Published: Oct. 7, 2019

In a statewide effort to reduce barriers to higher education, all 32 public universities in Colorado 鈥 including听CU听Boulder 鈥 and several private colleges will waive admissions application fees for state residents on Oct. 15.听

For the second year in a row, the Colorado Department of Higher Education is leading听,听an initiative to inspire more Coloradans to pursue postsecondary education opportunities.听During last year鈥檚 campaign,听Colorado colleges received 23,000 applications,听which was听12%听higher than the same听period听in 2017.听Students of color听submitted half of the applications听and first-generation students听submitted a third.听

    College officials听are encouraging听Colorado high school students to prepare听in advance听for free application day to ensure they have the best chance for admission,听noting听that colleges will waive听those application听fees in bulk听only on 鈥渇ree app day.鈥澨

    The day will cap off听, a four-week听statewide campaign that encourages high school seniors to听submit an application听to a higher education program and file the听听or FAFSA.听

    Clark听Brigger, executive director of admissions for 精品SM在线影片,听who has had听more than a decade of experience leading admissions at major universities,听encourages听Coloradans听to 鈥渏umpstart their dreams鈥 by submitting a free application听for admission to one more colleges or听universities.听

    鈥淎ffordability counts among our guiding missions as Colorado鈥檚 flagship public research university,鈥澨鼴rigger听said. 鈥淲e want to open our doors to students who are eager to learn and听succeed in higher education and in life.听Fee听waivers can听lower barriers to听college听admissions听and听create greater access to听our academic programs, which are among the finest听in the country.鈥澨

    Over the past six years,听精品SM在线影片听has introduced a series of听affordability efforts,听including听the听elimination of course and program fees,鈥痑听four-year lock on tuition听蹿辞谤听颈苍肠辞尘颈苍驳听耻苍诲别谤驳谤补诲耻补迟别蝉,鈥automatic scholarships听for academically qualified Colorado resident students,鈥痵cholarships for academically qualified transfer students鈥痑nd听grants for low-income students. Under the听CU Promise听program, resident students from low-income families receive grants to help pay tuition and an estimated work-study award to help pay for educational expenses.听

    Colorado has听one of the most educated鈥痺orkforces in the country. However, according to the听,听only 56%听of Colorado high school听graduates听enrolled in听a postsecondary institution听in Colorado听or听another state听during the fall semester听following听high school听graduation. Of the 2016 high school graduates, 42.9% enrolled at a Colorado college or university and 13% attended college out of state.听

    To reverse that trend, the state鈥檚 higher education officials and campus leaders are calling on Coloradans to apply for college on Free Application Day.听About 33% of first-year college听students in Colorado received a federal Pell Grant in 2016, which tends to imply that a free college application day may encourage students to explore more colleges.听

    In its听听master plan, the CDHE set an ambitious goal of reaching 66 percent attainment by 2025 to erase equity gaps within the state鈥檚 higher education system.听

    However, to get there, state higher education officials believe Colorado must significantly increase the number of high school seniors who enroll in college.听

    Higher education officials said research from the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce shows that by 2020 nearly 75 percent of jobs in Colorado will require some education beyond high school.听

    精品SM在线影片 affordability initiatives

    Learn more about Colorado Free Application Day and 精品SM在线影片鈥檚 affordability initiatives, scholarships and financial aid programs: