College Opportunity Fund Menu

Frequently Asked Questions

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Q. Who is eligible?
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If you attend a public college or university:

Undergraduate students enrolled at state colleges and universities are eligible if they are classified as in-state students for tuition purposes. 

If you attend a participating private college or university:

Undergraduate students enrolled at participating private colleges or universities may be eligible if the college or university 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;

Financially eligible by demonstrating 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. 

Q. How much is the College Opportunity Fund stipend worth?
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It will vary. The per credit hour stipend amount will be determined each year by the Colorado Legislature.

The amount of the stipend for the 2011-2012 academic year is $62 per semester credit hour for eligible students attending participating public colleges and $31 per semester credit hour for eligible students attending participating private colleges.

Q. Do I have to reapply each year?
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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.

Q. How old do I have to be to apply for the College Opportunity Fund?
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You can apply for the College Opportunity Fund if you are thirteen years or older.

Q. I've completed the Stipend Application -- is there anything else I have to do?
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Completing the Stipend Application is all you need to do to apply for the Stipend. The college(s) you attend may require additional documentation to determine your eligibility. Your college will let us know you are enrolled and the number of eligible stipend credit hours you are taking each term (beginning fall 2005). We will send the stipend amount on your behalf to your college to apply against your total in-state tuition charges each term. You will see the College Opportunity Fund Stipend credited against your total in-state tuition charge on your bill.

Q. What will the College Opportunity Fund pay for? What do I pay?
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Your college or university bill will show the total in-state tuition, the amount paid by the fund (the state's share) and the portion for which you are personally responsible (the student's share). You will pay the total in-state tuition minus the portion paid by the College Opportunity Fund and minus any financial aid you receive.

Q. What is a stipend?
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"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 state or a participating private college or university in the state of Colorado. The first time an eligible undergraduate student received a stipend was for the fall semester of the 2005-2006 academic year. 

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 value of the per credit hour stipend will be the same for each eligible undergraduate student regardless of the state college or university the student attends. 

If an eligible undergraduate student attends a participating private college or university 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 determined by the school and reported to the College Opportunity Fund (COF). COF matches student information with Stipend Application Account information in its database (the information you provide when creating a stipend account) and disburses the stipend amount directly to colleges and universities on behalf of those eligible undergraduate students identified by the school. 

Q. What is authorization? How do I do it?
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You authorize your college to request the stipend funding on your behalf from your COF stipend account. Authorization is done when you register for your classes and is part of the registration process on the college's registration screens. If you have any problems finding this information or if you have registered for classes but do not know if you have authorized the college to request your COF stipend, contact your college.

Q. I am transferring from one college to another. How do I transfer my College Opportunity Fund account to my new college?
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When you applied for the stipend and created your COF stipend account, we did not ask you for any college information. That's because students transfer from one college to another, or take classes at more than one college during a semester. You can use your stipend funding as long as you are enrolled in a Colorado public college or private college that is participating in the stipend program. When you register for your classes you authorize your college to request the stipend funding on your behalf. Your authorization is the trigger for your college to request the funding from your COF stipend account.