About GO Bond 3

General Obligation (GO) bonds are the primary source of capital improvement funding for New Mexico's higher education institutions. They come before voters every two years and are funded by property taxes.

Our colleges, universities and specialty schools need this funding to:

  • Renovate and repair the equipment and facilities we have already invested in
  • Replace old, outdated facilities that are past their useful lifespan and cannot meet current educational demands and safety standards
  • Keep up to date on technology to attract top students and faculty
  • Maintain the resources and infrastructure needed to deliver quality online education to rural students
UNM Student
students workforce economy community

Supporting GO Bond 3 for higher education will not increase your tax rates, but will help invest in our future with a skilled, educated workforce that moves New Mexico forward.

A certificate, or two-year or four-year degree, makes sense in New Mexico.

SFCC Greenhouse

Affordability

  • New Mexico is the sixth most affordable state for tuition costs, according to a Data Initiative Study. (https://educationdata.org/average-cost-of-college-by-state)
  • That same study states college in New Mexico is 19.8% less than the national average cost of attending a 4-year institution and local community colleges are 49.57% less expensive than they are nationwide.

Earnings and Lifespan Increase

According to the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities:

  • Bachelor’s degree holders earn about 86% more, on average, than those with a high school diploma.
  • College graduates are half as likely to be unemployed as their peers who only have a high school diploma.
  • Bachelor’s degree holders are 47% more likely to have health insurance through their employers and their employers contribute 74 percent more to their health coverage.

Plus, life expectancy is longer. Studies suggest those who have attended at least some college can expect to live seven years longer than their peers with no education beyond high school.

Employment Prospects Improve

The National Society of High School Scholars reports that higher education does improve an individual’s employment prospects.

  • According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, unemployment drops from 3.7% for those with only a high school diploma to 2.7% for those who receive an associate's degree. Even those who finish some college but don’t receive any degree have an unemployment rate of 3.3%.
  • An associate's degree also increases your chance of earning a higher income. The same report shows that those with an associate's degree earn approximately $141 more weekly than employees who have only earned a high school diploma.

Higher Education is moving forward in New Mexico!

The New Mexico Higher Education Department reported a number of milestones:

  • In 2023, New Mexico experienced a 2.3% increase in undergraduate student enrollment across public colleges and universities – the second consecutive year of growth.
  • Adult education programs reported an 11% increase in statewide enrollment.
  • In the most recent academic year, total degrees, certificates and awards increased by nearly 9% to 29,663.
  • During the most recent academic year, certificates and awards (less than two years of college attained) grew by 34%, to 11,185.