Frequently Asked Questions


What is The College Opportunity Fund (COF)?

The College Opportunity Fund (COF) is a trust fund created by the Colorado Legislature that provides a tuition stipend to eligible undergraduate students. The stipend pays a portion of your total in-state tuition when you attend a participating college. You can read the Colorado law (statute) that governs this program by clicking on "COF Legal Info" at the bottom of the COF homepage.


How do I apply for the College Opportunity Fund Stipend?

You apply for the tuition stipend by clicking on "Apply Now" on the COF homepage. When you complete the stipend application you create an account that is accessible to you and the college you attend when it requests payment on your behalf.

Eligible undergraduate students must apply, be admitted and enroll in COF-eligible classes at a participating college to receive this benefit. Both new and continuing undergraduate students are eligible for the stipend.

Qualifying students may use the stipend for eligible undergraduate classes. The stipend is paid on a per credit hour basis directly to the college at which the student is enrolled.


What is a stipend?

"Stipend" means the amount of money per credit hour paid by the state of Colorado on behalf of an eligible undergraduate student who is attending a participating college in the state of Colorado.

The specified amount of the stipend per credit hour is set annually by the Colorado General Assembly. The amount will never exceed the student's total in-state tuition. The per credit hour amount will be the same for each eligible undergraduate student attending a participating public college or university.

If an eligible undergraduate student attends a participating private college in the state of Colorado, the per credit hour amount is fifty percent (50%) of the annually set stipend amount.

Total stipend hours per student, per semester, are reported to the College Opportunity Fund (COF) by the college you are attending. COF matches the student information provided by the college with the student's COF Account information in its database (the information you provided when you created your stipend account) and disburses the stipend amount requested directly to the college.


Who is eligible?

A. If you attend a participating public college:

  • Undergraduate students enrolled at public colleges are eligible if they are classified as in-state students for tuition purposes, are enrolled in COF eligible classes, and meet the COF eligibility requirements. These criteria are determined by the college.

B. If you attend a participating private college:

  • Undergraduate students enrolled at participating private colleges may be eligible if the college is approved for the program by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education and the student:
    • Is classified as an in-state student for tuition purposes;
    • Is a graduate of a Colorado high school or has successfully completed a non-public home-based educational program in Colorado;
    • Demonstrates financial need through the student's eligibility for the federal Pell Grant, or its successor program;
    • Is not pursuing a professional degree in theology; and
    • Meets any other eligibility requirements established by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education (CCHE).

Note: "Eligible Undergraduate Student" does not include a student enrolled in an off-campus, extended campus, or continuing education class not supported by state general fund moneys, except as approved by CCHE.

If you have any questions about whether classes you are enrolled in are eligible for COF please contact the Office of the Registrar at the college you are attending.


At which colleges can I receive the College Opportunity Fund stipend credit?

The following four-year public colleges and universities:

  • Adams State University
  • Colorado School of Mines
  • Colorado State University
  • Colorado State University-Pueblo
  • Fort Lewis College
  • Colorado Mesa University
  • Metropolitan State University of Denver
  • University of Colorado Boulder
  • University of Colorado Colorado Springs
  • University of Colorado Denver
  • University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
  • University of Northern Colorado
  • Western Colorado University

The following two-year public colleges:

  • Arapahoe Community College
  • Colorado Northwestern Community College
  • Community College of Aurora
  • Community College of Denver
  • Front Range Community College
  • Lamar Community College
  • Morgan Community College
  • Northeastern Junior College
  • Otero College
  • Pikes Peak Community College
  • Pueblo Community College
  • Red Rocks Community College
  • Trinidad State College

The following private universities:

  • Colorado Christian University
  • Regis University
  • University of Denver

My college isn't listed as participating in this program, but I was told by my college to complete an application. Why?

The college will use the information you provide in this application to verify your eligibility to receive in-state tuition classification. Also, if you decide to take classes at a college that is participating in this state funding program the account will already be established, and you will not have to reapply.


Do I have to reapply each year?

No. You only apply once. When you complete the stipend application you create an account with 145 available undergraduate hours. You can receive stipend funding for these hours at any participating college in the state of Colorado if you meet the eligibility requirements.


How old do I have to be to apply for the College Opportunity Fund?

You can apply for the College Opportunity Fund if you are thirteen years or older. If you are under the age of 13 and wish to enroll in a college class you are still eligible to receive the stipend if you meet the eligibility requirements, but you must apply directly through the college you attend.


How does my college know that I have applied for the stipend?

Your college will send us a file containing the names of students who are enrolled each semester. The COF system will process this file and return it to the college. This file will let the college know which students have COF accounts and which students still need to apply. If you have a COF account and the personal information you provided to the college is the same as you used to create your account, the stipend will be approved for payment to your college.


I've completed the Stipend Application -- is there anything else I have to do?

Completing the Stipend Application is all you need to do to apply for the Stipend.

You will also have to authorize your college to send a request for payment on your behalf. This authorization step is completed directly with your college when you register for classes and is part of the registration process. If you have registered for classes but do not know if you have authorized the college to request your COF stipend, contact the Office of the Registrar or the Enrollment Services area of your college. Many colleges give you the option to select a "lifetime" authorization option. If you choose the "lifetime" option you will not need to authorize your college every term to send a request for payment to COF.

However, if you transfer colleges or take a class at a different college, the "lifetime" option does not extend to that new college. You will have to authorize each school you attend to bill COF for the classes you take.


How does the Stipend get sent to my college?

Your college will let us know you are enrolled and the number of eligible stipend credit hours you are taking each term. We will send the stipend amount on your behalf to your college. You will see the College Opportunity Fund Stipend credited against your total in-state tuition charge on your student bill.


I am transferring from one college where I have been receiving COF to another college that is participating in this state funding program (see list above for all participating colleges). How do I transfer my College Opportunity Fund account to the new college?

When you register for your classes at your new college you must authorize your college to request the stipend funding on your behalf before that college can make a request for payment. Your authorization is the trigger for your new college to request the funding from your COF stipend account. This authorization step is completed directly with your college when you register for classes and is part of the registration process. If you have registered for classes but do not know if you have authorized the college to request your COF stipend, contact the Office of the Registrar or the Enrollment Services area at your college. Many colleges give you the option to select a "lifetime" authorization option. If you choose the "lifetime" option you will not need to authorize your college every term to send a request for payment to COF.


If I take classes at more than one college during a semester can I receive COF at both colleges?

Yes. As long as the college is participating in this state funding program, you meet the eligibility requirements, and you have authorized the college to bill COF.


Will the College Opportunity Fund pay for all of my courses?

No, the following courses will NOT be paid for by the College Opportunity Fund:

  • International baccalaureate courses;
  • Advanced placement courses;
  • Off-campus, extended campus, or continuing education classes not supported by state general fund moneys, except as approved by CCHE.

I am a transfer student, am I eligible for the College Opportunity Fund?

If you are an undergraduate student transferring from an out-of-state college or a non-participating Colorado college to a participating college and meet the eligibility requirements for that college you are eligible for the College Opportunity Fund.


Will the stipend pay for all of my in-state tuition?

No, the stipend only covers the amount set each year by the Colorado Legislature. You still must pay the remainder of in-state tuition, which is called the student’s share. You will need to check with the college or colleges where you plan to enroll if you have questions about your portion of in-state tuition.

Your college bill will show the total in-state tuition, the amount of that tuition paid by COF (the state's share) and the portion for you are personally responsible (the student's share). You are responsible for the student's share of tuition. Some or all of this may be covered by the financial aid you receive.


Will a check be sent to me?

No, the College Opportunity Fund stipend goes directly to the college or colleges where you are enrolled. The stipend amount will be applied directly to your student account each term in accordance with the amount established for that year and the number of credits you are enrolled.


How much is the College Opportunity Fund stipend worth?

For the 2024 - 2025 academic year, beginning with the Fall 2024 semester or Quarter 1 2024 term, the stipend amount has been set at $116.00 per semester credit hour for eligible students attending participating public colleges and $58.00 per semester credit hour for eligible students attending participating private colleges. This amount will remain the same through the Summer 2025 semester for students who attend a semester based college and through the Quarter 4 2025 term for students who attend a college on a quarter-hour based system.


I am a high school student taking concurrent enrollment classes. Why do I have hours billed against my COF account from a college?

If the concurrent enrollment classes you take are offered by one of the participating public colleges you are eligible to receive the same stipend amount per credit hour as a regularly admitted college student. That college will invoice COF on your behalf, and you will see the hours you take each term posted on your COF account as "CE" hours.

If there are any questions about your concurrent enrollment classes please check with your high school counselor to determine how your program is structured.


How many credit hours will be paid for by the stipend?

The law that created the College Opportunity Fund caps an undergraduate student's eligibility for this state funding at 145 credit hours. However, there are exceptions and waivers that can be granted by the college and by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education (CCHE). Colleges and CCHE have developed policies to inform students about the exceptions and how to apply. In addition, if the student receives a bachelor's degree from a college participating in the COF, the student is eligible to receive stipend funding for an additional 30 hours of undergraduate credits.


What if I go over the cap (145) hours, who should I talk with and what is the process?

There are two waivers that can be granted if the student exhausts the 145-hour lifetime-credit-hour cap, and has not received an undergraduate degree;

FIRST: The student may apply to the college for a one-time, one year waiver, which consists of three consecutive semesters. This is called an "Institutional Waiver."

SECOND: If the school cannot grant a waiver or the student needs additional hours over and above the hours granted by the college to complete an undergraduate degree, the student can then apply to the Colorado Department of Higher Education for a "CCHE Waiver." The Colorado law that governs this state funding program allows CCHE to grant waivers to a student:

  • If there are extenuating circumstances related to the student's health or physical ability that restrict a student from completing a degree program within the 145-credit-hour limit;
  • If the degree program, as approved by the college or CCHE, requires more than 120 credit hours to complete;
  • If the student is enrolled in a specific degree program and CCHE approves and the college changes a specific program's degree requirements or standards; or
  • If requiring that an eligible undergraduate student pay the full amount of total in-state tuition for credit hours that exceed the limitation causes substantial economic hardship for the student or the student's family.

Contact your college for additional information. Download the CCHE waiver request PDF form.


Can I appeal for COF hours from a previous semester?

There is an appeal process for students who believe a mistake was made in a prior semester that prevented the student from receiving COF. The Department of Higher Education (DHE) will accept appeals from students for the College Opportunity Fund (COF) stipend after students have tried to resolve the issue with their respective institution. For information on institutional appeals, students should contact their respective institutions. Dowload the appeal application and additional information PDF


Does the College Opportunity Fund replace financial aid?

The College Opportunity Fund stipend is not a grant or a scholarship and does not impact your eligibility for student financial aid. The College Opportunity Fund is a payment made directly to your college on your behalf to cover part of the cost of your total in-state tuition. The stipend does not cover your share of total in-state tuition nor can it be used to cover other college expenses.

Any financial aid you receive can be applied to your share of in-state tuition and can be used toward the cost of other expenses such as books and housing.


Does the College Opportunity Fund Stipend have to be repaid?

The College Opportunity Fund is not a loan and does not have to be repaid.


What if I attend a college or university that is on a quarter-hour system?

If you attend a college that is on a quarter-hour system, your credit hours will be converted to semester credit hours prior to your college requesting payment on your behalf each term. For example, 12 credit hours for a quarter system school would equal 8 credit hours for a semester system school.


Can I receive COF if I am pursuing a masters or PhD degree?

No. This funding is available only for students who are taking classes that apply toward an undergraduate degree.

Nondegree seeking students are also eligible to receive COF if they are admitted by the college as an undergraduate student. If you have any questions about this please contact the Admissions Office at your college.


What if I have additional questions about The College Opportunity Fund?

Contact COF at: