New Mexico's lottery scholarships are in trouble as funds for the lottery shrink and the need for it rises.

"It helps a lot," New Mexico State University freshman Irene Diaz said about the lottery scholarship. "Financially, my parents cannot support me or my education."

The lottery scholarship is only given to New Mexico residents and students who maintain at least a 2.5 GPA. It pays for 100 percent of tuition, but the New Mexico lottery scholarship fund is expected to run out money for the next fiscal year.

The legislative finance committee said it likely won't have the same amount of funds to give out next year, at $40 million dollars instead of $60 million.

"I can't imagine what that would do to other students or to myself," Diaz said.

A lottery scholarship only covers tuition. NMSU students told KFOX14 all the other college expenses, including housing and books, can be hard enough to pay for even when tuition is covered.

"I have an accounting book that cost $323 this semester so that's ridiculous," NMSU junior John Church said.

Gov. Susana Martinez and lawmakers will have to decide how to make up the money.

The state could end up giving out scholarships that no longer cover the full cost of tuition.

"It just adds up very quickly and then over four years, students can seem like they're getting buried in debt," Church said.