Complete the FAFSA to begin the financial aid process

Tuition, Financial Aid, and Scholarships

Tuition

Tuition is the amount a student pays for instruction per course at a college or university. Tuition costs are often listed along with additional fees that all students must pay. These fees cover anything from the student wellness center and AHEC facility operation costs to student support services.

Tuition and fees are approved by the University of Colorado Board of Regents, the governing body of the University of Colorado, and may change from those shown here without prior notice.

View the latest tuition rates and fees

Who qualifies for discounted tuition?

Out-of-state students from Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) states can attend CU Denver at a discounted tuition rate through the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) program—saving you more than $11,000 every year compared to the nonresident tuition rate, based on enrollment in 15 credit hours per semester.

Admitted students who indicate they're legal residents of a WICHE state on the application for admission, based on their permanent address, are automatically classified as a WUE students. Learn more.

Who qualifies for the resident tuition rate?

Residents of the following U.S. States and Territories pay resident tuition rates for School of Public Affairs graduate programs through the Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP): Colorado, Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federal State of Micronesia, Republic of Palau.

Members of American Indian Tribes with Historical Ties to Colorado: View the list of eligible tribes and required documentation.

Returned Peace Corps Volunteers: Learn about the required documentation and certification.

Residents of the following qualifying countries enrolled in the Master of Public Administration or Master of Public Policy program: People’s Republic of China and Commonwealth of Independent States (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russian, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan).

Military-connected students living in Colorado may be able to receive in-state residency for tuition purposes as designated by Federal or State Law. Please review the information on the Veteran and Military Student Services website.

Who qualifies for the non-resident online tuition rate?

If you reside outside of Colorado and are only taking online courses, you may be eligible for the non-resident, online tuition rate of 120% of the resident tution rate, which can be applied to participating main campus courses only and excludes non-degree seeking programs (e.g., graduate certificate programs) and extended study courses. Learn more about this tuition rate.

Learn more about residency status

Financial Aid

CU Denver’s Financial Aid & Scholarships Office provides a wealth of information on how to finance your education. Once you familiarize yourself with important financial aid and scholarships deadlines, be sure to:

Apply for financial aid (U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens; learn about financial aid and scholarships resources for undocumented students.)
Complete any additional forms/provide additional documents if requested by the Financial Aid & Scholarships Office
Accept your financial aid award
Apply for scholarships
If interested, find student employment

Scholarships

CU Denver Scholarships

Students who are admitted to CU Denver will be given access to Scholarship Universe, a database of scholarship opportunities for CU Denver students. Students can search the database and apply for scholarships for which they meet the eligibility criteria. Additionally, students may be automatically considered for some scholarships. Learn more about the scholarship process and additional support to help students with their scholarship applications.

Note: Students should search for scholarships throughout each academic year that they are enrolled, because deadlines can vary and new scholarships may be added to Scholarship Universe at any time.

School of Public Affairs Scholarships

The School of Public Affairs strives to remove financial barriers to attaining a higher education by awarding scholarships and assistantships valued at more than $500,000 each year. View our scholarship opportunities, listed below, including information on eligibility requirements, deadlines, and amounts awarded. Admitted students who wish to apply for School of Public Affairs scholarships may do so through Scholarship Universe.

Awarded to School of Public Affairs graduate students based on a combination of financial need and academic merit, defined as a GPA of 3.0 or higher. The scholarship recipient must be working full time while balancing responsibilities. Women are particularly encouraged to apply for this scholarship; however, an applicant's gender will not be considered a factor in the recipient selection process.

Deadline: March 31

Apply for the Diana S. Boulter Scholarship.

Awarded to School of Public Affairs graduate students who intend to pursue a career in public service and who have demonstrated financial need. Preference given to those with some experience in public service and a demonstrated ability to integrate the ethic of service into all aspects of their lives.

Applications are also encouraged from persons with diverse backgrounds with potential not yet demonstrated by their academic records. Recipients must be enrolled full time in the School of Public Affairs and maintain good academic standing for the entire period during which the award is received. The award will be dispersed in two even amounts in the fall and spring terms.

Deadline: March 31

Apply for the John C. Buechner Public Service Scholarship.

Awarded to School of Public Affairs graduate students with an outstanding academic records and demonstrated enthusiasm for public service. Financial need may be taken into consideration. Recipients must be enrolled full time in the School of Public Affairs and maintain good academic standing for the entire period during which the award is received. The award will be dispersed in two even amounts in the fall and spring terms.

Deadline: March 31

Apply for the Marshall Kaplan Scholarship.

Awarded to School of Public Affairs undergraduate or graduate students on the basis of academic merit, financial need, and demonstrated commitment to community activism or advocacy for issues relating to women. Women are particularly encouraged to apply for this scholarship; however, an applicant’s gender will not be considered a factor in the recipient selection process.

Financial need may be taken into consideration. Recipients must be enrolled full time in the School of Public Affairs and maintain good academic standing for the entire period during which the award is received. The award will be dispersed in two even amounts in the fall and spring terms.

Deadline: March 31

Apply for the Susan C. Kirk Scholarship.

Up to two awards for students enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration program who successfully completed a CU Succeed course or other CU dual or concurrent enrollment course while in high school. Preference is given to students who completed Introduction to Public Service and Leadership in the CU Succeed program, and to students who completed CU coursework as part of the Colorado Student Leadership Institute as a high school student, but students who completed other CU dual or concurrent enrollment courses while in high school will also be considered. Financial need may be taken into consideration.

Recipients must be enrolled full time in the School of Public Affairs and maintain good academic standing for the entire period during which the award is received. The award will be dispersed in two even amounts in the fall and spring terms. The award will be applied to tuition for courses in the School of Public Affairs for the lesser of the cost of tuition or $2,500.

Deadline: March 31

Apply for the IEA Public Service Scholarship.

Private scholarships

In addition to scholarships offered through CU Denver and the School of Public Affairs, students may wish to search and apply for private scholarships. Recommended resources include:

School of Public Affairs fellowships

In collaboration with its community partners, the School of Public Affairs offers eligible, degree-seeking graduate students the opportunity to participate in the following fellowship programs.

The Department of Local Affairs Best and Brightest Management Internship and Fellowship Program places master’s-level students interested in local government careers with small and/or rural governments in Colorado for a period of two years. The program is administered by the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) and partners with the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program at the University of Colorado Denver School of Public Affairs, the New Directions program operated by CU Denver’s Political Science department, and the MPA program at Adams State University.

Learn more and apply.

Other fellowships

School of Public Affairs assistantships

The School of Public Affairs has a limited number of graduate assistantships available each year. These assistantships offer students an hourly wage or a set amount per semester in exchange for assisting faculty and staff in such areas as research, teaching, and other school priorities. Graduate assistants typically work 10 – 20 hours per week.

Research assistants at the School of Public Affairs support faculty members in conducting research. Duties vary depending on the faculty member, but may include assistance with literature reviews, gathering and analyzing data, and presenting results. Most research assistantships at the School of Public Affairs are held by students in the PhD program. Additional positions may become available as faculty members secure research grants. Be sure to check the Handshake student employment website for available opportunities as they become available.

Teaching assistants at the School of Public Affairs support faculty members with the administration of one or more courses taught by that faculty member. Duties vary depending on the faculty member, but generally include assistance with gathering and posting course materials, communicating with students, and assisting with grading assignments. Typically, only courses with high enrollments are eligible for teaching assistants. Be sure to check the Handshake student employment website for opportunities as they become available.

School of Public Affairs work-study positions

Paid work-study positions are available for students who receive work-study awards as part of their financial aid package. If you are eligible for work-study, we encourage you to apply for one of our School of Public Affairs work-study positions! There are also many other work-study positions available both on and off campus.

Visit Handshake to see available work-study positions.

School of Public Affairs

CU Denver

Lawrence Street Center

1380 Lawrence Street

500

Denver, CO 80204

303-315-2228

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School of Public Affairs

Complete the FAFSA to begin the financial aid process

Tuition, Financial Aid, and Scholarships

Tuition

View the latest tuition rates and fees

Who qualifies for discounted tuition?

Who qualifies for the resident tuition rate?

Who qualifies for the non-resident online tuition rate?

Learn more about residency status

Scholarships

CU Denver Scholarships

School of Public Affairs Scholarships

School of Public Affairs fellowships

Other fellowships

School of Public Affairs assistantships

School of Public Affairs work-study positions

School of Public Affairs

Complete the FAFSA to begin the financial aid process

Tuition, Financial Aid, and Scholarships

Tuition

View the latest tuition rates and fees

Who qualifies for discounted tuition?

Who qualifies for the resident tuition rate?

Who qualifies for the non-resident online tuition rate?

Learn more about residency status

Scholarships

CU Denver Scholarships

School of Public Affairs Scholarships

Diana S. Boulter Scholarship - Up to $3,000

John C. Buechner Public Service Scholarship - Up to $3,250

Marshall Kaplan Scholarship - Up to $3,000

Susan C. Kirk Scholarship - Up to $2,500

IEA Public Service Scholarship – Up to $2,500

School of Public Affairs fellowships

Department of Local Affairs Best and Brightest Management Internship and Fellowship Program

Other fellowships

School of Public Affairs assistantships

Research Assistantships

Teaching Assistantships

Graduate Assistantships

School of Public Affairs work-study positions

School of Public Affairs