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CU Boulder Scholarship Application

We're reviewing scholarship applications for the 2025-26 academic year. Most students who receive a scholarship will get an email sometime before April 15.

In the meantime, here are a few other opportunities you may want to explore:

1. Campus Programs: CU Boulder offers a variety of programs, and some offer scholarships as a component of either participation in or affiliation with their program.
2. Private Scholarships: Private scholarships are provided by organizations unaffiliated with CU Boulder, such as community foundations, civic organizations, local high schools, national groups, family foundations, businesses and others. For these scholarships, you will apply directly to the sponsoring organization.

Submitting the general CU Boulder Scholarship Application considers you for scholarships all across campus. Some academic departments and scholarship opportunities require an additional application, which will become available after submitting the general application.

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Automatic Consideration Scholarship- Chancellor's, Esteemed, Presidential or Regent

Automatic consideration scholarship recipients are awarded at the time of Admission and are based on a comprehensive review of a student's admission application.

Resources:

• Learn about Automatic Consideration Scholarships
  • For questions about how students are considered, email admissions@colorado.edu
• How to keep your award
  • Scholarship renewal criteria
  • Options if your award was cancelled

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All scholarships and financial aid begin applying to the bill the Monday before the first day of classes. Private scholarships must be received by the Office of Scholarship Services by 5 p.m. Mountain Time on the first day of classes to ensure they apply to your bill by the due date. Any balance that may remain due to a late scholarship arrival is the student’s responsibility to cover.

Resources:

• Scholarships & the Bill: how & when awards pay toward your university bill
• Bursar Office: understanding your bill, making payments & getting refunds 

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Private Scholarship or Tuition Assistance Check

The Office of Scholarship Services must receive your private scholarship by 5 p.m. Mountain Time on the first day of classes to ensure they apply to your bill by the due date. Any balance that may remain due to a late scholarship arrival is the student’s responsibility to cover. Read how to send in your private scholarship check.

For graduate students, graduate scholarships are managed directly through your graduate program. Please contact your graduate program advisor and/or assistant for more information. 

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Scholarship holds or To-Do items

Complete any outstanding To-Do items as soon as possible to ensure your scholarship is applied to your bill on time. You can check for To-Do items & review the status of your scholarships in Buff Portal.

Withdrawing & scholarships

Your scholarship may or may not be available for you to use after you have withdrawn from a semester. Search our webpage for specific scholarship withdrawal policies.

Faculty & staff scholarship application

CU Boulder faculty & staff members can submit a single Faculty & Staff Scholarship application each academic year to be considered for up to three different scholarships designed to support their dependents who are pursuing higher education.

FERPA

As a reminder, student education records (including scholarship information) are protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) once the student begins attending classes. We’re happy to continue to assist you with any general scholarship questions; however, in order to comply with FERPA, CU Boulder will not release a student’s information to anyone but the student unless a FERPA Consent to Release is on file beginning on the first day of class. Your student must set up the consent to release.