Types of Aid

CU Denver admits an accomplished and diverse class of graduate students without regard to their financial situation. We recognize that applying to graduate school is a major life decision, which is why you should start planning financially before you embark on your journey.

Group of graduates holding their diplomas up

At the master’s level, our programs are largely self-funded by students. Master’s students generally fund their program through a variety of sources including loans, work, personal or family funds, external fellowships/scholarships, or government funding. Very few master’s programs offer merit or other scholarships, and those that do are often not able to offer awards that cover your full cost of attendance.

For doctoral students, most of our programs have historically provided some tuition assistance and stipends, as well as teaching and/or research assistantships, particularly in the first few years of the program. To cover the remaining balance, doctoral students may require additional financial support through loans, hourly or salaried work, personal savings, external fellowships/scholarships, government funding, and family funds.

Check with your master’s or doctoral program to see if any program, departmental, or school/college funds are available to support graduate students. Below, you will find some common types of aid that most students seek.

Our ScholarshipUniverse database aggregates thousands of internal and external scholarships and determines your eligibility for them based on your responses to a series of questions.

Check with your program to see if they offer financial support.

Detailed information about loan options is provided once you have been admitted to the program and applied for financial aid. You can borrow up to the cost of attendance minus any financial aid or assistance from parents, relatives, friends, employers, and other external sources.

Direct subsidized and direct unsubsidized loans are based on eligibility, with borrowing limits in place.

To be considered for student loans: While any student may apply for private loans, federal loans are only available to U.S. domestic students and are not available to international students. Students seeking federal loans must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Allow students to borrow any loan amount up to the total student budget determined by CU Denver, less any other resources. These loans require a credit check to determine your eligibility.

Sometimes called alternative loans, these are offered by many banks, credit unions, and other financial institutions. Private loan programs may offer interest rates and terms that are competitive with those of federal loans.

Many funding opportunities are offered outside of CU Denver, and students can search and apply for them. Websites like FinAid.org and FastWeb compile databases of various scholarships for you to consider. International students should visit the International Admissions website to learn more about additional sources of external funding.

Some employers offer tuition assistance in the form of fellowships, sponsorships, or forgivable loans to their employees who enroll as degree-seeking graduate students. We encourage you to check with your employer to see if this is an option for you. Be sure that you understand everything about the repayment terms required by your sponsor, especially the options for repayment if you choose not to return to the sponsor after graduation.

CU Denver offers financial support to members of the veteran community. The Post-9/11 GI Bill can help veterans pay for school. Additionally, CU Denver participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program, which helps you pay for higher out-of-state, private school, or graduate school tuition that the Post-9/11 GI Bill doesn’t cover. CU Denver contributes the maximum Yellow Ribbon funding amount by paying the remaining tuition that the Post-9/11 GI Bill doesn’t cover for up to eight students at the university.

Pay In-State Tuition through this Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) initiative

The Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP) allows master’s, graduate certificate, and PhD students who are residents of member states and territories to enroll in one of our participating programs and pay Colorado in-state tuition. Note: Not all graduate degree or certificate programs participate in WRGP. Please check with your program of interest first.

WICHE member states and territories are: