You will find all the information you need below to get started on your journey at CU Boulder.
Get Started
Once your Finish What You Started application is processed, you will receive a welcome email that includes your student ID and instructions to access your student portal (Buff Portal) and CU email. Note: You should receive this email within two business days, and if you do not, please check your spam folder.
- Buff Portal allows you to check enrollment dates, personal information, class schedule, textbooks, grades, tuition bill, advising appointments and more.
- Faculty and staff will use your colorado.edu email account as their primary means of communication with you. In fact, some instructors will only respond to messages sent from this address. Please be sure to check your colorado.edu account regularly.
Finish What You Started Contact List:
- Ann Herrmann: Academic Advisor & Program Manager, Ann.Herrmann@colorado.edu
- Michelle Pagnani: Senior Academic Coach and Lead Program Specialist, Michelle.Pagnani@colorado.edu
- Ashley Lamoureux: Financial Aid Advisor for all FWYS students, CEfinaid@colorado.edu
We are delighted you are joining us and look forward to working with you this semester! Our Finish What You Started team is available to assist you with any questions. Please contact us by emailing fwys@colorado.edu or calling 303-492-9671.
Enrollment
To register for classes, you must complete the following steps:
Submit final transcripts from any colleges or universities attended since you left CU Boulder. Email them to transcripts@colorado.edu. Sometimes it takes a few weeks to process these transcripts. If a few weeks have passed and you are still not seeing the credits mapping into your degree audit, please reach out to tchelp@colorado.edu.
Before you register for classes, you will need to complete the pre-registration items – updating your address, phone and emergency contacts (located in Buff Portal under the Class Registration guide card). Once pre-registration is complete, you can search for classes, add them to your shopping cart and then continue with enrollment.
CU Boulder assigns holds or to-dos to inform you of steps you may need to complete. A hold prevents you from taking some kind of action (such as registering for classes), and a to-do is a recommended action that certain students need to complete.You can see holds and to-do’s on the Holds & To-Do’s card in Buff Portal.
Enroll in classes during open enrollment or during an assigned enrollment appointment. This information is provided in the Class Registration guide card in Buff Portal.
Financial Aid
To receive the Finish What You Started scholarship, you may need to complete an attestation form certifying that you were impacted financially by COVID and upload documentation substantiating that you meet the eligibility criteria of “demonstrated financial need.” Notably, you do not need to provide any specific details regarding your experiences during the pandemic. The Finish What You Started academic advisor will send you this attestation form if appropriate and can assist you in filling it out.
- Following your enrollment into the program, the Finish What You Started scholarship will show up on your account automatically each semester before your tuition bill deadline, which is based on when you enroll. You don’t need to apply for it each year.
This form will determine if you are eligible for any additional aid including loans, grants and scholarships (excluding Finish What You Started, which is not counted as part of your financial aid package). You will need to complete the FAFSA form every academic year. You must be readmitted to CU or active in the CU record system before a financial aid advisor can review your application.
- Students not eligible for federal aid can fill out the CASFA form for Colorado state aid. Personal information shared through CASFA is not shared with a federal database.
- The Finish What You Started Financial Aid Advisor is Undocu-Ally trained and knowledgeable about the financial aid process for all students, including undocumented students. Please email CEfinaid@colorado.edu with any questions.
Apply for the Colorado Opportunity Fund (COF) stipend online.
- Continuing Education (CE) classes such as CE Evening Credit, CE Online Credit, Applied Music and Winter Session are not eligible for COF. However, the cost of these classes is similar to that of main campus classes where COF is applied.
- Authorize COF.
Tuition Payment
Bill due dates are based on when you enroll and become available in Buff Portal by the second Thursday of each month once the term begins and you have registered for classes. Payment is due on the 5th of the following month. Notably, your Finish What You Started scholarship will not appear on your account until close to your tuition bill deadline.
- To view and pay your bill, log on to Buff Portal. Locate the Tuition & Fees card, and then click Balance Summary. You may also set up a payment plan.
- Confirmation Deposit: Students taking any Main Campus classes will be charged a $200 confirmation deposit, which will be returned when you graduate. If you take only CE classes, this deposit is not required.
- Student Fees: Students taking any Main Campus classes are charged fees. If you take only CE classes, you will be charged for student fees ONLY if you are enrolled in six credits or more.
Keep track of deadlines in case you decide to drop a class. CE and Main Campus classes have different deadlines, depending on the session. You can view more information on Main Campus deadlines via the Office of the Registrar’s Academic Calendar page and more information on CE deadlines via the Dates and Deadlines page. If you drop after the deadline, a W will post to your record, and you will be responsible for the full or partial cost of the class. If you have any questions, please reach out to your Finish What You Started academic advisor at fwys@colorado.edu.
Before Classes Begin
Your Finish What You Started academic coach offers holistic, tailored coaching with a focus on deepening self-awareness, enhancing motivation and self-confidence, developing academic and life skills, and facilitating goal setting and accountability. Topics are highly varied but may include time management, active learning strategies and stress reduction. Schedule an appointment by emailing michelle.pagnani@colorado.edu or calling 303-735-4743.
The BuffOne Card serves as your campus identification, and it allows you to add funds to dine in campus restaurants, print documents and enter sporting events. It also serves as a transit pass for all fee-paying CU students and benefited employees, which allows you free use of the RTD bus system across Boulder County and Denver including to and from DIA.
Students are required to carry a comprehensive medical plan while attending CU. You may elect coverage through a CU plan or waive this option in favor of private insurance. Students must meet this requirement their first semester and at the beginning of each academic year.
- If you are taking six or more credits, you must complete the health insurance requirement process. Students taking fewer than six credits do not need to complete this process.
- Please see the Student Health Insurance page for all dates related to coverage and open enrollment.
- If you do not take action to enroll or waive by the appropriate deadline, you will be automatically enrolled in the Anthem Gold SHIP and charged for this coverage. There will be no refunds granted following the deadline.
- If you are taking only CE classes and waive the insurance plan, you are not eligible for the Student Fee Package, which includes the RTD bus pass, access to the Student Recreation Center, etc. (Students taking Main Campus courses will still be assessed the Student Fee Package if they waive the insurance plan.) Notably, students taking CE Online Credit or Evening Credit classes may complete the student fee package request form including electing to pay the Mental Health Resource Fee for access to a counselor at CAPS. You may also use free Telehealth by AcademicLiveCare services 24/7 without paying this fee. Please see the Mental Health Support section below.
Please go into the MyCUHealth portal to submit your proof of vaccinations including MMR. See the Immunization Requirements page for proof of vaccination deadlines.
- To request a medical exemption, you will need documentation from a healthcare provider.
- To request a non-medical exemption, you can either include provider documentation or complete a 20-min educational video. Once you complete this video, you will fill out a CO Department of Public Health form indicating the vaccinations for which you are requesting exemption.
- If you are unable to find your MMR records, you may get a titer (blood test to determine if you need an MMR) at Wardenburg Student Health or through a medical clinic that takes your insurance. You should then upload the results into your health services portal.
Students purchase their parking permits based on the order of total credits earned, so seniors with 90+ credits have priority, then juniors, etc. You will need to know your total credit hours to determine the date when you can purchase your permit. You will also need to have your IdentiKey username and password, vehicle model and license plate number, the specific parking lot where you would like to park, and payment.
- Tip: If you prefer to park at a kiosk in front of CE (1505 University Ave), spots across the street from this building are “back in” only. Cars are ticketed if they do not back into the spot.
- Tip: A lot of students park in the neighborhood on the west side of Broadway or along Baseline. There are restricted areas with posted signs limiting the amount of time someone can park in the neighborhood(s) next to campus, so make sure to pay attention to those signs.
All CU Boulder students are charged the CU Book Access fee, but you can opt out of this fee. See which textbooks and materials are required for each course at the bookstore. If you determine that the cost of materials is less than the CU Book Access fee, you may opt out by going into Canvas, searching for My Course Materials and following the steps to opt out. If you are interested in printing your digital readings, you may do so at various printing kiosks on campus. Reference librarians in the Norlin Library are available for assistance.
Free computer support is available through the Office of Information Technology, including help with your colorado.edu email, your Identikey and any issues with your personal computer. If you are having difficulty during business hours, you will get a quicker response by calling their phone number: 303-735-HELP. You can also schedule a remote or in-person Buff Techs Desktop Support appointment. If you make an in-person appointment, they are located in the CASE Building E276 and in Norlin E105. They will ask you to swipe your BuffOne Card at the walk-in console when you arrive.
- If you are in need of a computer but don’t want to buy one, the CU Bookstore rents Macs, PCs and Chromebooks by the day, week, month and semester.
- CU has also partnered with Dell to offer a student discount.
Canvas is a learning management system that instructors use for managing the online components of their classes. Watch a few of these helpful videos to become familiar with the various elements of Canvas, including assignments, quizzes and discussion groups.
- If you are taking your first online class or if it has been a while since your last online class, you might have questions about what to expect. To get started, please view this helpful webinar: “What to Expect in an Online Class.”