Colorado Dependent Tuition Assistance Program

Awarded By:

Colorado Department of Higher Education

Number of Awards & Eligibility: Approximately 660 awards offered annually.

Description: This award is for undergraduate students who are Colorado residents and are 16 to 22 years of age. The student must be a dependent of a Colorado law enforcement officer, fire or national guard personnel killed or disabled in the line of duty, or a prisoner of war or a service personnel listed as missing in action.

Application requirements for the Colorado Dependent Tuition Assistance Program are:

• FAFSA
• Application form
• Supporting documentation

Additional Information: The Dependent Tuition Assistance Program (DTAP) recognizes the contributions of public servants who were killed or disabled in the line of duty in the state of Colorado. The program provides financial assistance to attend eligible institutions for dependents of a deceased or permanently disabled law enforcement office, firefighter, member of the national guard, prisoner of war, or person missing in action. Eligible Institutions include: State-supported two- and four-year institutions; State local district colleges; State area vocational/technical schools; and Non-public (not-for-profit and proprietary) colleges, universities, and vocational schools (for these institutions, eligibility is legally tied to ownership. Students must be in good standing and demonstrate academic progress according to the institution's published Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress. Students seeking professional degrees in theology are ineligible to receive state funded financial assistance.

Award Amount: The award amount varies based on the type of institution the student plans to attend. At a Colorado public institution, recipients are eligible for tuition and the actual cost of double occupancy room and board charged for on-campus housing. Students who have applied to live in the dormitory, but have not been accepted because there is not enough space may be provided supplemental assistance at the end of the year. If a student chooses to live off-campus, they are not eligible for room reimbursement or a meal plan. If the student attends a non-residential institution, and does not live at home, the student is eligible for tuition plus $1,000 per semester to assist with living expenses. At an eligible Colorado non-public school, recipients are eligible for tuition not to exceed the average tuition charged at a comparable state institution, and room and board charged by the institution not to exceed the average cost of room and board of a comparable state institution. The same benefits stated in number one above for students attending nonresidential campuses are provided. At an out-of-state institution of higher education, recipients are eligible for the amount of tuition equivalent to the cost of tuition at a comparable Colorado public institution or the actual costs, whichever is less. Students enrolled at out-of-state institutions are not eligible for room and board. Awards are renewable for up to six years from the date of first enrollment or upon obtaining a bachelor’s degree whichever occurs first.  The total dollars awarded for this scholarship is $545.

About Colorado Department of Higher Education:

Contact Information: Coordinator, Colorado Department of Higher Education

Address: 1560 Broadway Suite 1600 Denver, Colorado 80202

Email: