Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the form a student and their family must submit in order to be considered for most types of financial aid.

You need to complete the FAFSA to be eligible for federal student aid such as federal grants, work-study funds, and loans. Some state and institutional financial aid funds require you to fill out a FAFSA as well.

You must meet certain eligibility requirements to fill out a FAFSA. Some of the requirements are that you must be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen and are enrolled in an eligible degree or certificate program. There are additional eligibility requirements that can be found on the Federal Student Aid website.

The first step to fill out a FAFSA is to create an FSA ID.

An FSA ID is required for all students and contributors to better protect their FAFSA information. To create an FSA ID, name, social security numbers and either email or phone number must be provided. You can setup an FSA ID at: https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-account/launch

Contributors without a social security number (SSN) still need to set up an FSA ID. Please follow the below instructions to do so:

Contributors Without Social Security Number Step-by-Step Guide

Contributors Without Social Security Number Step-by-Step Guide (Spanish)

The Colorado Application for State Financial Aid (CASFA) is the form that Colorado ASSET students and their families may submit in order to be considered for Colorado state financial aid.

To be designated as an ASSET student, you must meet the eligibility requirements found on the Colorado Department of Higher Education’s CASFA website.

To be considered for ASSET designation at MSU Denver, you must apply through the Admissions Office if you’re a new student, or the Registrar’s Office if you’re a continuing student.

Once you are designated as an ASSET student, you will not need to reapply.

An ASSET student qualifies for in-state tuition at MSU Denver and may qualify for Colorado State Financial Aid by submitting the CASFA application.

Filling out the FAFSA form may seem complicated and time consuming, but the Department of Education has worked hard to make the form easier to fill out for families. However, you may still have questions. You can find resources on the Filling Out the FAFSA Form webpage to assist you with any questions you may have.

The Educational Opportunity Center located on the Auraria Campus can also help students and their families with completing their FAFSA applications. You can contact them to set up an appointment at 303-352-8746 or email at [email protected]

After you have submitted your FAFSA, the Department of Education will track the process of your FAFSA and inform you of the status of your application via their studentaid.gov website.

When your FAFSA has an “Action Required” status, you are missing either a signature or you need to make a correction. Your FAFSA cannot be processed until you complete those required items.

Once your application has been successfully processed and there is no further action needed, your FAFSA status will be “Processed” and the Department of Education will send you a FAFSA Submission Summary which is a summary of the FAFSA information you have submitted.

To understand how to check your FAFSA status after you have submitted it, you may review the How do I check the status of by FAFSA form webpage.

The FAFSA Submission Summary is an electronic or paper document that summarizes the information you and your family reported on your FAFSA form.

It will tell you your estimated Pell grant eligibility and federal student loans, your Student Aid Index (SAI) and whether you have been selected for verification. More information on verification can be found under the policy section of our website.

To learn more about the FAFSA Submission Summary, please visit the Learn About the FAFSA Submission Summary.

If your FAFSA application indicates that there is an “Action Required” or you reviewed your FAFSA Submission Summary and there is incorrect information, you will be responsible for providing the information or correction to your FAFSA form.

To learn how you update or correct your FAFSA, visit the How To Review and Correct Your FAFSA Form website.

Please visit the FAFSA Help website for Frequently Asked Questions and additional resources to assist you with your FAFSA application.

For resources that will assist you with filling out the CASFA application, please visit the Colorado Department of Education’s CASFA Student and Family Resource page.

MSU Denver’s Office of Immigrant Services helps students with completing the CASFA application. Immigrant Services are available to help MSU Denver students and families one-on-one. You can call them to set up an appointment at 303-615-0035.

Helping you reach your goals is at the heart of MSU Denver’s mission, and accessibility is one of our core values. That is why we created the Roadrunner Promise, a commitment we make to our students who demonstrate financial need by having a -1500 through 0 Student Aid Index (SAI) as demonstrated by your Free Application for Federal Student Aid* (FAFSA). If you qualify for the Roadrunner Promise, MSU Denver will provide financial assistance to ensure you pay no tuition or mandatory fees.

To be eligible, you must:

• Have a -1500 through 0 Student Aid Index (SAI) demonstrated by filing the FAFSA or CASFA

OR

• Be a first-time college student with a gross family income* of $60,000 or less beginning Fall 2022

And meet the following:

• Be a Colorado resident
• Be working on your first bachelor’s degree
• Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). If you are not eligible to complete the FAFSA, complete the Colorado Application for State Financial Aid (CASFA). The FAFSA or CASFA is due July 1st for the Fall 2024 semester.
• Complete all requirements for financial aid
• Be enrolled full-time (12 credits or more)

Note: The Roadrunner Promise covers up to 15 credits each semester, and you must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress standards for financial aid each term.

The Roadrunner Promise cannot be applied to housing costs or other costs outside of tuition and fees. Students who are eligible for and take advantage of the Roadrunner Promise are not eligible to claim a tax credit under the state’s Colorado Promise.

*Gross family income is defined as parent(s) adjusted gross income for dependent students, or student (and spouse) adjusted gross income for independent students.

Learn more about qualifying for the Roadrunner Promise by visiting our website.

The Colorado Promise is a state program administered by the Colorado Department of Higher Education. Beginning in Fall 2024, MSU Denver students in their first two years of college with family incomes of $90,000 or less may be eligible for complete reimbursement of any out-of-pocket tuition and fees they pay. MSU Denver will notify students if they are eligible for the program in each year.

Students with family incomes of $60,000 or less may be eligible for MSU Denver’s Roadrunner Promise, which pays tuition and mandatory fees up front for up to four years of college. Students who are eligible for and take advantage of the Roadrunner Promise are not eligible for the Colorado Promise.

The Colorado Promise reimbursement comes in the form of a tax credit, which covers the amount paid in tuition and fees during the prior academic year. After paying for tuition and fees up front, students must file a state income tax return to receive the credit. This is a refundable credit, meaning that even if a student earned $0 that year and paid $0 in federal taxes, they will receive the full tuition and fee payments as a refund. Even if students are listed as dependents on their parents’ taxes, they should file separately to request the tax credit.

The reimbursement covers only costs remaining after other scholarships and grants have been used and is only applicable to tuition and fees, not housing or indirect expenses. MSU Denver will notify students if they are eligible for the program each year.

Students are eligible for the tax credit for any semester/term in which they meet the criteria, which include:

• First enrolled in college/postsecondary within two years of graduating from high school
• Degree/credential-seeking
• Completed a FAFSA or CASFA
• Completed at least 6 credits at the end of the semester
• 2.5 or greater semester GPA

For more information on Colorado Promise eligibility requirements and program details, visit the Colorado Department of Higher Education website.

Through a combination of federal, state and institutional grants, MSU Denver will ensure Indigenous students’ tuition and mandatory published fees are fully covered beginning Fall 2022. The Indigenous & Native Peoples’ Grant is for undergraduate students who are Colorado residents and enrolled in one of 574 federally recognized Native nations. In the MSU Denver land acknowledgement, we identify this land as being the original home of the Cheyenne and Arapahoe Nations, land that was frequently also inhabited by the Lakota, Ute, Kiowa, Comanche, Apache, Shoshone and others. Just as we honor the Displaced Aurarians who were forcibly removed from their homes so that our campus could be built, we also honor the Indigenous and Native Peoples who first called this land home by fully funding their tuition and fees to undergraduate programs at MSU Denver.

The combination of grants students will see on their financial aid award may include Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Colorado Student Grant and MSU Denver Supplemental Grant. These will cover the student’s share of in-state tuition and fees for regular classes up to 15 credit hours per semester (and up to 129 credits toward their first bachelor’s degree). Students are required to file either the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or Colorado Application for State Financial Aid (CASFA) and can utilize this award for their first bachelor’s degree or certificate.

For more information, visit our Indigenous and Native Peoples’ Grant page.

Dean’s from the individuals schools/colleges have identified students with their programs to be recipients of this grant in order to support them on their path toward earning their degrees. MSU Denver is awarding selected students with a $1,500 Dean’s Grant if they’re registered for 12+ credit hours, a $750 Dean’s Grant if they’re registered for 9-11 credit hours, or a $500 Dean’s Grant for students registered for 6-8 credit hours. These grants will be a part of a student’s financial aid package this fall.

To take advantage of this opportunity, please complete these steps:

• Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by June 1 if you are a US Citizen.
• Complete the Colorado Application for State Financial Aid (CASFA) by June 1 if you are a Dreamer or international student.
• Register for the Fall 2024 term.

The State of Colorado’s FosterEd program provides financial assistance for former foster youth, covering the full cost of attendance (including tuition, fees, housing, food expenses, and more) through a combination of a student’s existing financial aid, funding provided by the state of Colorado, and scholarships from MSU Denver. To qualify, students must have been in foster care or non-certified kinship care on or after the age of 13, be a current Colorado resident, enroll in an eligible degree or certificate program at MSU Denver, meet MSU Denver’s Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements, and complete the FAFSA or CASFA application.

Eligible students must also complete an application for the Chafee Education and Training Voucher program through the State of Colorado, which can provide up to an additional $5,000 per year towards a student’s degree.

Students who may qualify for the FosterEd program are encouraged to learn more on the Colorado Department of Higher Education’s FosterEd website at
https://cdhe.colorado.gov/programs-and-services/postsecondary-education-programs-and-services/fostered. Interested students who believe they may qualify for funding through this program should self-identify as eligible by reaching out to the Financial Aid office at 303-556-8593, through email at
[email protected], or in-person at the Jordan Student Success Building, Window #6.

The State of Colorado’s EmpowerEd program provides financial assistance for students who were identified as homeless youth during high school, covering the full cost of attendance (including tuition, fees, housing, food expenses, and more) through a combination of a student’s existing financial aid, funding provided by the state of Colorado, and scholarships from MSU Denver. To qualify, students must have been identified by designated school personnel as a homeless child or youth pursuant to the Federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act while they were High School students in Colorado, be between the ages of 17 and 27, be a current Colorado resident, be enrolled in courses leading to their first bachelor’s degree, associate degree, or financial-aid eligible certificate program, meet MSU Denver’s Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements, and complete the FAFSA or CASFA application for each year they wish to receive assistance through the program.

Students who may qualify for the EmpowerEd program are encouraged to learn more on the Colorado Department of Higher Education’s EmpowerEd website at
https://cdhe.colorado.gov/empowered. The application for the EmpowerEd program can be submitted through the same website. For any additional questions, please reach out to the Financial Aid office at 303-556-8593, through email at
[email protected], or in-person at the Jordan Student Success Building, Window #6.

If you need additional assistance submitting your student aid application, please contact either the:

• Educational Opportunity Center (EOC) for assistance with the FAFSA
• Immigrant Services Program (ISP) for assistance with the CASFA