Twenty-Five New Local Scholarship Proposals Approved through Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative

The Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative board has approved a total of 25 proposals that will work to provide over $3.3 million in scholarships for students across Colorado.

The scholarships are multi-year awards ranging from $500 to $15,000 depending on the program and a student’s financial need. The money will match locally fundraised scholarship dollars during the first round of awards for 2020-2021 and will support over 2,349 students statewide.

“COSI continues to have a powerful impact on our students and communities,” said Dr. Angie Paccione, executive director of the Colorado Department of Higher Education. “I applaud our partners for their commitment,” Angie said.

The 25 awards represent three counties ($1,407,332), five institutions of higher education ($822,947) and 17 workforce applications ($1,154,743). A majority of the students will receive the scholarship within the next two to four years.

County-based awards are as follows:

• Denver Scholarship Foundation on behalf of Denver County $662,352
• University of Colorado Foundation on behalf of El Paso County $640,646
• Morgan Community College Foundation on behalf of Elbert, Kit Carson, Lincoln, Morgan, Washington, and Yuma Counties $104,334

Institutions of Higher Education are as follows:

• Aims Community College Foundation $47,807
• Foundation for Colorado Community Colleges $576,901
• Colorado Mountain College Foundation $19,967
• University of Colorado Foundation – University of Colorado Boulder $95,853
• University of Colorado Foundation – University of Colorado Colorado Springs $82,419

Workforce is as follows:

• Colorado Mesa University Foundation – Grand Junction Opportunity Scholarships $125,000
• Colorado Mountain College Foundation – Education $100,000
• Colorado Northwestern Community College Foundation – Aviation Flight Maintenance $10,000
• Denver Scholarship Foundation – Key Industries $200,000
• Foundation for Colorado Community Colleges – CTE Endowment $40,743.75
• Foundation for Colorado Community Colleges – CTE $41,000
• Hide in Plain Sight – Homeless & Below Poverty Students $25,000
• Mile High United Way – Bridging the Gap $20,000
• Poudre School District Foundation – High Demand Occupations $10,000
• Project Self Sufficiency of Fort Collins and Loveland – Key Industries $75,000
• Red Rocks Community College Foundation – Health Sciences $10,000
• Red Rocks Community College Foundation – Early Childhood Education $15,000
• Red Rocks Community College Foundation – HVAC $20,000
• Red Rocks Community College Foundation – Automotive Collision, Customization, and Service Technology $3,000
• University of Colorado Foundation CU Boulder – High Impact Practices Experiential Learning $160,000
• University of Colorado Foundation UCCS – RN to BSN $150,000
• University of Colorado Foundation UCCS – Education $150,000

“These scholarships put college within reach for so many of our students, leading to a stronger Colorado,” said Angie.

For more information regarding the Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative, visit: https://colorado.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6c77bfb74a9206870e101c44a&id=b55f4272d4&e=9d5239e2b9 or to learn more about the Colorado Department of Higher Education, visit: https://highered.colorado.gov