State of New Mexico
House of Representatives
Ben Lujan, Speaker of the House
Ken Martinez, House Majority Leader
Sheryl Williams Stapleton, House Majority Whip

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release                                                 Contact: Bailey Sachs 505-261-2419
Feb. 17, 2010                                                                                   

Rep. Cote’s Legislation for Uniform Military Credit at NM Colleges Passes the Senate 

Santa Fe, NM – Tuesday the Senate passed House Joint Memorial 1, sponsored by Rep. Nathan Cote (D-Las Cruces), to research the transfer of credits between all New Mexico colleges in order for military personnel to obtain associate, bachelors, and graduate degrees. The measure passed both the House of Representatives and the Senate by unanimous vote.

Rep. Cote says, “This is the right thing to do for our veterans so they may get college credit for military training. Less than 10% or our Gulf War and Iraqi and Afghanistan veterans in New Mexico are now entering into higher education. I would hope the results of this bill would create additional course credits comparable to military training and entice more veterans to attend New Mexico’s fine schools of higher learning.”

HJM 1 directs the Higher Education Department to study the feasibility of providing and accepting uniform military credit at all New Mexico colleges and universities. The findings of the study are to be presented to the appropriate legislative interim committee by November 2010.

Fifteen colleges and universities in New Mexico, including UNM and NMSU, are members of the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges Consortium.