Postsecondary Access
Financial Aid
Colorado’s financial aid programs promote equitable access to higher education by reducing financial barriers for students from historically marginalized, underrepresented and economically disadvantaged communities. These programs are designed to support student success by addressing affordability challenges, increasing college enrollment and retention rates, and ultimately contributing to a more inclusive and educated workforce.
Financial Aid Completion Tool
The Financial Aid Completion Tool is the state’s only centralized platform for securely sharing financial aid application completion data with K–12 districts and postsecondary institutions. The Financial Aid Completion Tool enables counselors and school administrators to track data for both FAFSA and CASFA in a single tool. High school seniors who complete the FAFSA/CASFA are significantly more likely to enroll in college immediately after high school.
Concurrent Enrollment
States across the nation are implementing strategies to increase the success of high school students and ensure they are college and career ready. One successful strategy is concurrent enrollment, which provides high school students the opportunity to enroll in college courses. Colorado is a leader among states in the number of students participating in concurrent enrollment programs.
Postsecondary Access for High School Graduates
Each year the Department of Higher Education releases a report that follows Colorado's high school graduates into college and provides information on college enrollment, first-year college outcomes, concurrent enrollment and remedial education. The indicators are broken down by school district and, in a searchable database, by high school.
Contact
The Colorado Department of Higher Education is committed to providing more analysis of issues and data related to P-20 alignment, postsecondary and workforce readiness and postsecondary access. If you have any questions regarding this research area, please contact Michael Vente at Michael.Vente@dhe.state.co.us.