Advisors LEAD is a professional development course designed to help Colorado's advisors increase their skills and competencies in four key areas: equity and inclusion-driven practices, math pathways literacy, purpose-driven advising, and effective virtual advising.…
The Behavioral Health Incentive Program provides financial incentives to rural and low-income Colorado students to obtain a credential in certain behavioral health programs of study. Implemented by SB21-137, $9 million was dedicated for this effort from the federal American Rescue Plan Act. The…
Harnessing innovation is not only a goal of the Colorado Commission of Higher Education—it is integral to meeting the needs and ambitious vision necessary to supplying an educated workforce of the future. Nearly three in four jobs in Colorado require some education beyond high school, which…
The Career Launch grant is designed to provide tuition support to students via matching funds for community scholarships so that tuition costs are not a barrier to entry, to reduce the currently unmanageable amount of student loan debt, and to create a…
CollegeInvest provides a variety of savings options that meet the needs of Colorado families, regardless of saving and investment preferences. CollegeInvest provides expert information, simple financial planning tools, and tax advantaged 529 college savings plans to help Coloradans achieve their…
The 2025-26 FAFSA/ CASFA are now open! Complete your application today!Click here for the 2024-25 CASFA Status.The Colorado Application for State Financial Aid (CASFA) is the State Financial Aid application for undocumented, Colorado ASSET students. The CASFA…
Make Your Education Work for You.What Is A Collegiate Apprenticeship?Colorado is building a new pathway toward career-focused higher education. An apprenticeship is an opportunity to receive hands-on career training, an education and a paycheck. We’re focused on building pathways in critical…
In 2019, Colorado legislators passed Senate Bill 19-003 to address Colorado’s educator shortages by providing loan forgiveness to educators. The law authorizes the Colorado Department of Higher Education to offer loan repayment assistance on qualified loans for educators, primarily for those who…
GEAR UP is a national, federally funded pre-collegiate grant program designed to increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education. GEAR UP is an acronym that stands for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness For Undergraduate…
The Colorado Re-Engaged (CORE) Initiative enables four-year institutions in Colorado to award an earned associate degree to eligible students who have stopped-out from a baccalaureate program after earning at least 70 credit hours. In enacting the supporting…
PLEASE NOTE: Due to the recent CDHE cybersecurity incident, the Reverse Transfer process has been significantly delayed. We are diligently working on a solution with the Colorado institutions of higher education and will provide updates when available. Thank you for your patience.Reverse Transfer…
Individuals that wish to pursue a college degree and have been released from the Division of Youth Services (DYS) commitment facility within the last 5 years may be eligible for up to $5,000 each year toward the cost of education. Choose among many college and career path options, including a…
COSI provides multi-year grants throughout the state to provide funding toward programs that help prepare students for postsecondary education, as well as support them through completion. Annually approximately 20 postsecondary programs and 40 rural high school…
Concurrent and dual enrollment programs allow high school students in Colorado to enroll in postsecondary institutions and earn credit towards graduation. There are several programs available, some of which offer tuition reimbursement by the school district. For more information on the programs…
COSI's Youth Mentorship Scholarship Program awarded grant funding to four organizations to provide scholarships to college students in exchange for mentorship services. In 2023, SB23-149 created the COSI youth mentorship assistance grant pilot program and…
The Colorado Commission on Higher Education has statutory responsibility for administration of Title 23, Article 2 of the Colorado Revised Statutes, which authorizes certain types of institutions to offer degrees and/or degree credits.
The Division administers the Private Occupational School Act on behalf of the Governor appointed Private Occupational School Board, which meets monthly to approve new schools, school renewals, school programs and courses per the Act and Rules. To protect students against fraudulent and substandard…
The ECE Educator Loan Forgiveness program is for ECE Educators to receive loan forgiveness. The application is closed.
The ECE Educator Scholarships are for ECE students to pursue dedicated coursework, certificates & degrees up to a master's.CDHE allocates funds to participating schools. The ECE department at each school in collaboration with their financial aid office, will decide which of their students…
The ECE Educator Stipends program is geared for individuals who are not already qualified to teach in ECE programs in the state of Colorado. If you are already a lead teacher, please contact the ECE department at the college/university you are interested in attending and ask for guidance on…
SummaryThe Education and Training Voucher (ETV) program is a federally funded program administered by the Colorado Department of Higher Education. The program provides Colorado residents who are currently or have previously been in foster care and are between the…
The Educator Recruitment and Retention (ERR) program was created by SB21-185 to provide support to members of the armed forces and nonmilitary-affiliated educator candidates in pursuing a career as an educator and to provide support to local education providers to recruit, select, train, and retain…
EmpowerEd is a state-funded program, administered by the Colorado Department of Higher Education to provide higher education funding and support to individuals who experienced homelessness and were identified as being McKinney-Vento eligible by a designated school personnel while…
In 2020, the COSI Board approved the first Finish What You Started (FWYS) program (focused on adults 25+, Adams County residents, with some college, no degree), an outcomes-based contract providing bonus payments for services that increase enrollment, persistence,…
The FosterEd program pays for the total cost of attendance for qualifying students who attend public institutions of higher education within Colorado. This state-funding program pays for the remaining balance of the total cost of attendance after scholarships, grants, and other financial…
With the $3.8 billion of state aid provided by the American Rescue Plan Act, the Governor and Colorado legislature have allocated approximately $200 million towards workforce development and education. Through HB21-1330 the Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative (COSI) received $1.5 million to…
Statewide plan for awarding college credit for work-related experience. The act requires the department of higher education to conduct a study concerning awarding academic credit for prior learning within all state institutions of higher education (institutions).
An existing council charged with…
Student Educator/Counselor Stipend ProgramThe student educator stipend program awards money to an eligible student to compensate them for their clinical experience in an academic residency position. Candidates placed in a 16-week academic residency may receive a stipend of up to $11,000, and those…
Matching Student Scholarship Grants are intended to solicit applications from eligible counties and institutions of higher education to increase the amount of scholarship giving available for postsecondary students in Colorado. The initiative partners with local programs, matching new scholarship…
HB17-1004 (Awarding College Credit for Military Education and Training) mandated institutions of higher education to adopt and implement prior learning assessment (PLA) policies for awarding academic credit for college-level learning acquired while in the military. Colorado faculty reviewed Joint…
My Colorado Journey is a free, groundbreaking statewide platform that connects you to work, education, support services and action planning. Charting your path to what’s possibleColorado state agencies—from workforce development, education and human services—have teamed up to provide you…
The Colorado Center for Rural Education and the Colorado Department of Higher Education encourage talented K-12 educators in rural Colorado school districts to pursue National Board Teacher Certification (NBCT). All NBCT stipend recipients will receive support and mentorship from NBCT…
Colorado is leading the way in Open Educational Resources (OER) adoption, which has been shown to foster innovation, reduce costs and boost student success.Open Educational Resources (OER) are freely available online teaching and learning materials accessible to students, instructors and self…
The Path4Ward Program, established by SB21-106, is a pilot program allowing students from low-income households who graduate early from participating high schools to receive funding for postsecondary education or training programs during what would have been their fourth year of high school.…
Through regional and state-to-state student access programs, students may gain affordable access to institutions in another state.
The Colorado Center for Rural Education and the Colorado Department of Higher Education encourage talented inservice PK-12 educators working in a rural Colorado school district to pursue the necessary qualifications to: (a) teach concurrent enrollment courses, (b) add an additional…
The Colorado Center for Rural Education and the Colorado Department of Higher Education encourage talented teacher candidates to student teach in Colorado rural school districts and eventually become a teacher in a Colorado rural school district. The value of the stipend is up to $4,000 for…
The $10,000 Colorado Rural Teaching Fellowship is available to selected candidates who complete a year-long clinical experience in a rural school district during the final year of their teacher preparation programs and commit to teaching for two years in a rural district after completion.…
Colleges and universities have the responsibility to promote student success beyond just the classroom by providing students with basic needs such as food, housing, and financial stability. Though schools want the best for their students, many can be met by financial or capacity barriers when…
The Colorado Center for Rural Education and the Colorado Department of Higher Education encourage talented individuals interested in Special Services Provider employment in rural or small rural schools in Colorado to apply for the Special Services Provider Stipend (SSPS). The SSPS provides…
Stackable Credential Pathways During the 2022 legislative session, the General Assembly passed Senate Bill 22-192 to improve access to quality credentials of value in the workplace and create greater alignment between credentials and work-based learning. The law mandates that CDHE work with…
The State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement is an agreement among member states, districts and territories that establishes comparable national standards for interstate offering of postsecondary distance education courses and programs. It is intended to make it easier for students to take online…
StudyColorado is an initiative of the State of Colorado, its institutions of higher education and the Colorado business community. StudyColorado’s primary purpose is to promote the internationalization of Colorado’s campuses.Colorado offers many higher education options – from small…
The Teacher Recruitment Education and Preparation (TREP) program creates the opportunity for qualified students in an educator career pathway to concurrently enroll in postsecondary courses and earn college credit at no tuition costs to them or their families, for up to two years after the 12th…
During the 2022 legislative session, the General Assembly passed Senate Bill 22-1220 to address Colorado’s educator shortages by helping remove barriers to educator preparation. The law authorizes CDHE to offer loan repayment assistance on qualified loans for licensed K-12 Colorado educators,…
The College Opportunity Fund (COF), created by the Colorado Legislature, provides a stipend to eligible undergraduate students. The stipend pays a portion of the total in-state tuition when attending a participating college.Eligible undergraduate students must apply, be admitted and enroll in…
These agreements allow you to graduate from a community college with a 60-credit Associate of Arts (AA) or Associate of Science (AS) degree, enroll with junior status at a university and complete the bachelor’s degree in no more than an additional 60 credits (for a total of 120 credits).Note: …
