NMSU Graduate Workers Secure Full-Time Tuition Support

Regents back agreement with union to cover 9 credit hours starting fall 2026

Feb. 27, 2026 at 2:07am

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Graduate student workers at New Mexico State University have secured a new agreement with the university to provide full-time tuition support, covering 9 credit hours per semester starting in the fall of 2026. The agreement was ratified by NMSU's Board of Regents, marking a major win for the graduate workers' union after years of negotiations.

Why it matters

The new tuition support agreement is seen as a strategic move by NMSU to attract higher-quality research students as the university recently earned an R1 research designation from the Carnegie Classification. The increased tuition coverage brings NMSU in line with standard benefits offered at other R1 institutions, helping the school remain competitive in recruiting top graduate talent.

The details

Under the new memorandum of understanding, graduate students holding assistantships will be guaranteed scholarships covering 9 credit hours per semester, up from the previous 6 credit hour guarantee. The agreement extends through May 2028 and the added cost to the university is estimated at $735,000 per academic year. Negotiations between the graduate workers' union and the university had been publicly contentious, with the union previously securing its first contract in 2022 that included a 2 credit hour per semester tuition guarantee, later increased to 6 credit hours by 2024.

  • The new 9 credit hour tuition support agreement will take effect starting in the fall 2026 semester.
  • The agreement was ratified by NMSU's Board of Regents on February 20, 2026.

The players

Caedmon Ragland

President of the bargaining unit UE Local 1498, also known as Graduate Workers United.

Valerio Ferme

President of New Mexico State University, who started in the role in 2025.

Ammu Devasthali

Chair of NMSU's Board of Regents.

Vimal Chaitanya

Chair of NMSU's Faculty Senate.

Ranjit Koodali

Dean of NMSU's Graduate School.

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What they’re saying

“Their graduate students would be getting tuition being paid by the university or through the grants … to remain competitive with other R1 institutions and attract good quality students, as the president mentioned, this is a step in the right place.”

— Vimal Chaitanya, Chair of NMSU Faculty Senate

“Graduate students help form the research backbone of our university. Undergraduate students are able to get more scholarships than graduate students. … This would ensure that students can make timely progress towards their degree without taking additional financial strain.”

— Anna Harmon, NMSU Graduate Student Council President

“There was always enough money to do this. The only thing was, this money was (from) excess funds that NMSU had, and they were entirely unwilling to pull from that in order to give full tuition coverage. We will continue to talk about excess funds in bargaining in the future as a place we can pull money from in order to make it sustainable to be a graduate student here.”

— Caedmon Ragland, President of Graduate Workers United

What’s next

The new tuition support agreement will go into effect starting in the fall 2026 semester.

The takeaway

This agreement represents a major victory for NMSU's graduate workers, who have been advocating for improved tuition support and working conditions for years. The increased tuition coverage will help the university attract top research talent as it aims to cement its status as an R1 research institution, benefiting both graduate students and the broader NMSU community.