DENVER (Dec. 6, 2021) — The Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative (COSI) board approved 16 proposals that will provide more than $2.5 million in scholarships for Colorado students.
This investment is part of COSI’s Matching Student Scholarship program which aims to help under-resourced students by matching community scholarship dollars one to one. This round of funds will serve more than 2,200 students attending in-state public institutions of higher education across Colorado.
The scholarships are multi-year awards ranging from $1,000 to $5,000, depending on program and financial need, and most students receive the scholarship within the next two to four years.
These 16 awards represent two counties ($881,642), 15 institutions of higher education ($679,290), and 11 workforce programs ($983,450).
County-based Awards
- Denver Scholarship Foundation on behalf of Denver County: $662,352
- Pueblo Hispanic Education Foundation on behalf of Pueblo County: $219,290
Institutions of Higher Education
- Foundation for Colorado Community Colleges on behalf of Arapahoe Community College, Colorado Northwestern Community College, Community College of Aurora, Community College of Denver, Front Range Community College, Lamar Community College, Morgan Community College, Northeastern Junior College, Otero Junior College, Pikes Peak Community College, Pueblo Community College, Red Rocks Community College, Trinidad State Junior College: $576,901
- Colorado Mountain College Foundation: $19,967
- University of Colorado Foundation on behalf of University of Colorado – Colorado Springs: $82,422
Workforce
- Arapahoe Community College Foundation for Apprenticeships: $75,000
- Colorado Mesa University Foundation for Certificate, Associate and Baccalaureate: $125,000
- Colorado Northwestern Community College Foundation for Aviation Flight and Aviation Maintenance: $10,000
- Colorado Women's Education Foundation for Top Industries: $25,000
- Denver Scholarship Foundation for Top Industries: $200,000
- Foundation for Colorado Community Colleges for Career and Technical Education programs in multiple fields: $72,450
- Foundation for Colorado Community Colleges for Career and Technical Education: $41,000
- Hide In Plain Sight for Associate, Certificate, Bachelor: $35,000
- Pueblo Hispanic Education Foundation for CIS, Health, Advanced Manufacturing/Industrial Technology, Machining and Welding: $100,000
- University of Colorado Foundation for Engineering: $150,000
- University of Colorado Foundation for Nursing: $150,000
COSI will request more proposals during the spring application period with a goal of investing $7.5 million in matching student scholarships for the 2021-2022 budget year.
About the Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative
The Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative (COSI) was created to increase the attainment of postsecondary credentials and degrees for underserved students. The project addresses this challenge in two ways: accessibility and affordability. To increase accessibility, COSI funds programs that will help prepare students for postsecondary education, as well as support them through completion. To increase affordability, COSI provides matching funds for community scholarships.
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