Undergraduate Students
Navigating the financial component of college can be difficult, let us walk you through it.
Student Loan Payment Pause Expected to End
Debt Management WebpageWelcome to the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships
The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships assists students in the following areas of their academic pursuits:
- Help students understand their educational costs through our Cost of Attendance (COA).
- Provide students with a tool to estimate the net cost of MSU with our Net Price Calculator.
- Offer scholarship opportunities & apply those to student accounts.
- Provide education on understanding, accepting and managing financial aid (this varies whether you are seeking undergraduate student financial aid or graduate student financial aid information).
- Provide details on Financial Aid Policy.
- Provide education on debt management and repayment.
- Find Student Forms here.
- Resolve aid-related holds on your student account.
- Manage SAP Appeals.
- Disburse financial aid and scholarships.
Apply for Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 Aid Now!
Apply for Financial Aid using the FAFSA, CASFA, and General Scholarship Application links below.
Financial Aid at MSU Denver
Financial Aid is available in the form of grants, work-study, loans, and scholarships, all of which help to make your college education more accessible and affordable.
The process of receiving financial aid starts with submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This is a standardized application provided by the U.S. Department of Education that becomes available on October 1. Complete and submit the FAFSA as early as possible to be considered for the best aid available. Financial aid is awarded based on need, which is determined in part by annual income.
The information you submit via the FAFSA will allow MSU Denver to determine how to help you meet your financial needs. To continue to receive financial aid throughout your academic career, you must submit the FAFSA every year.
How To Apply for Financial Aid
Follow these steps to begin the financial aid process.
- Create a Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID.
This will allow you to sign the FAFSA electronically. If you are a dependent student as determined by the FAFSA, one parent must also create an FSA ID.
- Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Use school code 001360 to ensure MSU Denver receives a copy of your documentation.
- Learn about FAFSA Simplification changes for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Financial Aid Deadlines
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) becomes available in December 2023.
MSU Denver’s priority deadline is March 1, 2023. We recommend that you complete the FAFSA before this deadline to get the best possible financial aid available. Financial aid offers may be canceled or reduced based on the availability of funds and changes to your eligibility.
What to Expect After Filing the FAFSA
You may be required to submit additional documentation. Please monitor your Student Hub and MSU Denver email for any requests from the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships.
Financial Aid Documentation
Documents Needed for the FAFSA
The FAFSA questions ask for information about you (your name, date of birth, address, etc.) and about your financial situation. Depending on your circumstances (for example, whether you’re a U.S. Citizen or what tax form you used), you may need the following information or documents as you fill out the FAFSA application:
- Your Social Security number (it’s important that you enter it correctly on the FAFSA form!)
- Your parents’ Social Security numbers if you are a dependent student
- Your driver’s license number if you have one
- Records of your untaxed income, such as child support received, interest income, and veterans noneducation benefits, for you, and for your parents if you are a dependent student
Documents Needed for the FAFSA
- Information on cash; savings and checking account balances; investments, including stocks and bonds and real estate (but not including the home in which you live); and business and farm assets for you and for your parent(s) if you are a dependent student
- Your Alien Registration number if you are not a U.S. Citizen
- Federal tax information, tax documents, or tax returns, including IRS W-2 information, for you (and your spouse, if you are married), and for your parents if you are a dependent student
Keep these records! You may need them again. Do NOT mail these supporting records to the U.S. Department of Education.
Complete your FAFSA Application NOW!
Remember the earlier you apply, the better!
Save time and prevent potential processing delays. Use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) to transfer tax info.
Complete your CASFA Application NOW!
Dreamers & International Students – Don’t Wait! Complete your Colorado Application for State Financial Aid.
The 2023-2024 General Scholarship Application Is Now Open
We work with all programs & offices to combine all scholarship opportunities in ONE application. There are 240+ opportunities.
Grant Opportunities
Helping you reach your goals is at the heart of MSU Denver’s mission, and accessibility is one of our core values. That is why we created the Roadrunner Promise, a commitment we make to our students who demonstrate financial need by having an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of 2400 or less on their Free Application for Federal Student Aid* (FAFSA). If you qualify for the Roadrunner Promise, MSU Denver will provide financial assistance to ensure you pay no tuition or mandatory fees.
To be eligible, you must:
- Have a 2400 or lower Expected Family Contribution (EFC) demonstrated by filing the FAFSA or CASFA
OR
- Be a first-time college student with a gross family income* of $60,000 or less beginning Fall 2022
And meet the following:
- Be a Colorado resident
- Be working on your first bachelor’s degree
- Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). If you are not eligible to complete the FAFSA, complete the Colorado Application for State Financial Aid (CASFA). The FAFSA or CASFA is due June 1st for the Fall 2022 semester.
- Complete all requirements for financial aid
- Be enrolled full-time (12 credits or more)
Note: The Roadrunner Promise covers up to 15 credits each semester, and you must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress standards for financial aid each term.
*Gross family income is defined as parent(s) adjusted gross income for dependent students, or student (and spouse) adjusted gross income for independent students.
Learn more about qualifying for the Roadrunner Promise by visiting our website.
Dean’s from the individuals schools/colleges have identified students with their programs to be recipients of this grant in order to support them on their path toward earning their degrees. MSU Denver is awarding selected students with a $1,500 Dean’s Grant if they’re registered for 12+ credit hours, a $750 Dean’s Grant if they’re registered for 9-11 credit hours, or a $500 Dean’s Grant for students registered for 6-8 credit hours. These grants will be a part of a student’s financial aid package this fall.
To take advantage of this opportunity, please complete these steps:
- Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by June 1 if you are a US Citizen.
- Complete the Colorado Application for State Financial Aid (CASFA) by June 1 if you are a Dreamer or international student.
- Register for the Fall 2023 term.
Through a combination of federal, state and institutional grants, MSU Denver will ensure Indigenous students’ tuition and mandatory published fees are fully covered beginning Fall 2022. The Indigenous & Native Peoples’ Grant is for undergraduate students who are Colorado residents and enrolled in one of 574 federally recognized Native nations. In the MSU Denver land acknowledgement, we identify this land as being the original home of the Cheyenne and Arapahoe Nations, land that was frequently also inhabited by the Lakota, Ute, Kiowa, Comanche, Apache, Shoshone and others. Just as we honor the Displaced Aurarians who were forcibly removed from their homes so that our campus could be built, we also honor the Indigenous and Native Peoples who first called this land home by fully funding their tuition and fees to undergraduate programs at MSU Denver.
The combination of grants students will see on their financial aid award may include Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Colorado Student Grant and MSU Denver Supplemental Grant. These will cover the student’s share of in-state tuition and fees for regular classes up to 15 credit hours per semester (and up to 129 credits toward their first bachelor’s degree). Students are required to file either the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or Colorado Application for State Financial Aid (CASFA) and can utilize this award for their first bachelor’s degree or certificate.
For more information, visit our Indigenous and Native Peoples’ Grant page.
If you need additional assistance submitting your student aid application, please contact either the:
- Educational Opportunity Center (EOC) for assistance with the FAFSA
- Immigrant Services Program (ISP) for assistance with the CASFA
Graduate Students
You've been here before, but financial aid options are different as a graduate/professional student. Find out more!
Transfer Students
Transfer Student Aid Check ListFAFSA or CASFA Help
CASFA Help
The Office of Immigrant Services provides assistance to students completing the CASFA application. Immigrant Services are available to help MSU Denver students and families one-on-one with completing their aid applications via virtual appointments.
FAFSA Help
We are excited to partner with the Educational Opportunity Center (EOC) in delivering financial aid services to our students. You can schedule a virtual FAFSA appointment with a EOC representative that can support MSU Denver students and families one-on-one with completing their aid applications via virtual appointments.
- Contact the EOC by phone at: 303-352-8746
- Or email [email protected]
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Contact Us!
We are here to help!
Whether you're not finding the necessary info on this web page or would rather get in touch with a human, feel free to call or email us.
Physical Location & Address:
Jordan Student Success Building (JSSB), Suite 130
890 Auraria Pkwy
Denver, CO 80204
Phone: 303-556-8593
Fax: 720-778-5833
Email: [email protected]
Hours:
Monday – Friday: 8am – 5pm
Friday: Call Center opens at 9am!
Mailing Address:
Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships
Campus Box 2, PO Box 173362
Denver, CO 80217