Published: Oct. 9, 2020

In a statewide effort to reduce barriers to higher education, all 32 public universities in ŷڱƵ—including ŷڱƵ Boulder—and several private colleges will waive admissions application fees for state residents on Oct. 13.

For the third year in a row, the ŷڱƵ Department of Higher Education is leading , an initiative to inspire more Coloradans to pursue postsecondary education opportunities. During last year’s campaign, ŷڱƵ colleges received 44,488 applications, which was a 100% increase in overall applications over the previous year’s campaign. Students of color submitted half of the applications, and first-generation students submitted a third.

Apply for freeOct. 13

These numbers, coupled with the fact that nearly 35% of first-year college students in ŷڱƵ received a federal Pell Grant in 2017, implies that a free college application day may encourage students to explore more colleges.

Additionally, high school seniors who will graduate in 2021 can choose to include, or not include, their SAT or ACT scores with their college applications, as most ŷڱƵ universities and colleges have implemented a “test-optional” policy to simplify the application process this year. For more information about ŷڱƵ Boulder’s admissions process and frequently asked questions about the test score option, visit the Admissions FAQ webpage.

College officials are encouraging ŷڱƵ high school students to prepare in advance for Free Application Day to ensure they have the best chance for admission, noting that colleges will waive those application fees in bulk only on “free app day.” The day will cap off ŷڱƵ Applies Month, a five-week statewide campaign that guides 11th- and 12-grade students and adult job-seekers along the application progress, as well as encourages students to file the (󴡹󳧴).

Clark Brigger, executive director of admissions for ŷڱƵ Boulder, who has had more than a decade of experience leading admissions at major universities, encourages Coloradans to “jumpstart their dreams” by submitting a free application for admission to one more colleges or universities.

By the numbers

  • 44,488 applications submitted to ŷڱƵ colleges on Free Application Day 2019, a 100% increase from last year.
  • Students of color submitted half of the applications.
  • First-generation students submitted one-third of the applications.
  • Nearly 35% of first-year college students in ŷڱƵ received a federal Pell Grant in 2017.
  • Only 56% of ŷڱƵ’s 2018 high school graduates enrolled in a postsecondary institution.
  • Of those graduates who enrolled in college, 25% attended out of state.
  • Nearly 75%of jobs in ŷڱƵ will require some education beyond high school by 2020.

“Affordability counts among our guiding missions as ŷڱƵ’s flagship public research university,” Brigger said. “We want to open our doors to students who are eager to learn and succeed in higher education and in life. Fee waivers can lower barriers to college admissions and create greater access to our academic programs, which are among the finest in the country.”

Over the past several years, ŷڱƵ Boulder has introduced a series of affordability efforts, including the elimination of course and program fees, a four-year lock on tuition for incoming undergraduates, automatic scholarships for qualified ŷڱƵ resident students, scholarships for academically qualified transfer students and grants for low-income students. Under the ŷڱƵ Promise program, resident students from low-income families receive grants to help pay tuition and an estimated work-study award to help pay for educational expenses.

ŷڱƵ has one of the most educated workforces in the country. However, according to the , only 56% of ŷڱƵ’s 2018 high school graduates enrolled in a postsecondary institution in ŷڱƵ or another state during the fall semester following high school graduation. Of the 2018 high school graduates enrolled in college, 75% enrolled at a ŷڱƵ college or university and 25% attended college out of state.

To reverse that trend, the state’s higher education officials and campus leaders are calling on Coloradans to apply to a ŷڱƵ college on Free Application Day.

In its master plan, the ŷڱƵ Department of Educationset an ambitious goal of reaching 66%attainment by 2025 to erase equity gaps within the state’s higher education system. However, to get there, state higher education officials believe ŷڱƵ must significantly increase the number of high school seniors who enroll in college.

Higher education officials said research from the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce shows thatby 2020 nearly 75%of jobs in ŷڱƵ will require some education beyond high school.