High School ACCESS Advising

You will work with your high school counselor, parent/guardian, and a Continuing Education academic advisor to determine the CU courses that best fit your goals. Taking college courses while in high school is a great way to challenge yourself and advance your knowledge in an area in which you have a passion, or previously excelled.

For help choosing classes and obtaining prerequisite approvals, please schedule an advising appointment with Annie Lemberg through our CE Advising website.

• After logging in, click on the ‘Continuing Education’ box. From the ‘Select a Service’ drop-down arrow, choose ‘Academic Advising’. Book an open appointment with Annie Lemberg.
  • If Annie is not available, you may select an open time with Graham Douglas.

If you have further questions regarding advising services, email us at hsaccess@colorado.edu.

Enrollment in High School ACCESS

Before applying, talk to your parent or guardian and your high school counselor about your interest in the High School ACCESS program. When you are ready, be sure to follow the specific application process outlined by your school district as well as the following steps:

The priority deadline to submit spring application materials is December 1. The final deadline for spring is January 24.

Buff Portal and IdentiKey

Buff Portal is the online campus portal and an important tool. It gives you access to credit course enrollment, your CU student email account, campus announcements, semester schedule, tuition bill, book lists, clicker registration, Canvas, and your final grades. Learn more about Buff Portal.

You’ll need an Identikey, or a unique username, to log in to and access Buff Portal. An Identikey allows you to register for CU courses and provides you with access to online services and campus computing facilities. Use your student identification number to activate your IdentiKey at identikey.colorado.edu.

If you have questions, contact us at ceregistration@colorado.edu or 303-492-5148.

Consenting to Do Business Electronically

When you log in to Buff Portal for the first time, you’ll be asked to consent to conduct business electronically at CU. If you don’t consent, you’ll lose access to the portal and instead receive information about how to conduct your official university business offline.

If you have questions, contact us at ceregistration@colorado.edu or 303-492-5148.

ACCESS Academic Calendar

All times are in Mountain Time.

* Students’ eligibility for a possible tuition adjustment or refund is dependent on residency status and number of credits. Non-resident students are not eligible for a tuition adjustment if they are enrolled in 4 or more credits after dropping or withdrawing from a course or courses.
**Drop by 11:59 p.m. online using Buff Portal.
***Withdraw by 11:59 p.m. online using Buff Portal, submitting an online withdrawal form, or by email to ceregistration@colorado.edu. A grade of W will appear on your transcript.
† Withdraw by 11:59 p.m. by submitting an online withdrawal form or send an email to ceregistration@colorado.edu. A grade of W will appear on your transcript.

^ Petitioning is designed to provide students who experience unavoidable, extenuating circumstances, the opportunity to waive a University policy that, if enforced, would result in unsatisfactory academic progress or financial consequences.
Nondegree students must petition the dean of CEPS and must have an instructor signature. Degree students must petition the dean of the college in which they are enrolled, and must have an instructor signature.

^^ If a College Opportunity Fund (COF) eligible student adds a course after this date, according to Colorado Department of Higher Education policy, the student will pay full tuition for the course, including the amount normally paid by COF, and the course will not be credited to COF hours used.

Continuing Education Important Dates

District or School Assistance

Colorado high school juniors and seniors under the age of 21 enrolled in a public high school may be eligible to receive tuition assistance from their school district for college courses taken via the ACCESS program. Talk to your high school counselor about your school district’s policy. Boulder Valley students can find information on their district website.

Nondegree Tuition Policy

You will be billed for your Continuing Education registration. Bills are available through Buff Portal. A 1% service charge is added to an unpaid balance after the tuition due date, and a financial stop is placed on your student record. All tuition and refund determinations are subject to audit.

Fall and Spring

Tuition for Fall and Spring Boulder main campus courses is charged the ACCESS rates.

Summer

During the summer semester students are charged Summer Session tuition rates. ACCESS rates are not available.

ACCESS Tuition Rates

ACCESS tuition is determined by your residency, not by the course format (i.e. evening, online, or hybrid).

In-State Students:

• CE Evening Credit, CE Online Credit, and Applied Music tuition is charged in addition to ACCESS rates when enrolled in both programs concurrently.
• If you have applied and authorized the College Opportunity Fund (COF) vouchers, you are only responsible for paying the student share for COF eligible hours. Learn more about how much the COF voucher is worth per credit hour on the College Opportunity Fund (COF) website.

Out-of-State students:

• Tuition for CE Evening Credit and Applied Music is included as part of ACCESS when enrolled in six or more hours of Continuing Education and ACCESS courses concurrently.

Tuition

In-State Undergraduate Tuition

Out-of-State Undergraduate Tuition

In-State Graduate Tuition

Out-of-State Graduate Tuition

The Board of Regents reserves the right to change the tuition and fee rates at any time.

Course and program fees are assessed in some schools and departments. Lab courses not linked to a lecture course may require a course fee. A & S Tech Fee (ASSET) Fee of $1.32 per credit hour assessed for Arts and Sciences courses. Course, program, and ASSET fees are nonrefundable.

Cost of Attendance

Tuition and fees are just one part of the overall cost to attend CU Boulder. The full cost of attendance for an academic year could include expenses such as on-campus housing and food, books and supplies, and items that are not billed by the university, such as personal expenses, transportation and medical insurance. View the full cost of attendance.

High School ACCESS Fall & Spring Scholarship Information

See the Financial Aid section for more information.

High School ACCESS Fall & Spring Scholarships

Scholarship Details

• The maximum award will cover the tuition cost of one course, up to $2,500, with award amounts depending on a student’s credits.
• High School ACCESS students with financial need will be eligible to receive the scholarship more than once, contingent on available funding.
• Scholarships offered through CE are classified as general fund and are therefore compatible with VA benefits.

Eligibility

• Nondegree High School ACCESS students at CU Boulder who are not formally admitted to a degree program.
• Must be enrolled in courses for credit offered through main campus, CE Evening Credit, and/or CE Online Credit.
• Must attest and provide documentation of financial need.

Students receiving CU’s Tuition Assistance Benefit are not eligible.

Financial Need

This scholarship is intended to benefit high school students who require financial assistance in order to take courses at CU Boulder. Students may demonstrate financial need in a variety of ways.

For help understanding and obtaining the types of documentation listed below, speak with a parent/guardian or contact a school counselor and/or trusted teacher.

Accepted documentation types:

• A letter from a school counselor, teacher or other school personnel;
• A letter from another organization your family is working with to secure resources;
• Any other documentation confirming financial need such as participation in:
  • A free/reduced lunch plan, Boulder Valley School District’s Adelante program, McKinney-Vento support, Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA), Supplemental Security Income Federal Pell Grants or Subsidized Student Loans (either an older sibling or yourself, if you are a high school senior)

Any documentation that is submitted will be used to determine your scholarship eligibility only and will be stored in a secure database. Only the Continuing Education Scholarship Committee Chair will access the protected information.

Scholarship Essay

In addition to submitting proof of financial need, students must also answer the personal essay question listed below and submit it in the online portal along with their complete application.

Please tell us more about your interest in the subject(s) you wish to study at CU Boulder. We would like to know:

1. What makes you passionate about this subject?
2. Do you have any special goals that you hope to achieve through your class(es) this semester?
3. What is the #1 reason that you want to attend CU Boulder?

Scholarship essays will be rated based on the following elements:

• (4 points) Content: 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.
• (3 points) Readability/Organization: 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.
• (2 points) Tone: 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.
• (1 point) Grammar/Standard Language Use: Author has given thought to form, grammar, and structure and is writing at a college level of English.

The spring 2024 application deadline is January 28, 2024.

Apply Now

If you have questions or additional information, please email us at hsaccess@colorado.edu. We are happy to help.