Undergraduate Grants
¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Boulder provides grants to eligible undergraduate students as part of their financial aid offer. Grants are free money and do not have to be repaid.
How to Apply
Students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year to be considered. Grant funding is limited and is not guaranteed; it is provided on a first-come, first-served basis.
Grant Eligibility
Grants are offered to students who have significant financial need as determined by information on the FAFSA, as well as information submitted to and verified by ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Boulder's Office of Financial Aid. Grant availability is based on funding at the time the grant is offered. A student may be offered one grant, or a combination of different types of grants. However, it's not possible for a student to receive all the grants we offer, even with exceptional need.
What's considered significant financial need?
In previous years, Colorado residents with an 18,000 Student Aid Index (SAI) or less were more likely to be considered for grants than a family with a higher SAI. The SAI is a formula calculated by the FAFSA which helps schools determine financial aid eligibility.
Types of Grants
We offer the following types of grants:
Quick Links
Federal Grants
All students are considered for the following federal grants:
The Federal Pell Grant is given to students with significant financial need. Students are notified of their Pell eligibility upon submission of the FAFSA. For 2024-25 the minimum Pell Grant amount is $740 and the maximum amount is $7,395. The amount of Pell you're eligible for is based on your SAI. While some grants are limited and eventually run out, the Pell Grant is available year-round for eligible students.
Enrollment: Grants are offered based on full-time enrollment (12+ credit hours) and will be prorated if enrollment is less than full time (1 to 11 credit hours).
Limitations: The Pell Grant has a Lifetime Eligibility Used (LEU) limitation. Over a lifetime, a student may only receive the equivalent of six years of Pell Grant funding. Each academic year (fall & spring semester) counts as one year. Summer counts as half of a year.
FSEOG is a federal grant given to undergraduate students with exceptional financial need who enroll at least half time (6+ credit hours). Students with the lowest SAIs are given priority consideration for awards up to $3,000 and a matching institutional grant up to $1,000.
State Grants
Colorado Student Grant
The Colorado Student Grant, funded by the Colorado General Assembly, considers resident undergraduate students with an SAI of 9,000 or lower who enroll at least half time (6+ credit hours).
¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Boulder Grants
Eligibility for ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Boulder grants differs based on residency status. View ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Boulder Grants for:
Students who have an SAI of 18,000 or lower and enroll at least half time (6+ credit hours) may be considered for the following grants: ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Boulder Gold Grant, ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Boulder Grant, and ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Boulder Donor Grant. The grant amount varies and depends on SAI, enrollment level, and other grants received. Please note that it's fairly common for the name of your ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Boulder Grant to change from year to year; the amount should remain the same.
Limitations: Students eligible to receive a ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Boulder grant are limited to receiving it for no more than 180 credit hours, for most degrees. All credits attempted at any ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ campus, including F, W, and Incomplete grades, accepted transfer credit, and AP/IB coursework will count toward the limit.
Students who are eligible for the Pell Grant may be considered for the ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Boulder Grant and the ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Boulder Donor Grant. The grant amount depends on SAI, enrollment level and other grants received. Grants are offered based on full-time enrollment (12+ credit hours) and will be prorated if enrollment is less than full time (6-11 credit hours).
Limitations: Students eligible to receive a ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Boulder grant are limited to receiving it for no more than 180 credit hours. All credits attempted at any ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ campus, including F, W, and Incomplete grades, accepted transfer credit, and AP/IB coursework will count toward the limit.
¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Promise
¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Promise is a program that provides grants that cover tuition and fees for Colorado resident students with an annual family income of $65,000 or less. ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Promise is a combination of federal, state and ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Boulder grants. Students must be eligible for the federal Pell Grant (or eligible ASSET student with significant financial need) to be considered. Learn more about ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Promise.
Other Funding
These types of funding require separate applications and have eligibility criteria you must meet in order to be considered:
- ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Achieve Summer Grant - summer financial aid application required; offered to eligible resident or nonresident students who enroll in summer courses.
- First Generation Scholarship - ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Boulder Scholarship Application required; available to resident and nonresident students whose parent(s) don't have a bachelor's degree.
- Colorado Opportunity Fund (COF) - COF application required; provides a stipend that pays a portion of total in-state tuition for eligible resident students. COF is not considered financial aid and doesn't require a FAFSA.