March 5th, 2025
The safety and privacy of Colorado Application for State Financial Aid (CASFA) applicants is a top priority of the Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE). CDHE wants to assure undocumented students and their families that it is safe to apply for the CASFA.
- Information provided through the CASFA is used solely to determine eligibility for financial aid offered by the state and colleges in Colorado.
- Information provided through the CASFA is not shared with the federal government, and it is not used for immigration enforcement.
- We will work to the fullest extent of the law to protect all students and their families who share their information through the CASFA.
In 2021, the Colorado legislature passed SB21-131 to protect personal identifying information kept by the State from being shared with outside agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) without a judicial order. CDHE also adheres to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99), a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records for non-educational purposes.
Currently, there are no laws requiring disclosure of this information to officers conducting immigration enforcement absent of a judicial subpoena or court order. Providing this information without legal authority would breach state and federal data privacy laws.
We remain dedicated to protecting personal identifying information for all students.
To learn more about your Constitutional rights, visit the American Civil Liberties Union’s Know Your Rights | Immigrants' Rights | webpage.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Will I put myself or my family at risk by completing a CASFA?
No. If you are undocumented, you may feel nervous about completing a government application for financial aid. However, Colorado has a financial aid application process designed to help and protect undocumented students and families. The information you provide when you complete the CASFA is never shared with any federal agencies without a valid judicial subpoena or court order and is only used to determine your eligibility for financial aid offered by the state and colleges in Colorado.