Students Eligible Under Colorado ASSET Bill and/or DACA
The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus prides itself on its diverse community, and strives to foster an environment of inclusion. Upon being admitted to CU Anschutz, registration advance payments are waived for eligible undocumented students. Students interested in learning about residency requirements may visit our Residency Page.
ASSET and DACA
ASSET: Advancing Students for a Stronger Tomorrow (ASSET) allows eligible undocumented students to pay in-state tuition at Colorado’s public colleges and universities, receive the College Opportunity Fund Stipend, and receive state financial aid if eligible based on need. Students who attended a Colorado high school for at least one year before graduation or were physically present in Colorado for at least one year immediately preceding the date they completed a high school equivalency examination in Colorado; AND have been physically present in Colorado for at least 12 consecutive months before enrolling in an institution of higher education will qualify for ASSET status.
DACA: Students who hold a status of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and can demonstrate Colorado domicile may be considered for an in-state tuition rate. For information on establishing a Colorado domicile, please visit our Residency Page.
Students who qualify for ASSET do not automatically qualify for DACA, and vice versa. A student may qualify for one but not the other, qualify for both, or qualify for neither.
Undergraduate Nursing Students
Apply for the College Opportunity Fund
Once admitted to CU Anschutz, ASSET students should apply for the College Opportunity Fund (COF). The state benefit reduces the amount of undergraduate in-state tuition students pay. The COF application may be completed at https://cof.college-assist.org/. Applicants who do not have lawful immigration status are required to complete and submit the one time COF Affidavit, which affirms the student has applied for lawful presence or will do so as soon as the student is able to do so. The affidavit is located within the main COF application.
Applicants who do not have a social security number (SSN), or who elect not to provide their SSN, will apply for a unique COF ID. To associate funds to the correct student account, students need to provide their COF ID to the Registrar’s Office. Students are required to authorize the funds to be applied to their tuition through their UCDAccess portal. Instructions to authorize COF are available through the Office of the Registrar’s webpage.
Financial Aid
ASSET: Although students with ASSET status don't qualify for federal financial aid, students with need may qualify for Colorado state aid. Undergraduate students may qualify to receive a Colorado Student Grant and graduate students may qualify to receive a Colorado Graduate Grant. ASSET students who also have DACA status may be eligible for Colorado Work-study. To determine your eligibility for Colorado state aid, complete the applicable form under step one below. The priority CASFA date for grant aid is March 1st.
We also encourage you to apply for scholarships. To learn more, review our scholarship section below.
Apply for Scholarships
The CU Denver Scholarlynx+ Application is available October 1 of each year, with rolling deadlines beginning March 1. Many of our scholarships do not require U.S. citizenship. In addition to scholarships that do not require U.S. citizenship, students with a status of ASSET are considered for scholarships available to Colorado residents.
Step One
Many scholarships are need-based. If you do not qualify for federal student aid because of citizenship status, please complete the form below instead of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to allow us to determine your need.
All students who are not eligible for federal student aid due to citizenship status (ASSET, DACA, or otherwise undocumented) may complete the CASFA to have their level of need determined for scholarships.
If you have questions when completing the Student Status or Parent Questions on the Alternate Aid Form, please visit our Student Status Questions and Who is My Parent webpages, or contact us.
Step Two
Log into the ScholarLynx Application using your university login credentials. Once you have completed the General Application, scholarships for which you are eligible to apply will display.
College of Nursing Scholarships
Several options for nursing-specific scholarships are also available through the College of Nursing. Explore those options by visiting the College of Nursing webpage.
Graduate and Professional Students
ASSET: Although students with ASSET status do not qualify for federal financial aid, graduate or professional students with this status may qualify to receive Colorado Graduate Grant. To determine your eligibility for the Colorado Graduate Grant, complete the University of Colorado Denver | Anschutz Alternate Aid Form. To complete the form, visit www.ucdenver.edu/aaform. We also encourage you to apply for scholarships with your School/College to assist with your educational costs.
DACA: Although students with DACA status who do not also have ASSET status cannot qualify to receive Colorado state or federal aid, we encourage you to apply for scholarships with your School/College to assist with your educational costs.