Apply to Colorado’s public colleges and universities for free on Oct. 15

All 32 public colleges and universities in Colorado, along with several private institutions, are waiving their application fees on Oct. 15, enabling students to submit their paperwork free of charge.

“We know applying to college or technical school can feel daunting for students, especially those who are the first in their family to go on to higher education,” Gov. Jared Polis said in a Colorado Department of Higher Education news release. “By eliminating this cost barrier, we believe more Coloradans will seize the opportunity to reach higher and get the education and training they need to thrive in today’s workforce.”

The fee-waiving day, part of a four-week statewide campaign called Colorado Applies Month, is included in a statewide push to bolster Colorado’s “stagnant” college enrollment and Free Application for Federal Student Aid completion rates, the state higher education department said.

“Despite being one of the most educated states in the country, Colorado sends just 56% of its high school seniors to a college, university or certificate program, and just 50% of students submit a FAFSA application — a key indicator of student success,” the news release read.

Colorado students lost out on nearly $50 million worth of federal financial aid during the 2015-16 academic year because they didn’t fill out the FAFSA.

When Colorado higher education institutions waived application fees for a day last year, 23,000 applicants took advantage of the cost-saving initiative — a 12% jump compared with the same time frame in 2017.

Students must submit a completed admission application between 12:01 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 15. Any applications started during that period but not finished may not be granted a waiver.

The department suggests having all admissions materials prepared and reviewed before the free day so that nothing during the submission process goes awry.

The Colorado Department of Higher Education posted admissions application and fee waiver information for each institution, which can be found at highered.colorado.gov/FreeAppDayCO.html.