High School Access

High School students interested in the challenge of college courses can enroll in CU Boulder courses.

Enroll in Courses at CU Boulder as a High School Student

The High School ACCESS program is designed for high school students interested in the challenge of completing college courses at the University of Colorado Boulder. High School ACCESS students earn college credit that becomes part of their permanent academic record and appears on a University of Colorado transcript. Some high schools allow college credit to be applied to high school graduation requirements. Check with your high school counselor to see if this is an option for you.

High school students are not admitted into a formal CU Boulder degree program and are classified as non-degree undergraduate students for the purpose of enrollment. Students have the option to enroll in main campus CU Boulder courses on a space-available basis. Students also have the option to enroll into Continuing Education courses, which have an earlier enrollment period. You can work closely with our CE High School ACCESS advisor for prerequisite approvals to enroll into either main campus or CE courses.

Time Commitment

You will need to coordinate your high school schedule with CU Boulder courses. High school students will typically need two free periods to take a daytime course at CU Boulder.

District or School Tuition 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 School District students must also submit BVSD’s College Before Graduation application in order to receive district assistance.

If you attend any other district, check with your high school counselor to see if you’re eligible for tuition assistance. If approved by your school, please complete the District Approval Form and submit no later than a month after the term starts. Send completed forms to hsaccess@colorado.edu.

Get the support you need to succeed in your coursework.

Academic Advising Through Continuing Education

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.

For help choosing classes and obtaining prerequisite approvals, please schedule an advising appointment with a Continuing Education advisor:

Log in to Buff Portal Advising
Click on the ‘Continuing Education’ box. From the ‘Select a Service’ drop-down arrow, choose ‘Academic Advising’.
Book an open appointment with a Continuing Education academic advisor.

If you are 16 or over you can schedule with any Continuing Education academic advisor.
If you are under the age of 16, you are required to schedule an academic advising appointment with Graham Douglas each semester. Choose an open time with Graham.

Find more information under Advising Services. If you have further questions, email us at hsaccess@colorado.edu.

Financial Support Also Available

Continuing Education also has financial support opportunities available. Learn More

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