ASSET | DACA Students

(Advancing Students for a Stronger Tomorrow | Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals)

The University of Colorado Denver prides itself on its diverse community, and strives to foster an environment of inclusion. Students interested in applying for admissions to the University of Colorado Denver may review requirements through the Office of Admissions. Upon being admitted to CU Denver, registration advance payments are waived for eligible undocumented students. Students interested in learning about residency requirements may visit the Future Student Residency page.

AS​SET

Advancing Students for a Stronger Tomorrow (ASSET) allows eligible undocumented students to pay in-state tuition at Colorado’s public colleges and universities and receive the College Opportunity Fund Stipend. Students who attended a Colorado high school for at least 3 years & graduated from a Colorado high school may qualify for ASSET. Learn about your eligibility for ASSET Status through the Colorado ASSET website.

DACA

Students who hold a status of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and can demonstrate Colorado domicile may qualify for in-state tuition.  Please visit CU Denver’s residency page to learn how to establish a Colorado domicile.

Please note: Students who qualify for ASSET do not automatically qualify for DACA, and vice versa. A student may qualify for one but not the other, qualify for both, or qualify for neither.

Apply for the College Opportunity Fund

Once admitted to CU Denver​, ASSET students should apply for College Opportunity Fund (COF), which is a state benefit that reduces the amount of undergraduate in-state tuition students pay. Applicants who don't have lawful immigration status are required to complete and submit the one time COF Affidavit, which affirms the student has applied for lawful presence or will do so as soon as he or she is able to do so. The affidavit is located within the main COF application.

Applicants who do not have a social security number (SSN), or who elect not to provide their SSN, will apply for a unique COF ID. To associate funds to the correct student account, students need to provide their COF ID to the Registrar’s Office. Students are required to authorize the funds to be applied to their tuition through their UCDAccess portal.

To authorize the COF:

  • Log into your UCDAccess Portal
  • In your "Student Center", select "Student Account"
  • Click "COF Authorization/Review"
  • Follow the instructions to authorize or edit the College Opportunity Fund

Financial Aid

ASSET

Although students with ASSET status don't qualify for federal financial aid, they may qualify for Colorado state aid. Undergraduate students may qualify to receive Colorado Student Grant and graduate students may qualify to receive Colorado Graduate Grant. To determine your eligibility for Colorado state aid, complete the applicable form below:

We also encourage you to apply for scholarships. To learn more, review our scholarship section below.

DACA

Although students with DACA status who do not also have ASSET status cannot qualify to receive Colorado state or federal aid, we encourage you to apply for scholarships to assist with your educational costs.

Apply for Scholarships

The CU Denver Scholarlynx+ Application is available October 1 of each year, with rolling deadlines beginning March 1. Many of our scholarships do not require U.S. citizenship. In addition to scholarships that do not require U.S. citizenship, students with a status of ASSET will be considered for scholarships available only to Colorado residents.

Step 1

Many scholarships are need-based. If you do not qualify for federal student aid because of citizenship status, please complete the CU Denver Alternate Aid Form instead of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to allow us to determine your need:

All students who are not eligible for federal student aid due to citizenship status (ASSET, DACA, or otherwise undocumented) may complete the Alternate Aid Form or the CASFA to have their level of need determined for scholarships.

If you have questions when completing the Student Status or Parent Questions on the Alternate Aid Form, please visit our Student Status and Who is My Parent or contact us.

Step 2​

Log into our ScholarLynx+ Application using your university login credentials. Once you have completed the General Application, scholarships for which you are eligible to apply will display.

Colorado Application for State Financial Aid (CASFA)

ASSET CASFA Checklist

2

To Do List

Log into your UCDAccess student portal
In your "Student Center", click on "Tasks - To-do Items"

DACA CASFA Checklist

1

File CASFA

File the CASFA to have your level of need determined for scholarships.

2

To Do List

Submit any requested documents listed on your UCDAccess portal To Do list.

International/Undocumented CASFA Checklist

1

File CASFA

File the CASFA to have your level of need determined for scholarships.

2

To Do List

Submit any requested documents listed on your UCDAccess portal To Do list.

CASFA Frequently Asked Questions