Financial aid and scholarships

Awarded to School of Public Affairs graduate students based on a combination of financial need and academic merit, defined as a GPA of 3.0 or higher. The scholarship recipient must be working full time while balancing responsibilities. Women are particularly encouraged to apply for this scholarship; however, an applicant's gender will not be considered a factor in the recipient selection process.

Deadline: March 31

Apply for the Diana S. Boulter Scholarship.

Awarded to School of Public Affairs graduate students who intend to pursue a career in public service and who have demonstrated financial need. Preference given to those with some experience in public service and a demonstrated ability to integrate the ethic of service into all aspects of their lives.

Applications are also encouraged from persons with diverse backgrounds with potential not yet demonstrated by their academic records. Recipients must be enrolled full time in the School of Public Affairs and maintain good academic standing for the entire period during which the award is received. The award will be dispersed in two even amounts in the fall and spring terms.

Deadline: March 31

Apply for the John C. Buechner Public Service Scholarship.

Awarded to School of Public Affairs undergraduate and graduate students from diverse backgrounds and experiences, including racial and ethnic backgrounds that are underrepresented in government and nonprofit service. 

Up to two awards will be made each year. One award will be made to a student enrolled in a School of Public Affairs undergraduate program, with preference given to students who have participated in the Colorado Student Leaders Institute program. The other award will be made to a student enrolled in a School of Public Affairs graduate program, with preference given to students who have participated in a Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) program.

Recipients must be enrolled full time in the School of Public Affairs and maintain good academic standing for the entire period during which the award is received. Financial need may be taken into consideration. The award will be dispersed in two even amounts in the fall and spring terms.

Deadline: March 31

Apply for the Diversity in Government and Nonprofit Service Scholarship.

Up to two awards for students enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration program who successfully completed a CU Succeed course or other CU dual or concurrent enrollment course while in high school. Preference is given to students who completed Introduction to Public Service and Leadership in the CU Succeed program, and to students who completed CU coursework as part of the Colorado Student Leadership Institute as a high school student, but students who completed other CU dual or concurrent enrollment courses while in high school will also be considered. Financial need may be taken into consideration. 

Recipients must be enrolled full time in the School of Public Affairs and maintain good academic standing for the entire period during which the award is received. The award will be dispersed in two even amounts in the fall and spring terms. The award will be applied to tuition for courses in the School of Public Affairs for the lesser of the cost of tuition or $2,500.

Deadline: March 31

Apply for the IEA Public Service Scholarship.

Awarded to School of Public Affairs undergraduate or graduate students with an outstanding academic records and demonstrated enthusiasm for public service. Financial need may be taken into consideration. Recipients must be enrolled full time in the School of Public Affairs and maintain good academic standing for the entire period during which the award is received. The award will be dispersed in two even amounts in the fall and spring terms.

Deadline: March 31

Apply for the Marshall Kaplan Scholarship.

Awarded to competitive entering School of Public Affairs Master of Criminal Justice students (defined as a minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.2). Please be aware that application materials may be reviewed to confirm that students meet the competitive criteria described.

Recipients must be enrolled full time in the School of Public Affairs and maintain good academic standing for the entire period during which the award is received. The award will be dispersed in two even amounts in the fall and spring terms.

A limited number of awards are available and preference will be given to students who apply by March 15. Financial need may also be taken into consideration.

Deadline: March 31

Apply for the Master of Criminal Justice Student Scholarship.

Awarded to School of Public Affairs undergraduate or graduate students on the basis of academic merit, financial need, and demonstrated commitment to community activism or advocacy for issues relating to women. Women are particularly encouraged to apply for this scholarship; however, an applicant’s gender will not be considered a factor in the recipient selection process.

Financial need may be taken into consideration. Recipients must be enrolled full time in the School of Public Affairs and maintain good academic standing for the entire period during which the award is received. The award will be dispersed in two even amounts in the fall and spring terms.

Deadline: March 31

Apply for the Susan C. Kirk Scholarship.

Awarded to School of Public Affairs graduate students who have completed at least 9 credits of graduate coursework in the School of Public Affairs and who want to support prospective graduate student outreach efforts. Student ambassadors will correspond with prospective students as needed and attend at least two prospective graduate student outreach events. 

Up to three awards will be made each year, with preference for students who are succeeding academically and who have demonstrated commitment to public service. Recipients must be enrolled full time in the School of Public Affairs and maintain good academic standing for the entire period during which the award is received. Financial need may be taken into consideration. The award will be dispersed in two even amounts in the fall and spring terms.

Deadline: March 31

Apply for the Student Ambassador Scholarship.

The Department of Local Affairs Best and Brightest Management Internship and Fellowship Program places master’s-level students interested in local government careers with small and/or rural governments in Colorado for a period of two years. The program is administered by the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) and partners with the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program at the University of Colorado Denver School of Public Affairs, the New Directions program operated by CU Denver’s Political Science department, and the MPA program at Adams State University.

Learn more and apply.