“Colorado Promise means that the cost of tuition should not be the reason any student decides a four-year degree is not for them.” — Chrissy Holliday, CSU Pueblo vice president of enrollment management, communication and student affairs

By Regan Foster

A pair of scholarship and housing initiatives announced Wednesday should help break down the cost barrier for some students wanting to attend Colorado State University Pueblo.

Dubbed the Colorado Promise, the scholarship program is slated to offer free tuition to in-state students whose annual family earnings total no more than $50,000. The scholarship assistance requires full-time enrollment and is guaranteed for at least one year, but can be extended to up to four, as long as the recipient student maintains eligibility.

“CSU Pueblo knows that college is an investment for our students and their families, and this new scholarship program is our investment in the future of Colorado residents,” Chrissy Holliday, vice president of enrollment management, communication and student affairs, said in a statement. “Colorado Promise means that the cost of tuition should not be the reason any student decides a four-year degree is not for them.”

To receive the tuition support, a student must:

• Be a Colorado resident;
• Have a total gross family income of $50,00 or less;
• Be a full-time, first-time undergraduate student pursuing their first bachelor’s degree; and
• Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by June 1 in order to qualify for the fall 2022 semester.

The promise scholarship program is expected to pick up the remainder of the student’s in-state tuition costs after all state, federal and institutional grant and scholarships have been awarded.

During the 2020-21 academic year, a full-time student carrying a 15-hour academic load could expect to spend $10,664 on tuition and fees, according to the Student Financial Services webpage. That did not include housing and meals, books and supplies, transportation or other expenses.

“CSU Pueblo is doing what it takes to become the people’s university that we promised to become as part of our visioning process,” Holliday said in the statement. “That means putting college within reach for Colorado residents and making sure the opportunity to earn a university degree isn’t reserved for the wealthy.

“More than 90 percent of our students receive financial assistance to attend college, so the work to make college more affordable isn’t new to us. Colorado Promise is our latest effort to make sure Colorado families know the opportunities available for their students.”

Concurrent with the new scholarship program, the university on Wednesday unveiled a housing initiative for some scholarship-qualified students.

Starting in Fall 2022, the university will offer free on-campus housing for a year to students from Las Animas, Alamosa, Otero, Crowley, Bent, Prowers, Baca, Huerfano, Custer, Costilla, Fremont, Pueblo and El Paso counties. Students from Southern Colorado often choose to commute to campus in order to save on housing costs, according to a press release. But, the release indicated, research has shown that students who live on campus tend to have stronger academic outcomes.

The housing offer is designed to cover $4,950 per year cost of a triple-room rate, but it can be applied to other on-campus housing if a student opts to upgrade. It will be limited to the first 150 eligible students who accept the award and make their enrollment deposits and housing applications by July 1.

For more information, check out the Colorado Promise page on the CSU Pueblo website.