Bursar and Financial Aid Information

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At CU Denver, we have a longstanding belief that finances should never stand in the way of motivated, talented individuals who want to better themselves and make a positive impact on the world around them. Through a tradition providing strong financial assistance and aid programs, we enforce this belief every day.

 FINANCIAL AID

Applying

The financial aid office delivers more than $135 million in financial aid awards to qualified students at the Denver Campus each year.   Students  will be considered for a package of need-based grant, work-study (part-time employment), and/or student loan funds. Financial aid applications submitted late in the awarding process may only be considered for a Federal Pell Grant and student loans.

Each applicant must complete the financial aid application materials for submission to the financial aid office. Complete information must be available to the office before eligibility can be determined.

Limited Funds—The majority of general financial aid funds are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis to eligible students who document significant financial need and who submit a valid FAFSA application to www.fafsa.gov. Financial aid is awarded to students that demonstrate need until all of the funds are committed for the academic year. Financial aid application materials are available in January of each year and must be completed each year to be considered for continued aid.

It is the student’s responsibility to be sure application materials are complete. Please contact the financial aid office for application forms and complete details. You may also obtain this information on-line at www.ucdenver.edu/finaid. All financial aid policies and procedures are subject to change due to revisions in federal and state laws, regulations, guidelines and applicable institution policies.

Awards

Students are informed by e-mail notification of their financial aid eligibility approximately four to six weeks after all application materials have been received and reviewed by the financial aid office.  When awarded, an e-mail notice is sent to the student advising them to review their award on the CU Denver student portal. This information will include the type of awards, the amount of aid awarded for the academic year, and the minimum number of credit hours required  for each term of aid eligibility.

Financial Aid Eligibility

Each student must meet the following criteria to quality for financial aid:

1. Be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen.
2. Have a VALID social security number (Exceptions for students from the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau).
3. Be classified as a degree-seeking in an eligible degree or certificate program (CU Denver Teacher certification students are eligible to apply for financial aid and are considered undergraduate students according to federal guidelines).
4. Be enrolled at least half-time (must enroll for at least 6 credits to be eligible for the Direct Loan Program.)
5. Meet federal student aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards at the end of each term.
6. Not be in default on any student loan or owe a refund on any educational grant.
7. Male applicants must be registered with the Selective Service.
8. Must show proof high diploma or recognized equivalent (GED or approved homeschooling).
9. Sign a statement on the FAFSA indicating that you will use federal student aid for educational purposes only.

Note:  Students with intellectual disabilities who do not meet the eligibility requirements as outlined above may be able to obtain certain types of aid.  To be eligible, you must be accepted for enrollment in a comprehensive transition and postsecondary program.  For more information, go to StudentAid.gov/eligibility and select Students With Intellectual Disabilities.

Grants, Loans and Work-Study

The following aid programs are funded by federal student aid programs:

1. Federal Pell Grant—Eligibility for the Federal Pell Grant is determined before any other aid is awarded. Awards are defined by a strict need-based formula provided by the federal government, and award amounts vary depending on the amount of financial need and enrollment status. Only undergraduate students seeking a first time bachelor’s degree are eligible.
2. Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)—This is a need-based grant program for students with exceptional need and who have not yet obtained a bachelor’s degree. Students must be eligible for a Federal Pell Grant to be considered for SEOG. This funding is very limited.
3. Federal Teach Grant—This Teach Grant program is available to specific students who intend to teach in a public or private service school that serves students from low-income families. Students can be considered for up to $4000 per academic year, if eligible. More information can be found on the Financial Aid Office website.
4. Federal Direct Stafford Loan (2 types)—The subsidized Federal Direct Stafford Loan program requires that students show financial need in order to qualify. Interest on the subsidized loan is paid by the federal government as long as the student remains enrolled at least half-time, during the six-month grace period after graduation or the student ceases to be enrolled half-time. Effective July 1, 2012, only undergraduate students are eligible. The unsubsidized Federal Direct Stafford Loan program does not require the student to document financial need, but a valid FAFSA application is required. Eligibility is calculated as the cost of attendance minus other financial aid awarded. Interest is not paid by the federal government for the unsubsidized program, and the student may elect to pay the interest now or to allow the interest to be added to the total principal loan amount.
5. Federal Direct PLUS Loan—Graduate students and parents of dependent students are eligible to borrow under the Federal Direct PLUS program. The PLUS program is unsubsidized, credit-based and interest payments become the responsibility of the graduate borrower or parent  at the time of disbursement.  Repayment on this loan can be deferred while the student is enrolled at least half-time. 
6. Federal Perkins Loan—This is a need-based loan program, with an fixed interest rate of 5%. No repayment of interest or principal is due until nine months after the student ceases to be enrolled at least half-time or graduates.
7. Federal College Work-Study—Work-study is a need-based program that allows students to work on a part-time basis (on campus, off campus or at nonprofit agencies) to help meet their educational costs.

The state of Colorado funds the following programs:

1. Colorado Student Grant—A need-based grant for resident undergraduate students.
2. Colorado Graduate Grant—A need-based grant for resident graduate students.
3. Colorado Work-Study—A program similar to the College Work-Study program but limited to resident undergraduate students. Limited amounts of Colorado Work-Study funds are available to students regardless of financial need. In addition, there are some grant programs funded by the institution.
4. Colorado Teach Grant Program—This scholarship to students in a approved teacher preparation program who excel in high-need content areas and who demonstrates an interest or commitment to teaching as a career.

Drug Convictions and Financial Aid Eligibility

A student who has been convicted of any offense under any federal or state law involving the possession or sale of a controlled substance shall not be eligible to receive any grant, loan or work assistance if the conviction occurred during a period of enrollment for which the student was receiving aid.
If convicted of an offense involving:

The possession of a controlled substance: Ineligibility period is:
First offense ……………………… 1 year (from date of conviction)
Second offense ………………….. 2 years (from date of conviction)
Third offense ……………………. Indefinite

The sale of a controlled substance: Ineligibility period is:
First offense ………………………. 2 years (from date of conviction)
Second offense …………………. Indefinite 

Other Sources

There are several other sources of funds for students. Employment opportunities are listed in the Student Employment Office and the Career Center. American Indian students should request information about Bureau of Indian Affairs and tribal scholarships from their tribe. Also contact CU Denver’s Scholarship Resources Office for additional information on scholarship opportunities.

Qualifying

Financial Need

Most financial aid awards are based on the concept of financial need. Financial need is calculated as cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, living expenses) minus EFC or expected family contribution (student/spouse contribution and parents’ contribution for dependent students).

The cost of attendance is the estimated annual cost to attend CU Denver, including tuition and fees, room, board, books and supplies, transportation and personal expenses. The financial aid office determines standard budgets based upon average tuition and fees charged and other budget items established by the Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE). Current cost-of-attendance figures are available on our website at www.ucdenver.edu/finaid.

The contributions from the student/spouse and from the parents are calculated by a standardized formula that is determined by the FAFSA data and is required by federal law. The formula considers income, savings and other assets, family size, number of children in postsecondary school and other factors.

Financial Aid is intended to supplement and not replace financial contributions from the student and parents. If the student/spouse contribution plus the parents’ contribution is equal to or greater than the cost of attendance, then the student will not qualify for need-based financial aid. Students may appeal for special consideration if they are experiencing unusual or extenuating circumstances.

Determining Dependency Status

The federal government provides specific guidelines that define dependency status for federal student aid purposes. Dependency status is determined by a series of questions on the FAFSA application that can be reviewed at www.fafsa.gov. Students classified as dependent are required to provide student and parent household and financial information when applying for financial aid. If a student is classified independent, then the student’s parental information is not considered when the calculation of family contribution is made. Current law defines an independent student as one who meets at least one of the following conditions:

1. Age 24 or older (born before January 1, 1991)
2. A Graduate student
3. Married (at the time of filing the FAFSA)
4. Student with legal dependents other than a spouse
5. Student has children who receive more than half their support
6. Veteran of the U.S. armed forces or currently on active duty
7. At age 13 or older was an orphan, ward of the court or in foster care
8. Student is an emancipated minor or in a legal guardianship in their state of legal residence
9. On or after July 1, 2013, was a unaccompanied homeless youth or considered an unaccompanied, self-supporting youth at risk of becoming homeless

A dependency status may be appealed to the financial aid office if unusual circumstances exist. Contact the office for appeal guidelines.

Course Loads

Most undergraduate financial aid programs require at least 12 credits per semester, and graduate programs require at least 5 credits per semester. Federal Direct Loan recipients must carry at least a half-time enrollment status ( at least 6 semester hours for undergraduates per semester; and at least 3 semester hours per semester for graduates). Higher or lower minimums may be required for specific individual awards (review your award notification for the exact number of credits required for aid eligibility).

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) for federal aid purposes

For continued aid eligibility, students must meet satisfactory academic progress (SAP) standards as defined by the financial aid office. For more information, students should review the Financial Aid Academic Standards policy, available on our website or in the financial aid office.

Appeals

Students may appeal all suspension decisions by submitting a SAP Appeal to the financial aid office by mail, fax or in person. Appeals will be reviewed and considered within three weeks of receipt and a written response will be mailed  or emailed to the student. The decision of the appeals committee is final.

Refunds and Repayments

To comply with Federal financial aid laws and regulations, CU Denver is required to apply the Return of Title IV aid calculation to all students who withdraw and received federal student aid.  Student may be required to return a portion or all of his/her term disbursed financial aid. If federal government has defined that the recipient has only earned a portion of their financial aid, and the earned aid is directly proportional to the percentage of time the student attended classes, the balance of the financial aid is defined as unearned financial aid and must be returned to the applicable federal aid program(s). Unearned aid includes both the amount allocated to tuition and fees and the amount allocated to the student for other educational expenses. For a complete description of these requirements, request a copy of the financial aid repayment policy from the Financial Aid Office.

Reapply Each Year

Financial aid awards  and most scholarships are not automatically renewed each year. Students must reapply for each year. Application materials for the next academic year are available beginning January 1.

Scholarships

For a complete listing of the many scholarships offered at the Denver Campus, go to www.ucdenver.edu/scholarships. In addition, many Internet search programs are available to help students identify scholarships for which they may be eligible. One of the largest is www.FastWeb.com. You may also research www.finaid.org. 

Short-Term Loans

Student can apply for a Short Term Loan with the Financial Aid Office. Student must meet be enrolled and meet the eligibility requirements.  Short-term loans are reviewed by a financial aid advisors on a case-by-case basis and are available to assist students with unexpected financial hardships. This loans is due for repayment to the University within 30 days and is generally limited to a maximum of $500. In additional, there is a $10 administrative charge associated with this loan.