Grants & Scholarships

Undergraduate Financial Aid

Grants and scholarships are funds you receive that are applied directly to the cost of your education. They come in two types: need-based and merit-based. Eligibility for need-based scholarships is determined by your financial aid application and takes into account you and your family's financial situation. Merit-based scholarships are awarded based on academic success or other accomplishments.

Below, you'll find information on the range of different grant and scholarship opportunities available to you.

Institutional Grants and Scholarships

We're committed to ensuring high-potential students have access to a DU education. We honor that commitment through extensive opportunities for merit- and need-based aid.

  • Merit Scholarships

    Merit scholarships are our most commonly awarded scholarships. Undergraduate Admission determines eligibility for these awards based on the academic information submitted with the admission application, and all students who apply for admission to DU are automatically considered. For first-time, first-year students, award amounts range from $16,000 to $33,000 annually and are available for up to 12 quarters (excluding summer quarters). Merit scholarship amounts are fixed; if awarded, you'll receive the same amount for all four years at DU.

    To remain eligible for a merit scholarship, you must be enrolled full-time (at least 12 credits per quarter) and maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress.

    Fall 2025 Early Decision applicants will receive a $5,000 merit scholarship in addition to the scholarships listed below. (This excludes students receiving athletic aid and music majors.)

    Important note for music majors: Students applying to the Lamont School of Music will be holistically considered for a comprehensive scholarship (ranging from $1,000 to full tuition) that will take talent, academic merit, and financial need into consideration. Students who are awarded a music scholarship are not eligible to receive an admission merit scholarship or any institutional need-based grants. If you are awarded a music scholarship, you will be notified within two weeks of your admission decision.

                                                   Scholarship Amounts for First-Year Students Entering the 2025-26 Academic Year.                                                                       
    Scholarship NameAnnual Scholarship AmountAdditional Residence Hall Grant*
    Chancellor**$33,000$3,000
    Provost$32,000$3,000
    Dean$31,000$3,000
    University$30,000$3,000
    Pioneer$29,000$3,000
    Crimson & Gold$28,000$3,000
    Centennial$27,000$3,000
    Rocky Mountain$16,000n/a

    *If you live on campus and were awarded a merit scholarship (with the exception of the Rocky Mountain scholarship), you're also eligible to receive the $3,000 Residence Hall Grant.

    **At any time, some or all of the Chancellor Scholarship fund may be fulfilled through donor support, and students with this scholarship may receive an invitation to engage with donors who have generously provided this funding. The total scholarship amount will remain the same, however.

     

                     2024-25 Scholarship Amounts for Transfer Students.              
    Scholarship NameAnnual Amount - Entering in Fall 2024
    or Winter/Spring of 2025
    Pikes Peak$24,000
    Mount Blue Sky$22,000
    Longs Peak$20,000
    Grays Peak$14,000
    Torreys Peak$10,000

     

                     2025-26 Scholarship Amounts for Transfer Students.              
    Scholarship NameAnnual Amount - Entering in Fall 2025
    or Winter/Spring of 2026
    Pikes Peak$25,000
    Mount Blue Sky$23,000
    Longs Peak$21,000
    Grays Peak$15,000
    Torreys Peak$12,000

    The amount of time transfer students are eligible to receive DU institutional financial aid (including merit scholarships) depends on the estimated time to degree completion from the point of initial enrollment, which is based on the transfer credit granted when we received final transcripts. Learn more >>

  • Residence Hall Grant

    Students awarded a merit scholarship (except the Rocky Mountain scholarship) are also automatically awarded the Residence Hall Grant, a $3,000 grant for full-time students who live on campus. This grant pays directly toward tuition costs, not housing or meal plans. Transfer students and students living off campus are ineligible for this award. This means students who meet the two-year, live-on requirement and then live off campus in their 3rd and 4th year, for example, will not receive this funding.

    Eligible on-campus housing for the 2024-25 academic year includes:

  • Need-Based Institutional Grants

    The two most common need-based grants available from DU are the DU Educational Grant and the Elevate Grant. Because these are need-based, eligibility is determined by the information provided on your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the CSS Profile. You must re-apply for aid every year to be considered, and the amount may change based on changes to your or your family's financial situation. You must also be enrolled full time and maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress to retain either grant. 

    The DU Educational Grant can only pay directly toward tuition costs (not housing or meal plans). The Elevate Grant can pay toward charges other than tuition.

  • Talent Scholarships

    Talent scholarships are awarded based on achievements in athletics, music, theater, speech and art. Recipient and award amounts are determined on an individual basis by athletic and academic departments. For more information, contact your academic department or varsity coach directly.

    Students who receive athletic aid are not eligible to receive institutional need-based grants, such as the DU Educational Grant and the Elevate Grant. This means you will need to evaluate your offer and choose either athletic funding or funding with institutional need-based grants. You cannot receive both.

    For questions regarding the coordination of funding, please reach out to Jim Kramer or your athletic coach.

  • Gift & Endowed Scholarships

    Over 500 gift and endowed scholarships are awarded every year to current DU students by academic departments on campus. The majority of these scholarships are available to students entering their second, third or fourth year at the University after they’ve taken classes in their chosen major. To be considered for one of these awards, students must submit the Departmental Scholarship Application which will open in February 2025. Students will be notified when the application opens.

    There are a variety of gift and endowed scholarships based on academic merit, financial need, and/or a combination of both. To be evaluated for need based scholarships, you should submit the CSS Profile, FAFSA, and/or all other requested financial aid documents by the priority deadline of February 1st along with the submission of the Departmental Scholarship Application.

    There are also select departmental scholarships available for incoming first-year students. In this instance, students will be invited by the specific department to apply if they are eligible, and they will be notified if they are awarded a scholarship. 

  • Native American and Indigenous Scholarships (First-Year Students)

    DU celebrates and supports our Native American and Indigenous communities through scholarships, research, programming, mentoring, and cultural events. Scholarships in particular recognize and honor the historical ties of Native communities to DU, their many contributions to the city of Denver and state of Colorado, and the land for which we reside. 

    We have a few unique scholarship opportunities for first-year, full-time, degree-seeking students:

    • Cheyenne and Arapaho Tuition Scholarship: Given DU’s historical ties and ongoing partnerships with Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes, we provide full-tuition scholarships to admitted students from these tribes. The scholarship will be automatically awarded to Cheyenne and Arapaho students who provide an official enrollment number on their Common Application. Students who don’t provide the number on their admission application can provide other forms of documentation to demonstrate tribal affiliation. No additional scholarship or financial aid applications are required.       
       
    • Sand Creek Descendant Scholarship: Descendants of Sand Creek Massacre victims will receive tuition, fees, food, housing, and books. Documents are required to demonstrate ancestral lineage (e.g., one or more of the following: tribal enrollment records, birth certificates, census data, marriage certificates, death certificates, etc.).          
       
    • Community Scholarship: This is a competitive scholarship that requires an application and focuses on commitment and involvement in Native American and Indigenous communities. This scholarship covers the standard cost of tuition, fees, food and housing, and books. Financial need is not required but is considered; therefore, you should submit the CSS Profile, FAFSA, and/or all other requested financial aid documents.      
       
    • Empowerment Scholarship: This full-tuition scholarship is also competitive, focuses on involvement and contributions to Native American and Indigenous communities, and requires an application. Demonstrated financial need is a requirement, and therefore, the FAFSA, CSS Profile, and all other requested financial aid documents must be on file to be considered.   
       
      • While service to and involvement in the Native American and Indigenous communities are the guiding principles for both the Community and Empowerment Scholarships, a holistic review of your admission application assists our committee in making selections. These are competitive and there will be a limited number of selections each year. 
         
      • To be considered please complete and submit this application by March 17, 2025:  2025-26 Community and Empowerment Scholarships Application. Recipients of these scholarships are notified in early April. One application can be submitted for consideration for both scholarships.                                
             
  • Phi Theta Kappa Scholarships (Transfer Students)

    The Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship is a $2,500 award available to transfer students who were members of Phi Theta Kappa prior to attending DU. Proof of prior membership must be submitted to Undergraduate Admission through either a transcript notation or a separate confirmation from the Phi Theta Kappa chapter. The award may be combined with merit scholarships and is automatically renewable for students who maintain good academic standing.

  • Native American and Indigenous Transfer Scholarships (Transfer Students)

    DU celebrates and supports our Native American and Indigenous communities through scholarships, research, programming, mentoring, and cultural events. Scholarships in particular recognize and honor the historical ties of Native communities to DU, their many contributions to the city of Denver and state of Colorado, and the land for which we reside.

    We have a few unique scholarship opportunities for first-year, full-time, degree-seeking students:

    • Cheyenne and Arapaho Tuition Scholarship: Given DU’s historical ties and ongoing partnerships with Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes, we provide full-tuition scholarships to admitted students from these tribes. The scholarship will be automatically awarded to Cheyenne and Arapaho students who provide an official enrollment number on their Common Application. Students who don’t provide the number on their admission application can provide other forms of documentation to demonstrate tribal affiliation. No additional scholarship or financial aid applications are required. 
       
    • Sand Creek Descendant Scholarship: Descendants of Sand Creek Massacre victims will receive tuition, fees, food, housing, and books.  Documents are required to demonstrate ancestral lineage (e.g., one or more of the following: tribal enrollment records, birth certificates, census data, marriage certificates, death certificates, etc.).     
       
    • Empowerment Scholarship: This full-tuition scholarship is competitive, focuses on involvement and contributions to Native American and Indigenous communities, and requires an application. Demonstrated financial need is a requirement, and therefore, the FAFSA, CSS Profile, and all other requested financial aid documents must be on file to be considered. 
       
      • While service to and involvement in the Native American and Indigenous communities are the guiding principles for the Empowerment Scholarship, a holistic review of your admission application assists our committee in making selections. These are competitive and there will be a limited number of selections each year.
      • To be considered please complete and submit this application by June 16, 2025: 2025-26 Empowerment Scholarship Application. Recipients of these scholarships are notified in early July.

     

student studying on bench

Federal Grants

Federal grants are awarded based on need, which is determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). To be eligible, you must be an undergraduate student enrolled in a degree or certificate program. You must file the FAFSA to be eligible for these awards

  • Federal Pell Grant

    Eligibility for the Federal Pell Grant is based on Student Aid Index (SAI). The maximum amount a student can receive for the 2024-2025 academic year is $7,395.

    The amount you receive can vary based on SAI, whether or not you are attending a full academic year, and whether you're attending full or part time. The maximum amount of funding you can receive over your lifetime is the equivalent of receiving the Pell Grant for six years.

    Learn More

  • Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)

    The SEOG is awarded to students with exceptional financial need. As such, we prioritize awarding SEOG to students with an Student Aid Index equal to $0. The award amount is typically $4,000.

    Learn More

  • Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant

    The Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant may be available to students whose parent or guardian was a member of the U.S. Armed Forces and died as a result of service performed in Iraq or Afghanistan after Sept. 11, 2001.

    To receive this grant, you must not be eligible for the Pell Grant (based on your SAI) and have been under 24 years old or enrolled in college at the time of your parent or guardian's death.

    The amount students are eligible to receive depends on when the grant was first disbursed:

    First Disbursement Date:Maximum Award Amount:
    On or after Oct. 1, 2023 and before Oct. 1, 2024$6,973.49

    Learn More

  • Children of Fallen Heroes Scholarship

    A Pell Grant-eligible student whose parent or guardian died in the line of duty while serving as a public safety officer is eligible to receive the maximum Pell grant amount.

    To qualify, you must be eligible for the Federal Pell grant and have been under 24 years old or enrolled in college at the time of your parent or guardian's death. The award amount varies up to $7,395 for the 2024-25 academic year.

    If you think you may be eligible for this scholarship, please contact us at (303) 871-4020 or finaid@du.edu.

students walking on campus

Colorado State Aid

The Colorado General Assembly offers funding opportunities for students who demonstrate financial need, as determined by the FAFSA. To receive funding, the Colorado Residency Form must also be submitted to the Office of the Registrar.

Undocumented students who meet eligibility requirements may also apply for financial aid from the State of Colorado. Learn more >>

  • Colorado Student Grant

    Colorado Student Grant eligibility is determined by  information provided on the FAFSA. To be eligible you must also be enrolled at least half time (six credits or more). Award amounts vary up to $7,500 annually.

  • College Opportunity Fund (COF)

    The College Opportunity Fund (COF) offers $38.67/credit hour for Pell Grant-eligible students who graduated from a Colorado high school.

    To receive funding, you must:


    You're eligible to receive COF for a total of 217.5 credit hours, including any credit hours used while taking college courses during high school. If you have used all 217.5 hours and you need additional hours to complete your undergraduate degree, you can request an extension by submitting a waiver request to the Colorado Commission on Higher Education. Contact the Office of Student Billing at studentbilling@du.edu for more information about that process.

  • Additional Information about Colorado State Aid

    Eligibility: In order to remain eligible for all Colorado state funding, students need to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress.

    Appeal Procedures: Students who were not awarded the aid listed above, and believe they are eligible, may appeal for a re-evaluation of their financial aid award package. Please see information about Special Circumstances to verify whether your financial situation constitutes a reason to appeal.

    Penalties for Fraud: If you receive federal aid based on incorrect information, you will have to pay it back; you may also have to pay fines and fees. If you purposely give false or misleading information on your application, you may be fined $20,000, sent to prison or both.

Private Scholarships

Various entities not affiliated with DU offer an array of scholarship opportunities. These sources can include community organizations as well as women's, ethnic or religious organizations. Many of these opportunities are not broadly advertised, so be sure to speak with any such organizations near you, particularly those you're already affiliated with, to see if they offer scholarship funding.

Since these entities are not affiliated with DU, you are encouraged to evaluate each scholarship opportunity. While DU works hard to review outside scholarships before sharing them with students, most of the websites listed below function as search engines. Among other things, beware of applications that only ask for your personal information (such as an email address), require examples of previous coursework, or simply enter you in a type of prize drawing. These scholarships may be ways to mine for data or utilize your work in ways that could violate academic integrity policies.

If you have any questions about a scholarship opportunity, please don't hesitate to contact us at finaid@du.edu.

If you have a scholarship payment, please forward to the address below. If the external organization requires a billing statement or other verification from the University, please send a copy of the organization’s request to the address below:

Financial Aid
University of Denver
2197 S. University Blvd.
Denver, CO 80208-9403

Once processed, your scholarship will be added to your financial aid award and will disburse to your account in the same way as the rest of your aid.

 

Video Playlist: Applying for Private Scholarships

Thumbnail of Finding and Researching Scholarships

 

How Private Scholarships May Affect Your Aid:
Your financial aid eligibility is limited by your cost of attendance and/or your financial need. If you receive additional aid, such as a grant, scholarship or tuition benefit from outside of DU, we will first apply these funds to any unmet financial need, if applicable. However, if you have not applied for need-based aid, then these awards are applied to your account and are limited by your cost of attendance. If the private scholarship(s) causes you to go over your demonstrated financial need and/or cost of attendance, we may have to adjust your aid offer. We will reduce student loans first, then work-study, before reducing any DU scholarships or grants. In some cases, however, additional outside awards that must pay toward tuition charges may result in the reduction of a DU scholarship or grant.

Contact

 

Financial Aid