CTE Grant (Tuition Assistance for Short CTE Certificates)
Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE)
Covers tuition, fees and materials for low-income Coloradans in short career-tech certificate programs too short for Pell.
- How much
- Up to $7,395 (2025-26; equal to the maximum Pell Grant)
- Who qualifies
- Colorado resident; enrolled in a governing-board-approved short certificate program that is not Pell-eligible; satisfactory academic progress.
- For trade school students, adults going back to school
- 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 Awarded by the college while funds last.
- How to apply
- Enroll in an eligible short CTE certificate at a participating college and ask its financial aid office
- Show need via FAFSA/CASFA or proof of a qualifying benefit
- Last checked
- October 5, 2026, against the official page (cdhe.colorado.gov) and page 2
The details
Pays tuition, fees and course materials for eligible short career and technical education certificate programs (programs not approved for federal Title IV aid) at participating community colleges, local district colleges and area technical colleges. For 2025-26 the maximum award equals the maximum Pell Grant, $7,395. Financial need can be shown by a Pell-eligible SAI or by receiving TANF, SNAP, Medicaid, SSI/disability, Section 8, WIC, free/reduced lunch income, or income too low to file taxes. Colleges prioritize first-time recipients. Participating schools: Arapahoe CC, Colorado Northwestern CC, CC of Aurora, CC of Denver, Front Range CC, Lamar CC, Morgan CC, Northeastern JC, Otero, Pikes Peak, Pueblo CC, Red Rocks CC, Trinidad State, Colorado Mesa University, Aims CC, Colorado Mountain College, Emily Griffith Technical College, Pickens Technical College, Technical College of the Rockies.
More money from Colorado
- 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 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.