New Mexico Statutes Chapter 21. State and Private Education Institutions § 21-22I-3. Definitions

A. “applicant” means a person applying for an award;

B. “award” means the grant of money to repay loans;

C. “critical field” means social work or other academic field of study that leads to a bachelor's or master's degree and that the children, youth and families department has determined to be critical to the work of the protective services division or juvenile justice division of the children, youth and families department;

D. “department” means the higher education department;

E. “fund” means the children, youth and families worker loan repayment fund;

F. “loan” means a grant of money under contract between the student and the federal government or a commercial lender to defray the costs incidental to an undergraduate or master's level education in a critical field and that requires either repayment of principal and interest or repayment in services;

G. “program” means the children, youth and families public service worker loan repayment program, which provides money to repay student loans in a critical field; and

H. “public service worker” means an employee of the children, youth and families department with a completed bachelor's or master's degree in a critical field who works directly with children and families in either the protective services division or juvenile justice division of the children, youth and families department. The children, youth and families department shall provide an annual list to the department of job classifications that qualify as “public service workers” for the purposes of the Children, Youth and Families Worker Loan Repayment Act.