Colorado college grants are led by the Colorado Student Grant, the state’s need-based grant for Colorado residents at participating colleges. The Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) funds it, but your college decides who receives it and how much, using your FAFSA or the state’s alternative form, the CASFA. There is no separate state grant application and no single statewide award amount.
CDHE’s site confirms the 2027-28 FAFSA and the 2027-28 CASFA are both open now (CDHE, State Aid Available), so a high school senior and a current student can both file today.
How the Colorado Student Grant works
CDHE lists the Colorado Student Grant under “Colorado Need-based Awards,” along with the Colorado Graduate Grant, and describes them as “available to qualified students with documented financial need.” It adds a caution that matters: these programs “may be available at participating institutions in Colorado, but note that programs may not be available at all participating institutions.”
In practice, the state sends money to each participating college, and the college’s financial aid office packages it into your aid offer alongside federal aid and its own grants. CDHE’s FY2024-25 Financial Aid Report says state aid “resources are packaged by financial aid officers at each institution of higher education to create individualized aid offers for students” (CDHE, FY2024-25 Financial Aid Report).
That is why this guide does not give a dollar amount for the Colorado Student Grant. CDHE does not publish a statewide award schedule for it; each college sets its own amounts within its allocation. Ask each college how it awards the grant and what it gave students with a Student Aid Index (SAI) like yours.
How big the program is
CDHE’s report gives a sense of scale for 2024-25:
| Measure, FY2024-25 | CDHE figure |
|---|---|
| Total state financial aid funding (undergraduate and graduate) | $316.1 million, up 12.5% |
| Colorado Student Grant program | $234.8 million, up 10.7% |
| Average state aid award (all state programs) | $4,808, up 5.4% |
The $4,808 figure is the average across all state aid awards, not a Colorado Student Grant amount, and it is an average, not what you will receive. It is useful mainly as a reminder that the state grant is real money worth applying early for.
FAFSA or CASFA: which to file
Most students should file the FAFSA, because it also determines eligibility for the Federal Pell Grant and federal loans. The CASFA, the Colorado Application for State Financial Aid, is the state’s form for students who cannot file the FAFSA, such as many undocumented students who meet Colorado’s residency rules for in-state tuition. Do not file both for the same year. Our guide on how to fill out the FAFSA walks through each section of the federal form.
Colorado Student Grant deadlines
CDHE does not post a statewide Colorado Student Grant deadline. Each college sets its own priority date, and because each college’s allocation is limited, students who file after that date may find the grant already spent. File as early as you can and check each college’s financial aid page. Our FAFSA deadlines guide explains why the college date usually matters most.
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Other Colorado state programs
CDHE’s state aid page lists several other programs:
- Colorado Work-Study: a part-time job program “designed to assist students with financial need or work experience.” Your college awards it.
- Dependent Tuition Assistance Program: pays tuition and on-campus room and board for dependents of Colorado law enforcement officers, fire or National Guard personnel killed or disabled in the line of duty, and for dependents of prisoners of war or service members listed as missing in action. CDHE says applications are available March 1 through June 30.
- Colorado National Guard Tuition Assistance Program: pays up to 100% of tuition at state-supported institutions for Guard members. CDHE directs questions to a Guard recruiter or the state tuition assistance office at (303) 677-8913.
- Colorado Graduate Grant: need-based aid for graduate students, also awarded by participating colleges.
Your Colorado aid checklist
- Decide between the FAFSA and the CASFA, and file one, not both.
- List every Colorado college you are considering.
- Find each college’s priority date and file before it.
- Ask each college whether it participates in the Colorado Student Grant and how it sets amounts.
- Answer verification requests quickly; a stalled file can miss the grant pool.
- Check your college’s own scholarship deadlines, which are often earlier than the FAFSA priority date.
How Colorado aid fits with federal aid
The Colorado Student Grant is packaged together with the Federal Pell Grant. One federal change to know: for award years beginning on or after July 1, 2026, a student whose non-federal aid equals or exceeds the cost of attendance is not eligible for Pell, according to a June 4, 2026 Federal Student Aid electronic announcement. For most students this changes nothing, because cost of attendance includes housing, food and books as well as tuition.
CDHE also hosts a page titled “Understanding the Federal Implications of House Resolution 1,” its explainer on the 2025 federal law, for families who want the state’s view of the changes.
Questions Colorado families ask
Why did two colleges offer me different Colorado Student Grant amounts?
Each participating college awards the grant from its own allocation under its own packaging policy. Differences in cost, your SAI and when you filed can all change the result. It is fair to ask a college how it arrived at its number.
Does the Colorado Student Grant renew?
You must file a new FAFSA or CASFA every year, and the college re-reviews your eligibility. Receiving the grant one year does not guarantee it the next, so file early each year.
What if my family’s income changed?
The FAFSA and CASFA use tax information from an earlier year. If income dropped because of a job loss, divorce or medical costs, ask your college about a professional judgment review and bring documents showing the change. The office can adjust the data but is not required to.
What should a senior do this month?
File the 2027-28 FAFSA or CASFA now, while each college’s state grant pool is still full. Then make a short list of every college’s priority date and scholarship deadline, and set a reminder a week before each one.
Where to go next
Compare Colorado with other states in our guide to state grants for college, and use our free scholarship finder to look for awards that stack on top. For a specific Colorado Student Grant question, your college’s financial aid office has the final word, since it awards the money.