Your path to becoming enrolled

Next steps after admission

Please accept our congratulations on your admission into a program at the School of Public Affairs! Below are the steps that you will need to complete before your first day of classes. The faculty and staff wish you well as you pursue your academic and professional goals. Have a great semester!

Undergraduate students: If you haven't already done so, accept your offer of admission by logging in as a returning user to the online application portal, using the login credentials you selected when you applied for admission. Once logged in, click on the “Reply to Offer of Admission” link, select “I ACCEPT my offer of admission” and submit the form.

You must accept your offer of admission in order to enroll at CU Denver.

Graduate students: If you haven't already done so, accept your offer of admission by logging in as a returning user to the online application portal, using the login credentials you selected when you applied for admission. Once logged in, click on the “View Update” link in the "Status Update" section, select “I ACCEPT my offer of admission” and submit the form.

You must accept your offer of admission in order to enroll at CU Denver.

The College Opportunity Fund (COF), created by the Colorado Legislature, provides a stipend to eligible undergraduate students. The stipend pays a portion of your total in-state tuition when you attend a participating college.

Eligible undergraduate students must apply, be admitted and enroll in classes at a participating college to receive this benefit. Both new and continuing students are eligible for the stipend.

Qualifying students may use the stipend for eligible undergraduate classes. The stipend is paid on a per credit hour basis directly to the college at which the student is enrolled. The credit-hour amount is set annually by the General Assembly.

Apply for the College Opportunity Fund.

Domestic degree-seeking students who would like to be considered for federal, state and institutional financial aid should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to determine their eligibility. Applications are accepted each year beginning October 1. Be sure to enter the school code for CU Denver (004508) so that your information will be provided to CU Denver’s Financial Aid and Scholarships Office.

The priority FAFSA deadline is March 1. Need-based grants are available on a first-come, first-served basis to those who apply before the priority date.

Note: International students, non-degree seeking students and students in certificate programs are not eligible for federal, state and institutional financial aid.

Nonresident students living outside the state of Colorado and enrolled in online classes only are eligible for a special tuition rate that is 120% of the regular resident rate. To receive this rate, students must submit the Online Out of State Tuition Application to the Office of the Registrar, noting the deadlines listed on the form.

Completion of the Immigration Clearance Form is required for international students to be able to register for classes. For more information about pre-arrival forms that must be submitted by international students, visit the International Student and Scholar Services website.

Students admitted to CU Denver have access to ScholarLYNX, a database of scholarship opportunities for CU Denver students. Students interested in applying for CU Denver scholarships (including School of Public Affairs scholarships) must complete the General Application for scholarships, which can be accessed in ScholarLYNX. The General Application is available October 1, with rolling deadlines starting on March 1.

Then, students can search the database and apply for scholarships for which they meet the eligibility criteria. Additionally, students may be automatically considered for scholarships that are not displayed in ScholarLYNX based on information in their completed General Application for scholarships.

Note: Search for scholarships throughout each academic year that you are enrolled, because deadlines can vary and new scholarships may be added to ScholarLYNX at any time.

All new students will receive an invitation to a new student orientation. First-time freshmen and transfer students are required to attend, while all other students are strongly encouraged to attend.

New undergraduate students: Register now for First-Year Orientation or Transfer Orientation!

New graduate students: You will receive an email invitation to two orientations, one hosted by the School of Public Affairs, and the other by the Graduate School at CU Denver.

For a comprehensive introduction to the School of Public Affairs and to CU Denver, it is recommended that you attend both orientations. If you are unable to attend both, it is recommended that you attend the School of Public Affairs orientation, which covers some of the content of the Graduate School orientation.

The School of Public Affairs typically holds two orientations per year for new students in the Master of Criminal Justice, Master of Public Administration and graduate certificate programs. The orientations typically take place in January and August. Please check your CU Denver email for details.

The next School of Public Affairs orientation for new students in the PhD in Public Affairs program are held once per year in August. Please check your CU Denver email for details.

New international students: Please contact an International Services Coordinator in the Office of International Student and Scholar Services at 303-315-2230 to register for International Student Orientation. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Mountain Standard Time).

The UCDAccess student portal is your one-stop shop to complete many of your student transactions. Through the portal, you can register for courses, access your student center account, pay tuition and student fees, and much more.

The University assigns all enrolled students with a firstname.lastname@ucdenver.edu email account. Your university email address is provided to you when you activate your UCDAccess student portal.

Faculty and staff are required to use students’ university email addresses when communicating with you, so it is very important that you either check this account regularly or set up the account to forward to another email account that you check regularly. You are responsible for reading the messages that are sent to your student email account.

To log into both the UCDAccess portal and your CU Denver email account, you will use the same login credentials that you received when you applied to your program. Activate your UCD Access account at myaccount.ucdenver.edu and log in to your email account.

If you remember your user name but not your password, you can reset your password. If you don’t remember your username or password, contact OIT:

OIT SERVICE DESK
303-724-4357 or 303-724-HELP
Start a chat (Mon–Fri, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. MT)

Students are strongly encouraged to meet with their academic advisor prior to registering for courses. If you live outside the Denver metro area, you can set up a telephone advising session. Your advisor can help you plan your courses, answer registration questions, refer you to resources as needed, and assist you with University policies and procedures.

Make an appointment with your academic advisor.

After you meet with your academic advisor to discuss which courses to take during your first semester, log in to the UCDAccess student portal to register for classes. Select “All Student Functions” from the “Student Center” menu and click on the “Register for Classes (add/drop)” icon. From there, you will have the option to search for and add classes.

Consult CU Denver’s Academic Calendar to learn of important registration and other deadlines.

Note: Online courses are managed through an online learning platform called Canvas. CU Online provide 24-hour support. Request support at 303-315-3700 or cuonlinehelp@ucdenver.edu.

CU Denver student ID cards are required in order to check out library materials, park on campus and access student services at CU Denver. To obtain your student ID card, visit Tivoli Station (bookstore) inside the Tivoli Student Union.

Bring a picture ID (i.e., your driver’s license, state ID card, passport), proof of class registration (i.e., a print out of your class schedule, a tuition bill) and payment of $20 (or a voucher from the Bursar’s Office).

School of Public Affairs

CU Denver

Lawrence Street Center

1380 Lawrence Street

500

Denver, CO 80204

303-315-2228

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School of Public Affairs

Your path to becoming enrolled

Next steps after admission

School of Public Affairs

CU Denver

Lawrence Street Center

Your path to becoming enrolled

Next steps after admission

Accept your offer of admission

Apply for the Colorado Opportunity Fund (COF) (undergraduate Colorado residents only)

Submit the FAFSA

Complete the "Out of State Tuition Application" for the special tuition rate (for out-of-state students taking classes fully online)

Complete the Immigration Clearance Form (international students only)

Search for scholarships

Comply with the immunization policy for CU Denver students

Explore student housing options (optional)

Attend orientation

Activate UCDAccess and your student email account

Meet with your academic advisor

Register for courses

Obtain a student ID card

Purchase textbooks

School of Public Affairs

CU Denver

Lawrence Street Center

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