If you’re a Colorado student seeking an affordable higher education, you might be eligible for free tuition at the following Colorado universities — depending on how much money your family makes.
Many of Colorado’s colleges and universities offer free tuition for lower-income, in-state families who meet certain eligibility requirements.
These tuition promise programs, as they’re known, cover the gap in funds left over once federal or state grants are awarded after students fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the Colorado Application for State Financial Aid.
More information about eligibility requirements can be found on the university’s websites.
Adams State University
Beginning in fall 2024, the Alamosa-based Adams State University will cover all tuition and fees for students with a parental adjusted gross income of $70,000 a year or less in all counties south of Denver. The counties include: Alamosa, Archuleta, Baca, Bent, Chaffee, Cheyenne, Conejos, Costilla, Crowley, Custer, Delta, Douglas, El Paso, Elbert, Fremont, Gunnison, Hindsdale, Huerfano, Kiowa, Kit Carson, La Plata, Lake, Las Animas, Lincoln, Mesa, Mineral, Montezuma, Montrose, Otero, Ouray, Park, Pitkin, Prowers, Pueblo, Rio Grande, Saguache, San Juan, San Miguel and Teller. Tuition for an in-state undergraduate student who lived on campus during the 2023-2024 academic year was nearly $4,900 for 15 credits.
Colorado College
The private, Colorado Springs college offers tiers of financial support for incoming students. If a student’s family income is less than $60,000 a year, that family will not have to pay for tuition, room and board. If the family’s adjusted gross annual income is between $60,000 and $125,000, the family will not have to pay for tuition but will pay for room and board. Families with yearly incomes between $125,000 and $250,000 will pay the same or less than the cost of attendance at the flagship state university in Colorado, the University of Colorado Boulder. Tuition, housing, meal plans, books and health insurance are estimated to cost more than $90,000 for the 2023-2024 Colorado College school year.
Colorado Mesa University
Starting in fall 2024, the Grand Junction university guarantees that qualified undergraduate students from the 22 counties on the Western Slope or the three regional Ute Tribes can attend Colorado Mesa University and CMU Tech tuition-free if their family’s income is $65,000 a year or less. The 22 counties include: Moffat, Rio Blanco, Garfield, Mesa, Delta, Montrose, San Miguel, Dolores, Montezuma, La Plata, San Juan, Ouray, Routt, Eagle, Pitkin, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Jackson, Archuleta, Grand, Summit and Lake. The three Ute tribes include: Southern Ute, Mountain Ute and Unitah-Ouray. A full year of college for an on-campus, in-state undergraduate student including tuition, fees, housing, meals and course materials is estimated to cost more than $26,000.
Colorado Mountain College
Colorado Mountain College — which has campuses in Aspen, Breckenridge, Carbondale, Dillon, Glenwood Springs, Leadville, Rifle, Salida, Spring Valley, Steamboat Springs and Vail Valley at Edwards — covers tuition for any Colorado resident whose annual family income is below $70,000. Independent students — typically those over the age of 24 — can get their tuition covered if their yearly household income is $50,000 or less. In-state tuition, housing, meals and course materials for two semesters are estimated to cost more than $20,900.
Colorado State University
At the Fort Collins-based Colorado State University, Colorado residents eligible for the federal Pell Grant qualify for the state’s need-based aid program and CSU’s Tuition Assistance Grant. The combination of these grant programs covers not only tuition and fees but also a portion of housing and food. For residents who are just out of Pell Grant eligibility, CSU still covers the cost of tuition. CSU uses the FAFSA and CASFA (for undocumented students) to determine eligibility. The university’s estimated cost of attendance for 2023-2024 is $32,439 for in-state students living on campus.
Colorado State University Pueblo
Eligible students can receive free tuition at Colorado State University Pueblo if their total family income reported on the FAFSA is $70,000 a year or less. Eligible students must be in-state, first-time college students or transfer students who are enrolled full-time. The tuition funding covers a maximum of 15 credits per semester. Eligible students must maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA or higher. The average cost of attendance for a full-time, on-campus undergraduate student is estimated to be about $28,000 for two semesters.
Fort Lewis College
The Durango-based institution promises to cover tuition costs for Colorado students whose families earn $70,000 or less. To be eligible, students must be Colorado residents working toward their first bachelor’s degree and be enrolled in college full-time. Students have to maintain good academic progress to renew the award and are responsible for additional expenses such as student fees, room and board and books. In-state, undergraduate tuition at Fort Lewis College is estimated to cost $7,560 per year while on-campus housing and meals are estimated to cost more than $13,300.
Metropolitan State University of Denver
Eligible students whose family’s yearly income is $60,000 or less can have their in-state tuition and fees covered for up to 15 credits. Eligibility requirements include being a first-time college student, taking a full-time course load, having a 2.0 cumulative GPA and meeting all application deadlines, among others. Tuition and fees for a full academic year at MSU Denver for a Colorado resident are estimated to cost $8,788.
University of Colorado Boulder
Colorado residents with the greatest financial needs could be eligible to receive free tuition and fees at the state’s flagship university. The university expects students who are eligible for Pell Grants — which is determined by filling out the FAFSA — and undocumented students who cannot fill out the FAFSA but can show significant financial need will qualify. Other eligibility requirements include being an undergraduate working on the first bachelor’s degree, enrolling full-time and meeting satisfactory academic progress each semester. A Colorado resident’s estimated cost for one academic year of tuition, housing, food, books and supplies at CU Boulder is more than $35,500.
University of Colorado Denver
The University of Colorado Denver offers a financial aid award package that includes a combination of grants, scholarships and work-study sufficient to fund the student share of tuition and fees for eligible, low-income students. Eligibility includes being a Colorado resident who is attending as a first-time freshman or new transfer student from a Colorado community college; having a family income at or below 100% of the federally established poverty level ($31,200 for a family of four in 2024), being eligible to receive a federal Pell Grant and being enrolled for at least 12 credit hours for each semester. In-state undergraduates are estimated to pay around $11,400 for tuition and fees for an academic year at CU Denver.
University of Northern Colorado
This Greeley-based university is nearing the launch of a tuition guarantee program that will go into effect for new and continuing qualifying students in the fall. The program will be available to Colorado residents pursuing their first bachelor’s degrees and ensures eligible students, with annual household incomes of $65,000 or less, will have their standard tuition and fees covered. The cost of attendance, including tuition, books and housing for a Colorado resident living on campus, is more than $31,600 a year.
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Updated 11 a.m. Jan. 17, 2024: This story has been updated to correct the tuition figure for MSU Denver.
