The University of Northern Colorado will cover standard tuition and mandatory fees to eligible incoming and continuing undergraduate Colorado students through a new program beginning this fall.
The program, UNC Tuition Promise, will lessen the financial burden for students with the greatest need, allowing higher education to be more affordable and accessible, according to a news release from the university.
Students who qualify for the UNC Tuition Promise will receive standard tuition and mandatory fees of up to 16 credits or a maximum of $5,836 per semester. This support will increase as tuition and fees increase. The UNC Tuition Promise will benefit about 1,000 currently enrolled undergraduates and be available to incoming undergraduate students who are Colorado residents or eligible for the ASSET program.
In addition to being Colorado residents or ASSET-eligible, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or Colorado Application for State Financial Aid by June 1, live in a household with an adjusted gross income at or below $65,000 or have a student aid index of 3,000 or less, maintain satisfactory academic progress and be enrolled in 12-16 credits.
In 2013, then-Gov. John Hickenlooper signed legislation authorizing the Advancing Students for a Stronger Economy Tomorrow (ASSET) program. ASSET provides an additional pathway for students to qualify for in-state tuition classification at Colorado institutions of higher education. The bill allows U.S. citizens, permanent resident aliens and students without lawful immigration status to qualify for in-state tuition rates if they meet certain conditions.
To qualify for ASSET, a student must have attended a public or private high school in Colorado for at least three years immediately preceding graduation or earning a GED in Colorado; be admitted to a Colorado college or university within 12 months of graduation from a Colorado high school or earning a GED or show 18 months of continuous physical presence in Colorado if graduated before Sept. 1, 2013; and complete an affidavit with the Colorado College Opportunity Fund indicating that the student has applied for legal presence or will apply as soon as the student is eligible.
