COSI Matching Student Scholarships (Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative)
Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative (COSI), Colorado Department of Higher Education
State-matched scholarships for lower-income Colorado students at public colleges, awarded through local county, college and nonprofit scholarship partners.
- How much
- Varies by local program
- Who qualifies
- Colorado resident for tuition (ASSET students included); attending a Colorado public college; family income at or below 250% of Pell eligibility; plus any local program criteria.
- For high school seniors, students starting college, undergrads, trade school students, adults going back to school
- Need-based: your FAFSA decides how much you get.
- When to apply
- Check dates Set by each local partner program.
- How to apply
- Ask your college's financial aid office or your county/local scholarship foundation whether it runs a COSI-funded scholarship, and apply through that program
- File the FAFSA or CASFA
- What you'll need
- FAFSA only
- Last checked
- October 5, 2026, against the official page (cdhe.colorado.gov), page 2, page 3 and page 4
The details
COSI matches new local scholarship dollars 1:1 through grants to counties, public colleges and nonprofit scholarship organizations (Matching Student Scholarships, Community Partner Program, Career Launch, COSI Achieve and others). Students don't apply to the state: they apply to a COSI-funded local program, which awards the scholarship and pairs it with support services. COSI-funded scholarships go to Colorado residents (including ASSET students) at Colorado public colleges whose family income is up to 250% of the Pell eligibility threshold. CDHE says partner programs provide over 6,000 student scholarships each year. Individual programs may add criteria (GPA, county, field, adult learners, etc.).
More money from Colorado
- CTE Grant (Tuition Assistance for Short CTE Certificates)Up to $7,395 (2025-26; equal to the maximum Pell Grant)
- College Opportunity Fund (COF) Stipend$116 per credit hour at public colleges; $58 per credit hour at participating private colleges (2026-27)
- Colorado Graduate GrantVaries; set by your college
- 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.