Thinking about college? How Colorado students can make higher education cheaper — or even free

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Colorado has plenty of resources to ensure students don’t pay the full cost of going to college. Some programs even make college free.

A first step is to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid — known as the FAFSA — or the Colorado Application for Student Financial Aid. These forms help open up scholarships and grants, and are required by many college financial aid programs.

Below, Chalkbeat Colorado has collected some of the resources that can help students and families pay for college.

These scholarships help students with college tuition

Once students fill out the FAFSA, they can get money through the Colorado Opportunity Fund , which provides a stipend to help students pay in-state tuition at participating colleges. The stipend pays $116 per credit hour, and students must register with the state to get it.

There are plenty of scholarships available from organizations, foundations, and the colleges or universities themselves that provide other financial aid for students, too. Here’s a few that students should know about:

• Boettcher Foundation
• • Qualifications: Students must graduate from a Colorado high school and live in Colorado for their full junior and senior year of high school. They must also be a citizen of the United States, a legal permanent resident, or a DACA recipient. Students can apply during their senior year.
  • Scholarship amount: $20,000 annually for four years.
• Daniels Fund
• • Qualifications: Students must be a Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, or Wyoming resident and be a graduating high school senior. Students must also prove citizenship or permanent residency. They must earn a minimum high school GPA of 3.0, as well as meet SAT minimum score requirements. The scholarship organization also requires household incomes be below a specific income level.
  • Scholarship amount: Up to a full-ride scholarship.
• Latin American Education Fund
• • Qualifications: The foundation offers scholarships to Colorado residents of Latino heritage or those who demonstrate a commitment to the Latino community. Students must have a minimum GPA of 3.0. Scholarships are open to all regardless of documentation or citizenship status.
  • Scholarship amount: $3,000 per academic year.
• Denver Scholarship Foundation
• • Qualifications: Students must attend a Denver Public Schools high school and submit their GPA, show financial need, and enroll at one of 30 partner higher education institutions. Certain colleges and universities have varying GPA requirements to be eligible.
  • Scholarship amount: $3,600 annually.
• Sachs Foundation
• • Qualifications: The foundation’s undergraduate scholarships are available to Black Colorado high school students who have been residents for at least three years. Students must also submit information such as their GPA, a personal essay, and letters of recommendation.
  • Scholarship amount: Up to $12,500 a year.
• Pinnacol Foundation
• • Qualifications: Students must be the natural child, adopted child, stepchild or full dependent of a worker who was injured or killed in a compensable work-related accident at a Colorado-based employer. The family member must have been entitled to receive benefits under the Colorado Workers’ Compensation Act. Students must have or maintain a 2.0 GPA and have a high school diploma or GED, or be a high school senior. Students must reapply every year.
  • Scholarship amount: An average of $4,700 a year.
• Alpine Bank
• • Qualifications: The bank provides numerous scholarships for Colorado students. Check the bank’s website for more information.
  • Scholarship amount: Amounts vary based on the scholarship.

Free college for students from low-income backgrounds

The majority of Colorado’s universities have what are known as promise programs, or financial aid to cover the cost of tuition and fees for in-state undergraduate students who come from low-income backgrounds, making the highest cost of college free for them.

Students must fill out a state or federal financial aid form and, in some cases, schools require students to share their Student Aid Index, which is a number calculated by the federal government after students submit a FAFSA that determines how much financial support a student will need.

The lower the number, the higher the need.

Here are schools in Colorado that offer such programs and their requirements.

• Adams State University

• • Students who live in a household with an annual income of $70,000 or less a year are eligible. They must maintain at least a 2.0 GPA.
• Aims Community College
• • Students who live in a household with an annual income of $65,000 or less are eligible. So are independent students who make $50,000 or less per year.
• Colorado Mesa University
• • The college offers free tuition and fees to students who live in a household with an annual income of $70,000 or less a year.
• Colorado Mountain College
• • Colorado Mountain College covers the cost of tuition and fees for any Colorado resident who lives in a household with an annual income of $70,000 or less a year, or who is an independent student who makes less than $50,000 a year. Students must be enrolled in at least 6 credit hours.
• Colorado State University Fort Collins
• • Students can get 50% to 100% of their tuition and fees covered. Students must submit their annual household income and be enrolled in at least 12 credit hours. 
• Colorado State University Pueblo
• • Eligible students must live in a household with an annual income of $70,000 or less. They must be enrolled in at least 12 credit hour. Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA. The Pack Promise pays for up to 15 credits a semester. 
• Fort Lewis College
• • Eligible students must live in a household with an annual income of $70,000 or less a year. They must be enrolled in at least 12 credits. 
• Metropolitan State University of Denver
• • Eligible students must live in a household with an annual income of $60,000 or less a year, or they must have a student aid index of 0.
• Pikes Peak State College
• • Students must have graduated from Harrison District 2 or Colorado Springs District 11. The program has differing GPA requirements and eligibility requirements based on where students graduated.
• University of Colorado Boulder
• • Eligible students must live in a household with an annual income of $65,000 or less a year. They must be enrolled in at least 12 credits. 
• University of Colorado Colorado Springs
• • Students can receive grants and stipends based on their financial need to cover the full cost of tuition and fees.
• University of Colorado Denver
• • Students must submit a FAFSA and be eligible for a Pell Grant, or free federal aid. The package includes grants, scholarships, and work-study opportunities.
• University of Northern Colorado
• • Eligible students must live in a household with an annual income of $65,0000 or less a year, or have a Student Aid Index of 3,000 or less.
• Western Colorado University
• • Students must have an annual household income at or below $70,000 for dependent students, qualify for Pell, or demonstrate significant financial need.

College opportunities through state and high school programs

There are other opportunities for free college. A few are in high school, while others are specialized programs.

• ASCENT : A fifth-year high school option available to Colorado students in participating school districts. Students can stay enrolled in their district for an extra year to take college courses. 
• P-TECH : Students begin in their ninth grade year and then can extend high school to take college courses for a total of six years in certain science, technology, engineering, and math fields.
• TREP : The program allows students who want to become educators to enroll in college courses while staying at their high school for up to two years after their 12th grade year.

• Career Advance Colorado : High school graduates or students with a high school-equivalency diploma of any age can enroll for free in courses in certain fields, such as nursing, firefighting, law enforcement, and early childhood education. The program covers tuition, fees, course materials, and other costs.

A rebate for college tuition

This year, Colorado created a new college tax credit program to help students who might not qualify for their college’s promise program.

The state tax credit is for students who live in a household that makes $90,000 or less a year. The tax credit will help pay for two years of college.

Colleges or universities will track which students are eligible. Students will still have to file their own tax return to get the money.

Jason Gonzales is a reporter covering higher education and the Colorado legislature. Chalkbeat Colorado partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage. Contact Jason at jgonzales@chalkbeat.org .