CE Online Credit | Financial Support

Make the most of your day and earn credit through dynamic online learning

Request Information   Search Courses

Schedule an Advising Appointment

Explore the financial support and scholarship opportunities available to Continuing Education Online Credit 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.

Financial Aid for CE Online Flexible Courses

Students may receive financial aid for CE Online Flexible courses, with the following restrictions:

  • For a CE Online Credit course to count toward a student’s enrollment status for a semester, the course must be added prior to the add/drop deadline of that semester, based on main campus census dates.
  • Students who receive aid for a CE Online Flexible course and drop the course after the census date will receive a “Withdrawn” for that course, even if it is within the 40 days we allow for a drop.
  • Students who do not complete the course within six months and choose to extend will have a double impact to their financial aid eligibility. Both the “Withdrawn” designation and the “Incomplete” designation count against a student’s completion rate.

For more information, visit the CU Boulder Financial Aid website.

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
  • Summer 2025 priority deadline: May 27, 2025
  • Fall 2025 priority deadline: August 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.