Undergraduate Tuition & Finances

Financial Assistance

A wide range of scholarships, prizes and other awards are available if you’re an undergraduate BEnvd student. This financial assistance is sponsored by the College, the campus, the professions, and other foundations and donors.

At the beginning of every Spring semester, you can find a list of available scholarships and awards, application information and due dates for all scholarships and awards posted on bulletin boards in the Environmental Design Building and on this website.

In addition to these scholarships, you can participate in faculty-student research projects funded by the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) and by the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) programs, or in other research projects funded by one of the college's five research centers.

FAFSA

The most important step in applying for financial aid at CU-Boulder is to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each academic year, after January 1.  The FAFSA determines your eligibility for grants, loans, work-study, and need based scholarships. Speed up the process by completing the FAFSA application online at www.fafsa.ed.gov.

Important tips and information:

• List CU-Boulder on your FAFSA with federal school code 001370.
• If requested, mail or fax signed copies of the first two pages of your parents’ federal tax return to the financial aid office.  Write your name and student identification number on each page.
• If you meet independent requirements as outlined on page 2, submit a signed copy of the first two pages of your federal tax return
• When FAFSA processes your application an index number called the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) will be calculated with the information you provide on the FAFSA. Keep in mind that the EFC is not a dollar amount, rather an index number used to determine your financial aid award.
• The second number that determines your financial aid package will be the amount of your budget, also known as the Cost of Attendance (COA). Your budget is composed of predetermined numbers for your tuition, books, travel expenses, housing, food, and other miscellaneous expenses. Your COA minus your EFC determines your eligibility for need based aid such as grants and subsidized loans.

We recommend that you apply for financial aid even if you do not think you'll need additional assistance. If a financial emergency arises, having the financial aid application process already completed shortens the time it takes to receive funds.

Read about Process of Applying for Financial Aid >>

Scholarships

Scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic achievement, financial need, or a combination of the two. Financial need is rarely the primary factor considered, but it is often used to make a decision among equally qualified finalists. Many scholarships have additional requirements as well. For example, you may have to be resident of a particular state, be involved in extracurricular activities, have a special talent, or be pursuing a specific major. Scholarships are generally classified as gifts and rarely have to be repaid.

For a list of undergraduate scholarships specific to the College of Architecture and Planning, click here.

Here is a great source of information on financial aid and scholarships (pdf). Refer to each section for instructions and information.  Information may change due to fund appropriations, federal regulatory changes, or donor request.

Learn more about the scholarship process >>