Designated early college programs aim to prioritize students underrepresented in higher education enrollment and completion. To facilitate this, programs are structured to eliminate barriers to student participation:
- Tuition free for all student participants. If at all possible, other expenses that might serve as a barrier to equitable access should be covered.
- Admission determined by a performance-blind, open-access lottery
- Enrollment without regard to past academic performance
- Effective plan for outreach and recruitment for students traditionally underrepresented in higher education
- Admissions and placement policy prioritizes first-generation and other underrepresented students
- Populations served should fall within the targeted proportions based on the data provided by the New Mexico Public Education Department. Data provided includes the current number and percent of students in the high school or district that fall into the targeted demographic populations.
