The Colorado Department of Education

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Higher Education

THE DENVER POST
Homeless to higher education by Tyler Cobb Posted: 06/24/2010 01:00:00 AM MDT

Higher education offers students experiencing homelessness the best hope for escaping poverty and homelessness as adults. The programs of the Higher Education Act (HEA) have the potential to assist these youth to graduate from high school, apply for and access postsecondary education, and complete their degrees. In addition, recent changes to the Free Student Application for Financial Aid (FAFSA) will make it easier for unaccompanied homeless youth to obtain the support they need to pursue their education. Setting the Context by NAECHY

2011-2012 FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) Website The FAFSA is the form required by the federal government for application to any federal education aid program. The FAFSA is used to determine the expected family contribution based on family financial information. A FAFSA is used to determine the specific Federal Student Aid programs that can contribute to a student's total financial aid package and in what proportions.

Fill out the 2011-2012 FAFSA online

  • Search federal school codes (used to identify colleges/universities on the FAFSA)
  • Call 1-800-4-FED-AID or 1-800-394-7084 to request that a hard copy of the FAFSA be mailed to you.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

College Access Scholarship 2012

Earn a $2,500 College Access Scholarship! More than $700,000 to help students achieve their college goals

These $2,500 scholarships are offered to help students access and complete higher education. The College Access Scholarship will be awarded to up to 300 eligible students to use toward their 2012-13 higher education expenses.


Qualifications:

  • Attend college at least part-time for the 2012-13 school year as a degree-seeking undergraduate student. At most colleges, to be considered a part-time student you must take at least 6 credit hours, while full-time enrollment is 12 credit hours or more. Please ask your college how many credit hours you must take to be considered a full-time or part-time student at your school.
  • Complete the 2012-13 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.fafsa.gov.
  • Qualify for the Federal Pell Grant (eligibility is based on the results of the FAFSA – students will be notified of eligibility on the FAFSA confirmation page and their Student Aid Report (SAR).
  • Complete all ten Education Cents financial education courses.
  • Complete the scholarship application (link below), including submitting the Student Aid Report (SAR) to verify the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). Students will receive their SAR electronically within 3-5 days of completing their FAFSA and via mail within two weeks of completing their FAFSA. View a sample SAR.

Scholarship applications must be submitted
and Education Cents courses must be completed by JUNE 30, 2012.

Up to 300 qualified applicants will be selected and awarded up to a $2,500 scholarship. Recipients attending part-time will receive up to $1,250. We will retain a pool of alternates who may receive the scholarship if any of the original recipients do not fulfill the requirements.

Final eligibility will be determined by the student’s college or university in partnership with the College In Colorado Outreach and Access Team. This scholarship is non-transferable and cannot exceed a student’s cost of attendance for the academic year. This scholarship award is valid for one-year only for the 2012-13 academic year.

Apply for and receive the College Access Scholarship
Please read all 5 steps before beginning the application process.

Step 1. Complete your 2012-13 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.fafsa.gov and qualify for a Pell Grant.

Step 2. Sign in or Register for your free Education Cents account (if you are already signed in, go to step 3.)

Step 3. After you have signed in, click here to complete the scholarship application including submitting your 2012-13 Student Aid Report (SAR) – this is the last field on the application (you will be able to return to the form later to submit your SAR or edit your application as long as you are signed in). The SAR will help us verify the Expected Family Contribution (EFC), which is used to determine qualification for a Pell Grant. View a sample SAR.

Alternatively, you may mail a copy of your SAR to College In Colorado, Attn: Outreach and Access Team, 1560 Broadway, Suite 1600, Denver, CO 80202.

Step 4. Complete all ten Education Cents financial education courses online, including Psychology of Money, Income, Money Management, Spending, Saving and Investing, Credit, Insurance, Paying for College, Identity Theft and Taxes. If you have already completed courses on Education Cents you do not need to complete them again. However, you must sign in to complete the scholarship application using the same account (e-mail address) that you used to complete the coursework.

Step 5. Attend a college or university at least part-time for the 2012-13 school year. Your college will receive the scholarship money to put toward your account. College In Colorado and the Colorado Department of Higher Education will coordinate your final scholarship eligibility with the college or university you attend for the 2012-13 school year.

Please note: Applications will be considered complete only after the SAR has been received and all ten Education Cents financial education courses are complete.

The application will close June 30, 2012.
Potentially eligible students and alternates will be notified between July 15 and August 1, 2012.
 

If you are experiencing technical difficulties or issues with accessing documents, PDFs, PowerPoints, or Excel files please contact:
Erin Carrillo at (720) 666-2306 or e-mail:  carrillo_erin@cde.state.co.us