MSU Denver doesn’t hand out big merit ladders based on test scores. The real money here comes from three places: the Roadrunner Promise (free in-state tuition and fees for lower-income Colorado families), discounted tuition for out-of-state students through WUE and RIT, and hundreds of smaller Foundation scholarships that all come from one general application. If your family fits one of those lanes, MSU Denver can be one of the cheapest four-year options in the country.
📌 Metropolitan State University of Denver at a Glance
Average Net Price
$13,727/year (in-state estimate)
Average paid for residents.
Automatic Merit
Up to $2,000/yr
No separate application.
Scholarships Tracked
19 opportunities
4 automatic · 15 hidden gem
Typical Qualifiers
3.6+ GPA (President's Award); no test scores needed
Benchmarks for top-tier awards.
Testing Policy
Test-optional (scores not used for merit)
No superscore.
Key Deadlines
Priority: Mar 1 • FAFSA: Jun 1
Honors College
Honors Program Available
Residency & Waivers
WUE + RIT
🚨 Easy-to-Miss “Gotchas” at MSU Denver (Read This First)
A 3.6 GPA doesn’t guarantee the President’s Award. It’s first-come, first-served until the money runs out, so the FAFSA or CASFA should go in as soon as it opens in the fall.
The Roadrunner Promise has a hard June 1 FAFSA date. Your student also has to start full-time (12+ credits) as a first-time student, and the $65,000 income line counts parent income for dependent students.
Out-of-state discounts aren’t automatic. WUE (western states) and RIT (11 Midwest states, including Texas and Illinois) both require a form before the census date of the first semester.
The Tuition Lock can quietly disappear. Drop below 12 credits in any fall or spring and your student goes back to the current rate. Fees are never locked.
March 1 isn’t the only scholarship deadline. The general application has a March 1 priority date, but some individual awards in the portal close as early as October.
FAQ
Is this college test-optional? Yes — Metropolitan State University of Denver is test-optional.
What is the middle 50% ACT/SAT? ACT: N/A; SAT: N/A.
Average net price? About $13,727/year after aid.
Does this school use waivers/reciprocity?
Yes — participates in WUE + RIT.
💰 Cost of Attendance at Metropolitan State University of Denver 2026-2027
📅 2027–2028 Planning Note: The costs below reflect the most recently published figures (2026–2027). Universities typically finalize the next year’s rates in the spring, and we’ll update this page once official 2027–2028 numbers are released.
Planning tip: At large public universities, tuition, fees, and housing usually increase modestly each year (often in the 2–5% range). For early budgeting, families may want to plan for roughly $1,000–$1,500 more in-state or $2,000–$3,000 more out-of-state in total direct costs once new rates are published.
Category (2026–2027)
In-State
Out-of-State
Tuition & Mandatory Fees (2 semesters)
$9,736
$26,498
Housing & Meals (typical)
$20,224
$20,224
Total (Direct Costs)
$29,960
$46,722
Average Federal Net Price: $13,727 — this is what families actually paid after grants and scholarships (no loans), based on the most recent federal data. Your specific cost could be significantly lower or higher depending on your financial aid eligibility and merit scholarships. New to Net Price & SAI? Read our guide.
📌 Regional Tuition & Waiver Options
WUE (Western Undergraduate Exchange): Students from AK, AZ, CA, HI, ID, MT, NV, NM, ND, OR, SD, UT, WA, WY and the Pacific territories pay 1.5 times Colorado resident tuition in every undergraduate major.
RIT (Roadrunner Interstate Tuition): MSU Denver's own version of the same deal for 11 Midwest states: IL, IN, IA, KS, MI, MN, MO, NE, OK, TX and WI.
For 2026-27 that works out to about $17,826 a year in tuition and fees at 12 credits per semester, versus $26,498 at the full out-of-state rate. Neither discount is automatic. Your student submits the WUE or RIT form to Admissions before the census date of their first semester, and signing it means you are declaring they will not seek Colorado residency while enrolled.
How to read this table: MSU Denver’s official budget assumes 12 credits per semester and on-campus housing at Lynx Crossing. Most students who finish in four years take 15 credits, and many MSU Denver students commute from home, so your real number could move in either direction.
FAQ: Cost of Attendance at MSU Denver
Can MSU Denver really be free for Colorado families?
For a lot of families, yes. The Roadrunner Promise covers whatever in-state tuition and mandatory fees are left after grants for first-time, full-time students from households with an adjusted gross income of $65,000 or less, for up to four years. Families earning up to $90,000 may qualify for Colorado Promise instead, which reimburses tuition and fees for the first two years as a state tax credit. You can’t use both, and housing is not covered by either.
Why does the tuition line look low compared with other schools?
Two reasons. MSU Denver is one of the lowest-cost four-year publics in Colorado, and the official budget assumes 12 credits a semester. At 15 credits, which is what it takes to graduate on time, in-state tuition and fees run about $11,947 a year and full out-of-state runs about $32,900.
Can out-of-state students pay less than full nonresident tuition?
Yes, if you live in the right state. WUE covers 14 western states and RIT covers 11 Midwest states, including Texas, Illinois, Missouri, Minnesota and Oklahoma. Both charge 1.5 times Colorado tuition, which comes to about $17,826 a year at 12 credits instead of $26,498. Your student has to file the form before the first semester’s census date.
Will tuition go up every year?
Not for first-time students who stay full-time. MSU Denver’s Tuition Lock freezes the tuition rate for four years (two years for transfers), as long as your student takes at least 12 credits every fall and spring. Mandatory fees still go up each year.
What is the College Opportunity Fund (COF)?
It’s Colorado’s state stipend for resident undergraduates. For 2026-27 it pays $116 per credit hour toward tuition, and the in-state numbers above already reflect it. Your student has to authorize it once, and the Roadrunner Promise requires that authorization.
Do most students live on campus?
No. MSU Denver shares the downtown Auraria Campus and is largely a commuter school. Lynx Crossing and City Heights are the two campus-area options, and MSU Denver’s own budget for a student living with family drops housing and food to about $11,800 a year.
Is the average net price really around $13,727?
That’s the most recent federal average for students receiving aid, after grants and scholarships. Families who qualify for the Roadrunner Promise often pay far less for tuition, while families above the income lines with no merit aid will pay closer to the published cost.
Fall of senior year: File the FAFSA or CASFA as soon as it opens. The President’s Award is first-come, first-served.
After admission: Log into the scholarship portal and complete the general application. Some individual awards close in October.
March 1: Priority date for the general scholarship application.
June 1: FAFSA/CASFA deadline for the Roadrunner Promise (fall start).
Parent rule of thumb: at MSU Denver, being early matters more than being perfect.
Automatic Scholarships at MSU Denver
MSU Denver has no ACT/SAT-based merit ladder. Its automatic awards are tied to GPA, your high school district, or how your student takes classes. None require a separate essay, but most require a completed FAFSA or CASFA, and the biggest one runs out.
Find your student's tier
Enter the numbers you have. We'll highlight the automatic award your student would actually get and tuck the rest out of the way. Leave it blank to browse everything.
Residency
Based on published cutoffs for entering freshmen. Always verify with the college before finalizing plans.
One award, not a pile. Colleges apply your student's single best automatic award. Automatic scholarships almost never stack with each other, though some stack with housing, departmental, or outside money. The stacking notes on each card tell you which.
Automatic⚠ All Undergrad Only
Presidents Academic Achievement Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Varies ✓ Renews (3.6 GPA)
$2,000/yr
✔ Stackable
🏫 3.6+ GPA🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
Layers on top of federal and state aid, the College Opportunity Fund stipend, and other MSU Denver scholarships, as long as the total package stays within cost-of-attendance limits.
💡
Strategic Detail
Up to $2,000 per year ($1,000 per term) for full-time students, prorated for half-time (6-8 credits) and three-quarter time (9-11 credits). MSU Denver awards it first-come, first-served while funds last, so meeting the 3.6 GPA does not guarantee an offer. No test scores are used.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Students with a 3.6+ GPA who get the FAFSA or CASFA in early and finish every document the financial aid office asks for. Incoming freshmen are judged on their high school GPA, transfers need 12+ credits and a 3.6 transfer GPA, and continuing students use their MSU Denver GPA. The families who wait until spring are the ones who find the money already gone.
Automaticdistrict specificcolorado resident
MSU Denver Connect Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Varies Non-Renewable
$500–$1,000/yr
✔ Stackable
⚠ Graduates of four partner Colorado school districts only.
🏫 2.0+ GPA
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacks with federal and state aid and other MSU Denver scholarships.
💡
Strategic Detail
Guaranteed $500 per semester (up to $1,000) in the first year for admitted, full-time, first-time students who graduated from a participating high school in Denver Public Schools, Adams County School District 14, Douglas County School District or St. Vrain Valley Schools. Applies to students starting in 2026-27 or 2027-28. Not renewable.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Partner-district seniors with a 2.0+ GPA who apply through the expedited Connect process, file the FAFSA or CASFA, and enroll full-time as Colorado residents.
Automatic⚠ All Undergrad Only
Online Learning Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Varies · 📢 Results: Awarded after the 50% add/drop census date each eligible fall and spring term. ✓ Renews (2 GPA)
$500–$1,000
✔ Stackable
🏫 2.0+ GPA🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacks with other MSU Denver scholarships and federal and state aid, including the President's Academic Achievement Scholarship.
💡
Strategic Detail
Pays each fall and spring based on online credits: $500 for 6-8 credits, $750 for 9-11 credits, $1,000 for 12 or more. No summer award, and funding is subject to availability. Not need-based.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
New, transfer and current students who declare a fully online major or for-credit online certificate, register for at least 6 online credits toward it, keep a 2.0 GPA, and check in with their Online Success Coach or a virtual workshop once per semester.
App Required⚠ Transfer Only
MSU Denver Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Transfer Scholarship
📅 Deadline: March 1 ✓ Renews (3.5 GPA)
$1,000/yr
✔ Stackable
🏫 3.5+ GPA🎓 Transfer
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacks with federal and state aid and other MSU Denver scholarships, including the President's Academic Achievement Scholarship, within total aid limits.
📄
How to Apply
File the FAFSA or CASFA, complete your financial aid file, and submit the scholarship application in MSU Denver's AcademicWorks portal. Must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress.
💡
Strategic Detail
Up to $1,000 per year ($500 per term) for community college transfers who were Phi Theta Kappa members. First-come, first-served and subject to funding, so meeting the criteria does not guarantee an offer.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: PTK members transferring 12+ credits from a community college with a 3.5 transfer GPA who file the FAFSA or CASFA early and submit the scholarship application through the MSU Denver portal before the March 1 priority date.
Data last verified Oct 4, 2026.* GPA/test bands are estimates based on official selectivity and prior cohort profiles. "Who Actually Wins" insights are pulled from external peer-sourced data where students and parents have reported real-world award results. Because colleges can change funding thresholds and deadlines at any time, always verify these details with the institution before finalizing your application strategy.
Note: Test scores play no role in MSU Denver’s automatic awards. Unlike many schools, these awards can stack with each other and with the Roadrunner Promise, so a strong student from a Connect district could see several at once.
Automatic Scholarships: FAQs (MSU Denver)
Is the President’s Academic Achievement Scholarship guaranteed with a 3.6 GPA?
No. MSU Denver says plainly that meeting the minimum does not guarantee the award. It’s paid first-come, first-served until funds run out, so the FAFSA or CASFA and every follow-up document should be done early in senior year.
Does MSU Denver look at ACT or SAT scores for scholarships?
No. The President’s Award uses high school GPA for freshmen, transfer GPA for transfers, and MSU Denver GPA for continuing students.
What is the MSU Denver Connect Scholarship?
It’s a guaranteed $500 per semester (up to $1,000) in the first year for graduates of Denver Public Schools, Adams 14, Douglas County and St. Vrain who enroll full-time as Colorado residents. These districts identify students with a 2.0+ GPA, and MSU Denver invites them to apply for free.
Can my student earn money by taking classes online?
Yes. Students in a fully online major or certificate get up to $1,000 every fall and spring, depending on their online credit load. It’s not need-based and there’s no application.
Are there automatic awards for community college transfers?
Yes. Phi Theta Kappa members transferring 12+ credits with a 3.5 GPA can receive up to $1,000 a year. It requires a short application through the scholarship portal and is also first-come, first-served.
Can these awards be combined?
Yes. The automatic awards stack with each other, with federal and state grants, and with Foundation scholarships, up to the cost of attendance.
MSU Denver does not run a signature full-ride or finalist-weekend scholarship. There’s no Presidential Scholars competition and no National Merit package. Instead, the competitive money is spread across hundreds of smaller MSU Denver Foundation awards that all come through one general application. Those are covered in Hidden Gems below.
✅ Can You Stack Scholarships at MSU Denver?
Aid Type
Stacks?
Parent Translation
President’s Award, Connect, Online, PTK
Yes
Unlike most schools, MSU Denver’s automatic awards can be combined with each other.
Roadrunner Promise
Fills the gap
Grants and scholarships go on first; the Promise covers whatever tuition and fees are left. It won’t pay twice for the same dollar.
Foundation scholarships (general application)
Usually yes
These are the gap fillers for housing, books and fees. Your student can be matched to several at once.
Pell, Colorado Student Grant
Yes
Federal and state grants are applied first, which is why early FAFSA filing matters so much here.
ROTC (through CU Boulder)
Often yes
ROTC covers tuition, so other aid can shift toward housing and living costs.
If your student is a high-stats kid hunting for a big competitive scholarship weekend, MSU Denver isn’t built for that. Where it shines is making a degree affordable for families who qualify for need-based help, live in a WUE or RIT state, or are willing to do the general application and let the portal match them to multiple smaller awards.
This institution does not offer designated Competitive scholarships at this time.
❓ Competitive Scholarship FAQs
Does MSU Denver have a full-ride scholarship?
Not a merit-based one. The closest things are need- or eligibility-based: the Roadrunner Promise, the Indigenous and Native Peoples’ Grant, the Displaced Aurarian Scholarship and TheDream.US. All of them cover tuition and fees but not housing.
When is the deadline for competitive scholarships?
The general scholarship application has a March 1 priority date. Individual awards in the portal have their own dates, and some close in early fall, so it’s worth logging in as soon as your student is admitted.
Does MSU Denver offer National Merit or Stamps scholarships?
No. MSU Denver doesn’t participate in either program.
What helps a scholarship application stand out here?
Many Foundation awards ask short essays about goals, community or a specific major. Our Essay Toolkit and Brag Sheet Builder help your student write once and reuse answers across several applications.
MSU Denver’s Foundation awards hundreds of privately funded scholarships, and almost all of them start in the same place: the general application in the
MSU Denver scholarship portal.
Once admitted, log in with the MSU Denver NetID and finish the general application.
The portal auto-matches your student to awards they qualify for. Those show “None” under Action.
Look for awards marked “Apply.” Those need an extra essay or answers, and they’re where the competition is thinnest.
Reapply every year. Most of these are one-year awards.
Parent translation: the families who skip this step usually still get federal grants, but they leave the stackable Foundation money on the table.
💎 Hidden Gem Scholarships
This is where MSU Denver gets interesting. Some of these cover full tuition for families who fit the criteria. Others are small, specific awards that very few students apply for.
Automaticincome limitcolorado residentfirst time student
Roadrunner Promise
📅 Deadline: June 1 ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
Varies
✔ Stackable
⚠ Colorado residents with family AGI of $65,000 or less.
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Last-dollar award: federal, state and institutional aid is applied first, and Roadrunner Promise covers whatever tuition and mandatory fees remain. Students who receive it are not eligible for the Colorado Promise tax credit.
💡
Strategic Detail
Covers any remaining in-state tuition and published mandatory fees, up to 15 credits per semester, for up to four years. Eligibility: Colorado resident, first-time first-year student seeking a first degree, adjusted gross family income of $65,000 or less (parents plus student for dependent students), full-time enrollment of 12+ credits, COF authorized, and a complete financial aid file by census date. It shows up on the aid offer as a mix of grants rather than under its own name. Health insurance, housing and parking are not covered.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Lower-income Colorado families whose student starts full-time and gets the FAFSA or CASFA in by June 1 for a fall start. Missing that date is the most common way eligible families lose it.
App Required⚠ All Undergrad Onlytribal enrollmentcolorado resident
Indigenous and Native Peoples' Grant
📅 Deadline: July 1 ✓ Renews
Varies
✔ Stackable
⚠ Enrolled members of a federally recognized Native nation who are Colorado residents.
🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
Last-dollar award built from federal, state and institutional grants. Other institutional and outside scholarships are not counted against it unless they cover full tuition and fees.
📄
How to Apply
Submit the Indigenous Grant Certification Form with tribal enrollment documentation, file the FAFSA or CASFA, authorize COF each term, and meet SAP. Refile each year.
💡
Strategic Detail
Covers the student's share of in-state tuition, published mandatory fees and program fees for 6 to 15 credits per semester, for the first 129 credits toward a first bachelor's degree. Includes students granted in-state status under Colorado's American Indian Tribes in-state tuition law. Summer is covered too.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Enrolled tribal members who file the certification form and FAFSA or CASFA by July 1 for fall and have a complete file by August 1.
App Required⚠ All Undergrad Onlyfamily history
Displaced Aurarian Scholarship
📅 Deadline: June 1 ✓ Renews
Varies
✔ Stackable
⚠ Residents of the Auraria neighborhood displaced 1955-1973 and their direct descendants.
🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
Applied after census date each fall and spring. Combines with other aid within cost of attendance.
📄
How to Apply
Complete the Displaced Aurarian application with required family documentation by June 1 (fall), October 1 (spring) or March 1 (summer).
💡
Strategic Detail
Covers the student's share of in-state tuition and fees for up to 18 credits per semester of classes on the downtown Auraria Campus, for a first bachelor's or master's degree. Honors families who lived in the Auraria neighborhood when the campus was built (1955-1973) and all of their direct descendants. Online classes are covered only up to the on-campus in-state rate.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Descendants of displaced Auraria families who can document the family connection and submit the application by the term deadline.
App Requiredundocumenteddaca
TheDream.US National Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Late February (application opens November 1) ✓ Renews
$33,000
✔ Stackable
⚠ For Dreamers (with or without DACA or TPS).
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Combines with state aid available through the CASFA and other MSU Denver scholarships open to DACA/ASSET students.
📄
How to Apply
Apply at TheDream.US during the national round, file the CASFA, and meet with MSU Denver Immigrant Services for support.
💡
Strategic Detail
MSU Denver is a TheDream.US Partner College. The National Scholarship covers tuition and fees up to $33,000 for a bachelor's degree, plus up to $1,000 a year for books, supplies and transportation. The 2027-28 application opens November 1, 2026.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Dreamers with demonstrated need who apply early in the November to February window and use MSU Denver Immigrant Services for application help.
App Required⚠ Sophomore Onlysophomore or transferfinancial need
Reisher Scholars Program
📅 Deadline: March 1 ✓ Renews
Varies
✔ Stackable
⚠ Continuing sophomores or incoming junior-level transfers.
🏫 3.0+ GPA🎓 Sophomore
✚
Stacking & Combining
Combines with federal and state grants; Reisher is designed to cover remaining need so scholars finish with less debt.
📄
How to Apply
Keep the general scholarship application and FAFSA current, then complete the Reisher application and any interview during freshman year (or before transferring in).
💡
Strategic Detail
A Colorado program run through The Denver Foundation and offered at MSU Denver since 2001. Open to full-time continuing students with sophomore standing or new transfers with junior standing who have financial need and a 3.0 GPA. MSU Denver's program materials describe awards of roughly $4,000 to $15,000 from Reisher plus matching institutional funds, renewable while scholars meet program requirements. About two of three MSU Denver Reisher Scholars are first-generation.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Full-time Colorado students who finish freshman year with a 3.0+, have unmet need, and show motivation through work, service or leadership.
App Required⚠ All Undergrad Only
Urban Leadership Program (ULP)
📅 Deadline: Annual cohort application (check program page for current date) ✓ Renews (2.75 GPA)
$1,000/yr
✔ Stackable
🏫 2.8+ GPA🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacks with other MSU Denver awards. ULP scholars are also the main pipeline for the Stephen & Ruth Jordan Leadership Scholarship later on.
📄
How to Apply
Complete the ULP application, interview with the committee, then enroll in LDR 1010 and the program co-curriculum.
Selection criteria: Holistic review of leadership potential, academic standing, and fit with the Urban Leadership Program.
✎ Essays🎤 Interview
💡
Strategic Detail
$500 per semester ($1,000 per year) plus leadership training, a semester service project and access to additional donor scholarships. Requires the LDR 1010 course and twice-monthly Friday morning meetings.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Students with a 2.75+ GPA who show real interest in community leadership, interview well with the ULP committee, and can commit to the Friday meeting schedule.
App Requiredfirst generationhospitality major
Dimond First-Year Enrollment Endowed Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Mid-October of freshman year (Oct 12 in the 2026 cycle) Non-Renewable
$500
✔ Stackable
⚠ First-year, first-generation School of Hospitality majors.
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Combines with other institutional scholarships and grants.
📄
How to Apply
Submit the general scholarship application early in freshman fall and answer the Dimond supplemental questions.
💡
Strategic Detail
$500 for first-year, first-generation students with financial need who are enrolled full-time and declared in the School of Hospitality. Funded by the Dimond family of Stonebridge Companies, longtime supporters of MSU Denver's hospitality program. Open to DACA/ASSET students.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: First-gen hospitality freshmen who have their general scholarship application on file early in the fall semester.
Automatic⚠ All Undergrad Onlyaviation majorfinancial need
Captain E.B. Jeppesen Endowed Memorial Scholarship
📅 Deadline: March 1 Non-Renewable
Varies
✔ Stackable
⚠ Aviation Management or Aviation Technology majors.
🏫 3.0+ GPA🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
Combines with other institutional scholarships and grants within aid limits.
💡
Strategic Detail
Named for aviation charting pioneer Elrey B. Jeppesen. For full-time Aviation Management or Aviation Technology majors with financial need and a 3.0+ GPA. Award amount varies year to year.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Full-time aviation majors with need and a 3.0+ GPA who keep the general scholarship application current.
App Required⚠ All Undergrad Only
Beverly J. Fourcade Nursing Scholarship
📅 Deadline: March 1 ✓ Renews
$5,000/yr
✔ Stackable
🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
Combines with other aid up to cost of attendance.
📄
How to Apply
Submit the MSU Denver general scholarship application, then complete the supplemental essay and questions for this award.
Selection criteria: Departmental review emphasizing academic performance in Nursing coursework.
💡
Strategic Detail
The donor's stated preference is $5,000 per academic year, renewable while criteria are met and funds allow. Requires financial need, a declared Nursing major, full-time enrollment and U.S. citizenship, plus a 500-word essay on empathy with patients.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Full-time Nursing majors with financial need who write a strong, specific patient-empathy essay. Preference goes to non-traditional or re-admit students, bilingual students and single parents.
App Required⚠ All Undergrad Only
Mariachi Performance Endowed Scholarship
📅 Deadline: March 1 Non-Renewable
Varies
✔ Stackable
🏫 2.8+ GPA🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
Combines with other music and institutional scholarships within aid limits.
📄
How to Apply
Submit the general scholarship application and answer the Mariachi supplemental questions. Reapply each year.
Selection criteria: Holistic review of musical talent and engagement in the Mariachi program.
💡
Strategic Detail
For students in MSU Denver's Mariachi Ensemble (MUS 3818). Requires financial need, a 2.75 GPA, full-time enrollment and progress toward a Music major or minor, plus support for the annual Viva Southwest Mariachi Conference. A separate Mariachi Performance and Culture Scholarship (2.5 GPA) also supports students in the new Mariachi degree program.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Ensemble players on guitar, trumpet, violin, vihuela, guitarron or bass who can also sing at a basic level and show up for the ensemble every semester.
App Required⚠ All Undergrad Only
Band Excellence Endowed Scholarship
📅 Deadline: March 1 Non-Renewable
Varies
✔ Stackable
🏫 2.5+ GPA🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
Combines with other institutional scholarships within aid limits.
📄
How to Apply
Submit the general scholarship application plus the 250-word band essay. Reapply each year.
Selection criteria: Selection by music faculty committee based on performance and participation.
💡
Strategic Detail
Supports members of the MSU Denver wind ensemble who have been in the band at least one year and hold a 2.5+ GPA.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Band members with a year of membership who write a strong 250-word essay on their commitment to the program.
App Required⚠ All Undergrad Only
Affordable Housing Scholarship
📅 Deadline: March 1 Non-Renewable
Varies
✔ Stackable
🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
Combines with other institutional scholarships within aid limits.
📄
How to Apply
Submit the general scholarship application; the portal matches eligible students. Reapply each year.
Selection criteria: Selection based on interest and involvement in affordable housing or related urban issues.
💡
Strategic Detail
For degree-seeking students enrolled at least half-time in MSU Denver's affordable housing certificate or concentration. Preference goes to students with financial need.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Students already in the affordable housing certificate or concentration who keep their general scholarship application current.
App Required⚠ Senior Only
Stephen & Ruth Jordan Leadership Endowed Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Early March (March 8 in the 2026 cycle) Non-Renewable
Varies
✔ Stackable
🏫 3.2+ GPA🎓 Senior
✚
Stacking & Combining
Combines with other institutional scholarships within aid limits.
📄
How to Apply
Submit the general scholarship application and the Jordan supplemental questions on leadership.
Selection criteria: Emphasis on leadership and overall academic performance in the senior year.
💡
Strategic Detail
One-year merit award for an Urban Leadership Program participant and/or intercollegiate athlete with 90+ credits and a 3.2+ GPA who has shown sustained leadership on campus and in Denver.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Upperclass ULP scholars and student-athletes with a documented track record of leadership and a 3.2+ GPA.
App Required⚠ All Undergrad Only
Suzor Family Club Ice Hockey Endowed Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Early October (Oct 2 in the 2026 cycle) Non-Renewable
Varies
✔ Stackable
🏫 2.0+ GPA🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
Combines with other institutional scholarships within aid limits.
📄
How to Apply
Submit the general scholarship application and the Suzor supplemental essays by the fall deadline.
💡
Strategic Detail
For players on MSU Denver's Club Sports ice hockey team who are full-time, degree-seeking and hold a 2.0+ GPA. Created because club players pay most of their own ice time, travel and equipment costs. Open to ASSET and Dreamer students.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Current club hockey players who write two short essays on how the team and the scholarship support their studies.
App Required⚠ All Undergrad Only
Taekwondo Endowed Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Late summer (awarded for fall semester) Non-Renewable
Varies
✔ Stackable
🏫 2.5+ GPA🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
Combines with other institutional scholarships within aid limits.
📄
How to Apply
Submit the general scholarship application and answer the Taekwondo supplemental questions.
💡
Strategic Detail
For undergraduates enrolled at least half-time in Taekwondo classes (or the Taekwondo club team if no class runs) with a 2.5+ GPA. Paid in full for the fall semester and not renewable. ASSET, DACA and undocumented students are eligible.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Students registered for a fall Taekwondo course who apply before the late-summer deadline.
Full TuitionApp Required⚠ All Undergrad Only
Air Force ROTC (CU Boulder Det. 105)
📅 Deadline: Varies (annual national Air Force ROTC scholarship deadlines) ✓ Renews
Full Tuition
tuition, fees, books, and stipend
✔ Stackable
🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
Air Force ROTC scholarships may cover full or partial tuition; other MSU Denver scholarships and aid can usually be used toward housing and other expenses.
📄
How to Apply
Apply to the U.S. Air Force ROTC High School Scholarship Program or in-college AFROTC scholarship competitions and enroll as a crosstown MSU Denver cadet with Detachment 105.
Selection criteria: Selection based on Air Force ROTC scholarship criteria including academics, physical fitness, and officer potential.
✎ Essays🎤 Interview💌 Letters of Rec
💡
Strategic Detail
CRP table describes full or partial tuition, book stipend, and a $250–$400 monthly allowance; MSU Denver Air Force ROTC catalog page confirms scholarships paying tuition, book allowances, educational fees, and a tax-free monthly subsistence.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: MSU Denver crosstown cadets who excel academically, meet Air Force ROTC fitness and service standards, and are selected in national scholarship competitions.
Full TuitionApp Required⚠ All Undergrad Only
Army ROTC (CU Boulder Host)
📅 Deadline: Varies (national Army ROTC scholarship deadlines; typically senior year of high school or early college years) ✓ Renews
Full Tuition
tuition and fees, books, and stipend
✔ Stackable
🎓 All Undergrad
✚
Stacking & Combining
Army ROTC scholarships cover full tuition and mandatory fees; other scholarships and aid at MSU Denver can typically be applied to housing and living costs.
📄
How to Apply
Submit the national Army ROTC scholarship application and coordinate participation as an MSU Denver student through the CU Boulder host battalion.
Selection criteria: Selection based on national Army ROTC criteria including academics, physical fitness, leadership, and commitment to commission as an Army officer.
✎ Essays🎤 Interview💌 Letters of Rec
💡
Strategic Detail
CRP table cites full tuition and fees, $1,200 per year for books, and a $420 monthly stipend; official MSU Denver Army ROTC pages confirm full tuition and fee coverage plus a book allowance and monthly subsistence, though exact book and stipend amounts vary by year.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: MSU Denver cadets who meet Army ROTC academic, fitness, and service standards and are selected through the national scholarship process.
Data last verified Oct 4, 2026.* GPA/test bands are estimates based on official selectivity and prior cohort profiles. "Who Actually Wins" insights are pulled from external peer-sourced data where students and parents have reported real-world award results. Because colleges can change funding thresholds and deadlines at any time, always verify these details with the institution before finalizing your application strategy.
❓ Hidden Gems FAQ
How do we know if we qualify for the Roadrunner Promise?
There’s no application. If your student is a Colorado resident starting as a first-time, full-time student, your family’s adjusted gross income is $65,000 or less, and the FAFSA or CASFA is in by June 1 for a fall start, MSU Denver applies it automatically. It won’t appear by name on the aid offer; it shows up as a mix of grants that bring tuition and fees to zero.
What is the Displaced Aurarian Scholarship?
The Auraria Campus was built on a neighborhood that families were forced to leave between 1955 and 1973. Anyone who lived there, and any direct descendant, can have their in-state tuition and fees covered for downtown classes. If you have family roots in that part of Denver, it’s worth asking relatives.
Is there help for Native American students?
Yes. Colorado residents enrolled in any federally recognized Native nation can have tuition, mandatory fees and program fees fully covered for a first bachelor’s degree, up to 129 credits. The certification form and FAFSA or CASFA are due July 1 for a fall start.
What about undocumented students?
MSU Denver is a TheDream.US Partner College, which means Dreamers can apply for up to $33,000 toward a bachelor’s degree plus a yearly stipend. The application opens November 1. MSU Denver’s Immigrant Services office helps students apply, and many Foundation awards are open to DACA and ASSET students too.
Are there scholarships that start after freshman year?
Yes, and the Reisher Scholars Program is the big one. It targets Colorado students with financial need and a 3.0 GPA once they reach sophomore standing (or transfer in as juniors), and it’s renewable. The Jordan Leadership award is for seniors in the Urban Leadership Program or on a varsity team.
Are there awards tied to specific majors or activities?
Plenty. Highlights include first-gen hospitality freshmen (Dimond), aviation majors (Jeppesen), nursing (Fourcade, with a preferred $5,000 a year), mariachi, band, club hockey and even Taekwondo. Most require a short supplemental essay through the portal.
MSU Denver has an Honors Program, not a separate Honors College, and it works a little differently than most. There’s no GPA or test-score cutoff. Admission is based mainly on your student’s essays, and the program is open to new, transfer and continuing students in any major.
How to get in: Short answers plus two essays of 400-500 words. GPA, test scores and a reference letter are optional extras.
When to apply: Rolling. Applications are reviewed for the following semester.
What it takes: 21 units of honors courses and activities, an honors thesis, and a 3.3 GPA at graduation.
Timing tip: Students generally need about two years (60 credits) left to finish. There’s a thesis-only track for students with one year left.
Honors Scholarships
This institution does not offer designated Honors College scholarships at this time.
Honest note: MSU Denver’s Honors Program does not come with its own scholarship package. The financial perks are indirect: funding for research and conference travel, priority registration, and a thesis that makes graduate school and competitive Foundation applications stronger. Honors students apply for the same Foundation scholarships everyone else does.
What Honors Students Actually Get
Priority registration, which matters at a big commuter school where class times fill fast.
The Honors House, a small home base on a large urban campus.
Travel funding for local, regional and national conferences.
Extra advising and closer work with faculty.
Honors designation on the transcript and special cords at graduation.
Honors Program: FAQs (MSU Denver)
Does my student need a certain GPA to get into Honors?
No. The essays drive the decision. MSU Denver is looking for students who are curious, like learning beyond their major, and want to do an independent research or creative project.
What if my student is turned down?
They can rewrite and resubmit their essays for another look. The campus Writing Center helps with the re-application.
Does Honors add extra classes?
Mostly no. The majority of honors credits are earned inside your student’s regular degree program rather than on top of it.
Can online-only students join?
Most honors courses are face-to-face, so online students should contact the program before applying.
Does Honors come with a scholarship?
Not directly. Think of it as an academic community and a resume builder that can make your student more competitive for Foundation scholarships and graduate programs.
MSU Denver sits right in downtown Denver, and it acts like it. This is a career-first university where many students already work, a majority (58%) are the first in their family to go after a bachelor’s degree, and programs are built around what Colorado employers actually hire for. It’s also a federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institution.
Nationally Unusual Program: School of Hospitality: MSU Denver owns a working 150-room SpringHill Suites by Marriott right on campus, and hospitality students train inside it alongside professional staff. It’s one of only about 11 campus-based teaching hotels in the country, and the hotel helps fund student scholarships through the MSU Denver Foundation.
Aviation and Aerospace Science: One of the largest aviation programs in the country. MSU Denver is FAA-authorized for the Restricted ATP, so pilot graduates can reach the airlines at 1,000 flight hours instead of 1,500. It also has a United Airlines AVIATE partnership and concentrations in professional flight, air traffic control and aerospace operations.
Nursing: A BSN program with its own published cost budget and dedicated nursing scholarships like the Fourcade award.
Teacher Education: A major source of Colorado teachers, with licensure paths from early childhood through K-12.
Business and Computer Science: Popular, practical programs with internship pipelines into Denver’s business and tech scene.
Something you won’t find elsewhere in Colorado: MSU Denver launched the state’s first Mariachi degree, backed by its own scholarships.
🔗 Official MSU Denver Links
Use MSU Denver’s official pages below to confirm admissions details, scholarship rules, costs and deadlines. Always rely on these pages for final dates and award terms.
MSU Denver isn’t trying to win a merit bidding war, and that’s the point. It’s a downtown, career-focused university that made a decision to be affordable for the families who usually get priced out: first-generation students, lower-income Colorado families, and out-of-state students from WUE and RIT states who’d otherwise pay full freight somewhere else.
If your family earns $65,000 or less, the Roadrunner Promise can make tuition free for four years, as long as the FAFSA is in by June 1. If you live in Texas, Illinois or another RIT or WUE state, your student can get a real four-year degree for about half of what many flagships charge nonresidents. And if your student wants to fly for an airline, run a hotel or teach in Colorado, few schools put them this close to the actual work. The playbook is simple: file early, lock in full-time credits, and do the general scholarship application every single year.
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Leo Dimilo
Leo is a parent who went through the college money maze with his own daughter and built CollegeReadyParent so middle-income and first-generation families don’t have to figure it out alone. No paywalls, no lead forms, just plain-English guides built from each school’s official sources.
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