowship, and must be received by March 24, 2008 at 5pm at the LAII. One fellowship is awarded annually to a graduate student pursuing studies in the field of colonial Latin America (with a preference for Mexico) or New Mexico. The fellowship honors Dr. Richard Greenleaf, distinguished scholar of colonial Latin American history, and his extensive career in teaching, research, service, and mentorship at the local, regional, and international levels.

Please forward all application materials to:
Latin American and Iberian Institute
Attn: Lauren Koller
MSC02 1690
1 University of New Mexico
ALbuquerque, NM 87131
or via e-mail to Lauren Koller

Summer Study Abroad Tuition Fellowships

Tuition fellowships available for summer study abroad. Ten $350 fellowships will be awarded to UNM students applying for study abroad programs in Spain or Mexico (does not include Oaxaca or Cuernavaca). The deadline is March 15. Students must fill out the application for their program of interest, and indicate on page 2 of the application that they are interested in receiving a fellowship. Students must also submit a letter of intent and one letter of recommendation from a faculty member. Applicants must also provide a copy of an unofficial UNM transcript.

Scholarships

Office of Graduate Studies Tuition Waiver

Each year the LAII is able to waive full-time tuition for two or more Latin American Studies students. To be eligible, the students must have New Mexico state residence and receive a departmental nomination. The nominations are based on academic merit or a combination of merit and need.

WICHE

Residents of 12 states are eligible to attend UNM at the in-state tuition rate through a cooperative agreement among members of the Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education (WICHE).

Qualified students with residence in the following states may enroll under this program:

Alaska Arizona

Colorado Hawaii

Idaho Montana

Nevada North Dakota

Oregon Utah

Washington Wyoming

Please note: Those electing to enroll under WICHE provisions may not establish New Mexico residence during their period of enrollment.

Part-time Student Enrollment at the In-State Rate

Part-time students (six credit hours or less during the fall and spring semesters) may enroll at UNM at the in-state tuition rate, no matter what their state of residence. All students attending during the summer session pay the in-state rate for full-time enrollment. After one year as a part-time student you may apply for residency status.

Summer Language Study Program Scholarships

Summer study at several universities in Mexico is available to Latin American Studies students through the Latin American and Iberian Institute. Tuition scholarships are generally available to students for this program, but the student is expected to pay travel and living expenses. Please see the Short Term Study Abroad page for more information.

Research Funding

There are separate competitions for Spring 2008 Field Research Grants (FRGs) for graduate students and tenured or tenure track faculty to conduct fieldwork in Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal.

You may download a Student Field Research Grant Application or Faculty Field Research Grant Application here, request a hard copy of either from the Latin American & Iberian Institute (located at 801 Yale NE) or request an electronic copy of either from Lauren Koller.

The purpose of these field research grants is to encourage foreign area research in Latin America and Iberia of direct relevance to Latin American Studies. The grants are primarily for relatively brief periods of research, such as four to eight weeks, and cover transportation costs associated with the research.

-Faculty grants awarded during this funding cycle will cover field research conducted between April 2008 and March 2009. Applications deadline is April 1, 2008

-Student Spring 2008 FRG awards will cover research conducted between April 1, 2008 and October 31, 2008. Applications must be submitted to the LAII by Monday, March 24, 2008 at 5pm.

Field Research Grants are meant to assist students and faculty in obtaining their first or second field research experience in Latin America. Applicants may be from any department or program in the university. Student deadline dates fall in October for winter research and in March for spring and summer. Specific information on requirements and application procedures can be obtained from the LAII. If your project will involve human research, it must be approved by the Human Subject Institutional Review board (see below.). Student applicants must also apply for a Student Research Allocations Committee Grant (SRAC) or a Graduate Research Project Travel Grant (RPT). Please contact the Graduate and Professional Student Association (GPSA) and the Office of Graduate Studies (OGS)for information about those grants.

Faculty applicants are encouraged to seek funding from the University Research Allocation Committee, their home departments, and other UNM or external sources. Applications are evaluated by the Grants and Awards Committee, an interdisciplinary committee of the LAII.

The Research, Project and Travel Grant Program (RPT) was established in 1994 under funding granted by the New Mexico State Legislature in response to requests from the Graduate and Professional Student Association of UNM. The RPT is administered by the Office of Graduate Studies, to whom the LAII Grants and Awards Committee provides ranking and recommendations. Only LAS students are eligible to apply for the RPT funds allocated to the LAII. Deadlines are in September, January, and May of each academic year. For more information contact Lauren Koller.

IRB for Human Research Subjects

Fulbright Scholar Program Announces New Senior Specialist Program

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, the Fulbright Scholar Program sends leading U.S. faculty and professionals around the world to teach and do research for terms ranging from three months to an academic year. Find out about this and the Senior Specialist Program, which offers short term opportunities from two to six weeks, at the Council for International Exchange of Scholars.

For information at UNM about UNM Faculty and Staff grants for teaching and/or research overseas; UNM graduating seniors and graduate student grants for overseas study and/or research; and UNM departments who want to invite international Fulbright Scholars to UNM contact
Ken Carpenter, Ph.D.
Study Abroad Advisor
Office of International Programs and Studies
1 University of New Mexico
Mesa Vista 2111, MSC06 3850
Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001
Email
Phone: (505) 277-4032, Fax: (505) 277-1867