Clovis here we come..... EEEK? (Roswell, Portales: buying a home, buy, high school)

[rybert]

Well... if you have kids they will be able to get in-state tuition to either UNM or Texas Tech. That's a plus, right?

[New West 2020]

Originally Posted by rybert

Well... if you have kids they will be able to get in-state tuition to either UNM or Texas Tech. That's a plus, right?

A lot of base and local/regional kids start college at Eastern and end up at NMSU or Tech. All are great schools in their own way. ENMU is a good quality small school with an awesome reputation in such areas as education, liberal arts, biology and broadcasting. NMSU and Texas Tech have top-notch science and medical programs. The New Mexico Lottery will pay in-state tuition - if your kid graduates from a New Mexico high school and passes a probationary semester above 2.5 GPA - and there is some type of reciprocity agreement with Texas schools.

Its hard to beat this New Mexico Lottery state subsidy for quality affordable college if your kids are getting close to that painful budget age for you, the parents. And, with the cheap cost of decent housing (at least in Portales and Lubbock), living expenses are reasonable too.

[desert sun]

Is it all of NM and Tx that get in-state tuition, I thought you had to live a certain amount of miles away, like I know the people in the Panhandle of TX get NM tuition, but I dont think someone from say Corpus Christi would get NM tuition or someone from Gallup would get TX tuition but I could be wrong.

[rybert]

All New Mexico residents get a (substantial) discounted tuition @ TTU. New Mexicans living in a bordering county are eligible for in-state tuition.

Texas Tech University :: Office of Admissions

[bodiddley]

Beleive me, I know that Texas A&M in College Station does not offer instate to bordering counties. West TAMU in Canyon does I beleive.

[desert sun]

I use to work at Eastern NM Univ. and alot of the kids were from West Texas and had NM tuition.

[High_Plains_Retired]

I can't offer charts and graphs but I can offer a bit of information based on my experiences at Cannon many years ago. I believe I have related this story to others here on C-D but the Air Force sent me to Cannon AFB and the Clovis area in 1968 where I remained until 1972 when I separated. I was an F111 crew chief during my four year tour. As I recall there were two types of Airman at Cannon; those who despised everything about eastern New Mexico and those like me who were fascinated by the desert environments of the Llano Estacado and New Mexico. The first group of boys immediately returned to their home states after their separation but the second group like me felt drawn to the uniqueness of the area and stayed around after separation. A career outside of the Service took me in and out of eastern New Mexico and west Texas for the past forty years but now I am back and do not plan to leave until the ultimate Commander in Chief signs my last separation papers.

I wouldn't put any stock in what you heard from AF people. You'll either hate the area immediately or you'll be fascinated at first and later come to like it. Just bring a positive attitude and you will do fine. Clovis people are like folks anywhere else and especially in recent years with new people moving in from all over. There are good people and there are rotten ones although the percentages are weighted to the good side. For the most part, the town strongly supports the Base and that's is very important for good military/community relations.

Regarding housing, I was only married the last six months of my tour but my wife and I rented a small one bedroom apartment just off the base on Highway 60/84. Later we bought a small home off south Prince in Clovis while I attended school at Portales. However, I would not recommend south Prince for living. The best part of Clovis is in the northeast section, north of 14th and east of North Prince. However, that area will be some distance from the Base which is about ten miles directly west of Clovis. If you can find something out north of the Base toward Ranchvale, I have always liked that area. Also the small town of Melrose, New Mexico is just about 20 miles directly west of the Base. There are some homes there for sale that I have even looked at for retirement. I think some military people have moved over there but a Clovis realtor would be a better source for this type of information. And of course there is Portales, smaller than Clovis but it does have a Walmart Supercenter and Eastern New Mexico University (my old alma mater) if you or your husband care to take classes.

At any rate, good luck in your move and thank you for your service to our nation.

[orlan]

Few points:
1) I AM doing a course at Texas Tech Lubbock and they DID give me neighboring county discount
2) Portales might be cheaper (not so much anymore, as clovis housing has corrected a lot) but Clovis has SOME life. Portales very little. You make your choice. Likely, you will be coming to clovis for many needs.
3) In Clovis, you want to live in Mesa school zone. PERIOD. PERIOD. That is approx. north of Llano (or 21st) & east of Prince.... sort of north-east quadrant. Its not only about schools, it is about people of your 'frequency'.

[rybert]

Portales does have that great hot-dog stand... what's it called? Double Croneys?

[clairz]

Originally Posted by rybert

Portales does have that great hot-dog stand... what's it called? Double Croneys?

Twin Cronnies. There's one in Clovis, too.

~clairz