ACCESS | Financial Support

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Explore the financial support and scholarship opportunities available to Continuing Education ACCESS students.

Financial Support Advising

Students enrolled in university credit courses through Continuing Education may be eligible for financial assistance. Continuing Education has a financial support advisor to assist you in exploring all the options available to you, whether you are a degree or non-degree student.

Detailed information about how to receive federal financial aid is available on the CU Boulder Financial Aid website.

Email questions to our Financial Support Advisor at cefinaid@colorado.edu.

College Opportunity Fund

The College Opportunity Fund (COF) is an amount of money given by the state of Colorado to Colorado residents enrolled in undergraduate credit courses at a Colorado college or university. Each year the Colorado Legislature sets the stipend (amount given to students as a per credit hour amount).

You are eligible for COF if you’re:

  1. An undergraduate student (can be non-degree),
  2. Classified as a Colorado resident and paying resident tuition (some exceptions apply);
  3. Enrolled at CU Boulder in main campus courses through Continuing Education’s ACCESS Program, the Post-Baccalaureate Health Professions program, the Individually Designed program, or CU Boulder Summer Session; and
  4. Have not exceeded the 145 lifetime credit limit (petition options are available).
  1. Apply online through the College Access Network.
  2. Authorize COF when you enroll in your course(s). For more detailed instructions please visit the Registrar’s COF page.
    • Please note – it may take three to four days after you apply for COF for you to be able to authorize. You cannot apply and authorize COF on the same day.
  3. Questions? Call us at 303-492-5148.

The COF stipend is not applicable for CE Evening Credit, CE Online Credit, Applied Music, Individualized Instruction, Extraordinary, or International English Center courses. The tuition rates for many of these programs are based on the tuition paid by Colorado residents after the COF stipend is applied.

Non-Degree Student Scholarship

Continuing Education offers scholarships for non-degree students for the fall, spring and summer terms.

Scholarship Details

  • The maximum award for the scholarship is $1,000, not to exceed 80% of the resident tuition rate of a three-credit course.
  • Students may be awarded a Non-Degree Student Scholarship only once during their time as a non-degree student.
  • Scholarships offered through CE are classified as general fund (i.e. compatible with VA benefits).

Eligibility

  • You must be a non-degree student at CU Boulder (not formally admitted to a degree program), which includes High School ACCESS students
  • You must be enrolled in courses for credit offered through main campus, CE Evening Credit, CE Online Credit, Applied Music or Summer Session. (Courses offered through the Extraordinary program, like CSPB or SLPP courses, are not eligible.)

How to Apply

To apply, complete the application along with a 250-500 word essay addressing your past educational history, your future educational and career goals, and the specific way in which the scholarship will assist you in meeting those goals.

Non-Degree Student Scholarship Application 

Application Deadlines

  • Spring 2025 priority deadline: January 27, 2025

Applications are accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis after the priority deadline and awarded based on available funds.

Scholarship Award Process

The award amount is based on available funding and a competitive essay review. Scholarship essays will be rated based on the following elements:

  1. Content (4 points): The essay fully addresses all portions of the prompt and has a central point that is interesting, original, substantial and maybe even striking. The author uses concrete details to “show” rather than merely “tell” their story.
  2. Readability/Organization (3 points): The central idea is developed in the essay through well-chosen and appropriate language. The essay is organized and well-structured. There is a beginning, a body and a conclusion and transitions help the paper flow smoothly. Introductory statements are interesting and appropriate. Concluding statements are satisfying.
  3. Tone (2 points): The essay is written in the authentic voice of the writer. It is compelling and interesting. The tone is consistent and shows effort/thought was put in.
  4. Grammar/Standard Language Use (1 point): Author has given thought to form, grammar and structure and is writing at a college level of English.

Awardees will be notified via the email given on the application.

If you have any questions or are unable to log into the appropriate application form, please contact us at ceadvise@colorado.edu.