Student Profile

History of Presidential Golf Tournament

Jason R. Coombs
1999

Jason R. Coombs is a recent graduate of New Mexico Tech who directly benefited from the Tech President’s Tuition Assistance Fund only a few months before he graduated.

At the start of the fall semester, Coombs, a native of Bosque Farms, had run out of his allotted scholarship monies but still had a full semester left to complete before he would receive his Bachelor of Science degree in computer science and mathematics.

“I tried applying for help at Financial Aid, but found out I couldn’t meet their specific criteria” Coombs relates, “and was not eligible for assistance through their office.”

Shortly thereafter, after hearing of his plight, one of Tech’s vice presidents recommended that he approach Tech President Daniel López about being considered for financial assistance available through the President’s Tuition Assistance Fund.

Dr. López determined that Coombs was indeed eligible for immediate financial assistance.

“The semester had already begun, so I had already put the cost of tuition on my credit card; and, I probably would be able to pay off my debt by the end of the semester,” Coombs says. “But having received that financial assistance made it possible for me to live comfortably…and, in the dorms for that last semester, as I had done so the four previous years.”

Coombs was able to stay in familiar surroundings and finish off his education at New Mexico Tech. He graduated in May with highest honors.

“It’s nice that there’s a way to get assistance when one doesn’t qualify for other types of aid,” Coombs observes. “Particularly when somebody is in special situation that is not covered by scholarship criteria, it’s a great benefit to Tech students to have money available which is dispensed on a person-by-person basis.”