Colorado Graduate Grant
Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE)
Need-based state grant for Colorado-resident graduate students in approved 'critical career' degree programs.
- How much
- Varies; set by your college
- Who qualifies
- Colorado resident graduate student, at least half-time, enrolled in a Commission-approved critical-career degree program at a participating college.
- For grad students
- For approved critical-career graduate programs students
- U.S. citizen or national, eligible non-citizen, or citizen of the Freely Associated States; students without lawful immigration status qualify if they meet Colorado's ASSET high-school/presence rules
- Need-based: your FAFSA decides how much you get.
- When to apply
- Apply any time FAFSA/CASFA-driven; college priority dates apply.
- How to apply
- File the FAFSA (or CASFA)
- Ask your graduate financial aid office whether your program is an approved critical-career program
- What you'll need
- FAFSA only
- Last checked
- October 5, 2026, against the official page (cdhe.colorado.gov) and page 2
The details
Also called the Critical Career Graduate Grant. CDHE allocates funds to participating state four-year institutions and approved private institutions per Pell-eligible graduate student enrolled in a critical-career program. Colleges choose recipients and amounts; they are not required to fund every eligible student. Students must meet the general state aid rules (Colorado resident, at least half-time, satisfactory progress) and be enrolled in a critical-career graduate degree program identified by Commission staff.
More money from Colorado
- CTE Grant (Tuition Assistance for Short CTE Certificates)Up to $7,395 (2025-26; equal to the maximum Pell Grant)
- COSI Matching Student Scholarships (Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative)Varies by local program
- College Opportunity Fund (COF) Stipend$116 per credit hour at public colleges; $58 per credit hour at participating private colleges (2026-27)
- Colorado Promise: Two Free Years of College ExpandedReimbursement of out-of-pocket tuition and fees for up to 65 credits
- Colorado Student GrantVaries by college; at proprietary schools Level 1 students get $1,000-$5,000 per year (2025-26 guidelines)
Keep looking
- Answer a few questions to see every program you qualify for
- Nearby states: Arizona, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, Wyoming
- Federal aid and national scholarships (open to students in any state)
- The FAFSA in plain English (2027-28)
- Should I file the FAFSA if I don't think I'll qualify?
- FAFSA deadlines by state (2027-28)
- The FAFSA for parents: what you need to do
- How to save on textbooks: free, rented and cheaper options
We list programs; we don't decide who gets them. Always check the official page before you apply. Spot something wrong? Tell us.