A. The department may award a minority doctoral loan repayment assistance grant to a recipient who:
(1) has been hired by a public post-secondary educational institution in New Mexico for a full-time, tenure-track faculty position;
(2) has complied with all of the rules adopted by the department pursuant to the Minority Doctoral Loan Repayment Assistance Act; and
(3) is a citizen of the United States.
B. The department shall give preference to a recipient who has completed a post-secondary degree at an institution designated in Article 12, Section 11 of the constitution of New Mexico.