Scholarship Program

The New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department (ECECD) provides scholarship opportunities that make it possible for early childhood professionals to afford coursework leading to advanced credentials and degrees.  The scholarship program supports professionals who work in: child care settings (licensed, registered, or tribal), state-funded or tribally funded NM PreK or Early PreK programs, Head Start/Early Head Start, Home Visiting Programs, FIT-Early Intervention Programs, or NM PreK, Title I, or 619 Preschool Programs in public schools.  Scholarship awards include one semester of funding for tuition, fees, and associated textbooks and have the possibility of renewal each semester.  Dedicated Scholarship Coaches work directly with scholars to support their pursuit of advanced credentials and degrees.  Qualification requirements for the Scholarship program are established by ECECD.  All scholarship awards are subject to funding availability.

Scholarship Payment Information

  • Once you upload all required documents, your coach will send an Authorization Ticket to the college/university letting them know the ECECD Scholarship will pay your tuition, fees, and books after all Financial Aid and other scholarships have been applied.
  • You may still see a balance on your account until your Scholarship is paid.  Typically the balance is shown as “Third Party” but this may not always be the case.
  • Scholarships are not paid to the colleges/universities until at least the middle of each semester.

Scholarship Information

For more information about the Scholarship Program, click here

Apply for the ECECD Scholarship

Click here to apply for the ECECD Scholarship!

Payment Incentive Programs

  • Early childhood educators who are working at least 20 hours/week in the field, may be eligible to receive a variety of payment incentives
  •  We offer the following payment incentive programs:
    • Bilingual Incentive Program:  one-time payment of $1,500 for certified bilingual or multilingual Early Childhood Professionals
    • Wage Supplement Program:  education-based wage supplement for individuals making less than $18/hour and have at least 3 credit hours in Early Childhood Education college coursework or a CDA.
    • Pay Parity Programs:  education and experience based pay program which provides additional salary compensation comparable to educators working in a public-school setting. 

Qualification requirements for the Payment Incentive programs are established by ECECD.  All Incentive program awards are subject to funding availability.

Payment Incentive Programs

Choose your payment incentive from the list under the Programs tab on the menu.