Scholarship Information

Prospective First-year Students

All prospective first year students who are U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents and are fully admitted prior to May 1 will be automatically evaluated for merit awards based on the admission application.  Admission awards do not require the submission of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), but there are need-based scholarships which do require a FAFSA on file.  We recommend all incoming students complete the FAFSA the first year.

Admission awards are designated specifically for tuition and fees based on tuition classification; a change to residency will result in an adjustment to the amount.  These awards are made possible through generous donations to our Mines Foundation.  The President’s Scholarship may be funded by a named Foundation award.


The Provost Award is based on your admission application.  This award is renewable for 8 semesters (4 years) of undergraduate coursework and is to be used toward tuition and fees.  A FAFSA is not required to renew the Provost Award.  Students must pass a minimum of 75% of their attempted credits while maintaining a 2.000 cumulative GPA to keep the award.  Provost Award annual amounts are typically $1,000 for a Colorado resident and between $6,000 – $10,000 for non-residents.


The President’s Scholarship is based on your admission application.  This scholarship is renewable for 8 semesters (4 years) of coursework and is to be used toward tuition and fees.  A FAFSA is not required to renew the President’s Merit Scholarship.  Students must earn a minimum of 24 credits each academic year (fall plus spring semesters) while maintaining a minimum 2.500 cumulative GPA to keep the scholarship.  Colorado resident scholarship annual amounts range from $2,500 to $6,000; non-resident annual amounts range between $12,000 and $14,000. If your residency status changes, your scholarship amount will change.


The Colorado Scholars Program is a full-tuition scholarship after the COF stipend.  There is no additional application, students are evaluated based on the FAFSA and merit award.

  1. Eligibility Criteria:
    • Colorado Residency: Recipients must be Colorado residents.
    • President’s Merit Scholarship: Recipients must have been awarded a President’s Merit Scholarship based on their admission application.
    • Pell Grant and SAI Eligibility: To be eligible for the Colorado Scholars Program, students must qualify for a Pell Grant based on their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) information. The Student Aid Index (SAI) will be used by the Financial Office to evaluate applicants meeting the above criteria to determine eligibility.
  2. Coverage: The scholarship covers tuition and fees after the Colorado Opportunity Fund (COF) stipend, the President’s Scholarship, Pell Grant, and Colorado Grant. COF is a program that provides financial assistance to eligible Colorado residents attending public colleges and universities in the state.
  3. Renewable Scholarship: The Colorado Scholars Program is renewable, meaning it can be extended for multiple years, specifically for 8 semesters of undergraduate coursework.
  4. FAFSA Requirement: Students must complete the FAFSA each year by the priority deadline. Students must continue to be eligible for the Pell grant and have a comparable SAI to their initial year of eligibility.
  5. Credit and GPA Requirement: To maintain the scholarship, students must:
    • Earn a minimum of 24 credits each academic year, which includes only fall and spring semesters (not summer).
    • Maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.500. This means that the overall grade point average must remain at or above this threshold.
  1.  

RaiseMe Micro-Scholarship Program is a nationwide platform which provides micro-scholarships for high school students. Beginning in 9th grade, students can start earning scholarships for specific academic achievements. Earn an A in a core course? That is $30 per A! Earn $5 for every hour of community service (minimum 20 hours), up to $250! You can even earn scholarships for visiting our campus, meeting with us at a college fair, taking a virtual tour and more! Continue to earn for academic achievements, work experience, test scores, extracurriculars as well as connecting with Colorado School of Mines. The scholarships earned are stackable and applied directly to your financial aid package. It all starts with creating your RaiseMe account. For more information, contact the Mines Undergraduate Admissions Office.


International First-Year Students are eligible for up to $8,000 in an admissions award.  Your application will be evaluated for merit aid by the Undergraduate Admissions Office.


General Scholarship Application

All prospective students will be invited to complete the General Scholarship Application. This application is not required to be evaluated for the Provost Award or President’s Scholarship. Accepted students will be notified by email when the application is available, usually in December. The priority date for completion will be March 1st . Review of applications will begin at that time. Along with foundation scholarships, you may also apply for the following scholarships through the General Scholarship Application.

E-Days Scholarship The E-Days Scholarships are for Colorado residents and consist of three tuition (after COF) scholarships. A Mines Student Government committee selects the recipients based on high school credentials, a competitive essay, and other information from the General Scholarship Application. The E-Days scholarship provides full resident-tuition after COF for four years of undergraduate education (eight semesters – fall and spring only). Students must earn a minimum of 24 credits each academic year (Fall plus Spring semesters) with a 2.500 or higher cumulative GPA. Accepted students who are Colorado residents graduating from a Colorado high school will be eligible to apply. For more information, contact SAIL at (303) 273-3234.

Harvey Scholarship Program The Harvey Scholarship Program is a competitive scholarship paying tuition and mandatory fees at Mines (after COF for Colorado residents), and is renewable for eight semesters including a summer Field Session. Applications are accepted through the General Scholarship Application portal.

Two additional grants are available to current Scholars through an application process to augment their education; the Travel Grant supports Scholars in having an international experience, while the Enrichment Grant is an open-ended fund that can be used for opportunities such as academic or professional conferences among many others.

To be considered for the Harvey Scholarship Program, a prospective student must:
• be a new freshmen candidate for fall admission.
• be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. Permanent Resident.
• submit a completed admission application.
• have a record of academic excellence, displayed by meeting high standards of the overall admissions process.

More details on the application process and deadlines can be found in the scholarship portal.

The Harvey Scholars Program is administered by the PASCAL Center. Please send inquiries to pascal@mines.edu. Please contact the Financial Aid Office if you are a Harvey Scholarship recipient and have questions regarding the scholarship award.

Grewcock Presidential Scholars Program The Grewcock Presidential Scholarship Program educates the next generation of thoughtful industry and civic leaders. This competitive scholarship emphasizes intensive leadership development, multidisciplinary learning, and professional growth. The Grewcock Presidential Scholarship covers tuition and mandatory fees at the Colorado School of Mines (after COF for Colorado residents), renewable for eight semesters. The Scholarship also funds extracurricular learning experiences and leadership-focused programming.

The Scholarship is open to all first-year candidates for Fall admission. To be considered for the Grewcock Presidential Scholarship, prospective students must complete an application. A select group of final candidates will then be invited to interview. No more than ten students will ultimately be selected for the Grewcock Scholarship.

Applications are accepted through the general scholarship application portal. Check the scholarship portal for updated deadlines.

Please send questions to pascal@mines.edu, or visit the ‘Contact Us’ page on the Grewcock website.

Starzer Service Scholarship Program Established in 2012, the Starzer Scholarship has directly supported students for nearly one decade. Starting Fall 2021, the Starzer Service Scholarship will support a community of scholars defined by focused programming, community building, and an array of support services. Founded by Mike and Patty Starzer, both Colorado School of Mines alumni, the Starzer Service Scholarship attracts and cultivates humble, mission-driven servant leaders.  Recipients belong to a close-knit campus community focused on humility, meaningful service, and mission impact. Community programming includes learning sessions with nonprofit leaders, skill-building workshops on communication and fundraising, and service opportunities.

Starzer Service Scholars receive financial awards ranging from $5,000 – $10,000 per academic year at the Colorado School of Mines. Preference is given to graduating high school students from the state of Colorado, but out of state and International students will be considered and are encouraged to apply. Compelling scholarship candidates demonstrate a commitment to community service, outreach, or mission-based work.

To remain eligible for the scholarship, Scholars must maintain a 2.85 cumulative GPA as well as complete a meaningful service project with a local nonprofit or philanthropic organization. Scholars are further expected to actively participate in community programming and model humility, compassion, and care for others on campus.

Applications are accepted through the scholarship portal.  Check the scholarship portal for updated deadlines.

Please send questions to PASCAL.


Mines does not participate in the WICHE-WUE undergraduate tuition exchange.

Prospective Transfer Students

Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society Scholarship
Transfer students (not high school students concurrently enrolled in a college), seeking their first degree, are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and are a member of Phi Theta Kappa are eligible for a renewable, maximum six semester scholarship. Students must maintain a 2.500 cumulative GPA and successfully earn 24 credit hours per academic year (fall plus spring semesters) to maintain eligibility. Students will be required to provide their original PTK membership certificate as proof of membership.

General Scholarship Application

Prospective transfer students will be invited to complete the General Scholarship Application. This application is not required to be evaluated for the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society Scholarship. Accepted students will be notified by the Financial Aid Office when the application is available, usually in December. The priority date for completion will be March 1st for the Fall semester. Review of applications will begin at that time. Along with foundation scholarships, you may also apply for the following scholarships through the General Scholarship Application.

Jefferson County Transfer Scholarship

Based on funds available every year, transfer students who reside in Jefferson County (CO) and are classified as Colorado residents, will be eligible to apply through the General Scholarship Application. Applicants must have documented high financial need (250% of Pell) based on the results of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The FAFSA is available October 1st of each year for the following academic year. Students transferring from Red Rocks Community College will be given priority. The Jefferson County Transfer Scholarship may be renewable as long as funding is available for a maximum of six semester or three years. Students must maintain a 2.500 cumulative GPA and successfully earn 24 credit hours per academic year. The amounts will vary. This scholarship is available through the generosity of the Harvey Foundation and the Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative (COSI).

Scholarship Categories

Mines Merit Scholarships:
First-year recipients are selected upon admission based on their high school unweighted grade point average and composite SAT or ACT scores. We rely heavily on private donors to maintain our academic scholarship program from year to year.  Because of this, the scholarship award may be named ‘President’s Scholarship’ or it may be named in honor of one of our donors. Both represent the original merit award offered based on the student’s admissions information. Students receiving a named scholarship will be asked to write a thank you letter to the donor for their support.

Transfer Scholarship:
Transfer students, seeking their first degree, who are a member of Phi Theta Kappa will be eligible for this scholarship.  Students will be required to provide their original PTK membership certificate as proof of membership.

Athletic scholarships are based on athletic ability. Contact the Athletics Department at (303) 273-3206 for further information on application procedures.

ROTC scholarships

Air Force ROTC scholarships pay tuition, a monthly stipend, and per semester book allowance. The amount of tuition paid is based on type of scholarship awarded.  Two, Three, and Four year scholarships may be awarded.  Applicants should submit their online application by December 1st for timely processing.

Army ROTC scholarships pay full tuition and mandatory fees, along with a monthly stipend and per semester book allowance.  Two, Three and Four year scholarships may be awarded. Applicants should submit their online application by December 1st for timely processing.

Maintaining Your Scholarship

Renewable scholarships are evaluated in May at the end of the Spring term to determine if you have met the requirements to continue your scholarship for the next year.  Most scholarships, like the President’s Scholarship and the Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship, require you to pass 24 credits per year (total between fall and spring semesters) with a cumulative GPA of 2.500 or higher; summer credits do not count toward scholarship renewal.  Some named scholarships may have different requirements, such as major, Pell Grant eligibility, etc.  Please contact scholarship@mines.edu if you have questions.  For students graduating in Spring, you do not need to meet 24 credits between fall/spring because your scholarship will not be renewed due to graduation.

If you take a semester away from Mines for special circumstances, you may ask to have your scholarship held.  Some examples of special circumstances are taking a study abroad semester, a cooperative education experience, a call to active duty, or participating in a religious mission.

If your scholarship is terminated, you are allowed to appeal based on mitigating circumstances.  Scholarships cannot be earned by regaining satisfactory standing.  Contact Financial Aid to discuss your appeal options.

Scholarship Awarding Purpose and Scope

Search for Scholarships

SCHOLARSHIP SEARCH SITES

Here are some helpful comparisons between top search engine sites

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

OTHER SOURCES INFORMATION

SCHOLARSHIP SEARCH TIPS

  • Create a calendar: When you find a scholarship you want to apply for, but the deadline is too far out or has passed, put it on your calendar for when the application will open.
  • Treat scholarship searching and preparation as a part-time, year-round job.
  • Skip applications that ask for a fee or bank account information. Check here for information on Scholarship Scams and Services.
  • Consider community organizations, parents’ employers or other affiliations.
  • Search for things that make you unique: favorite brand of shoes, hobbies, activities, companies you want to work for, local organizations, professional organizations in your field, etc.
  • Don’t disqualify yourself! If you meet most of the criteria, but not all, apply anyway.  If you are invited to apply for a scholarship, make it a priority.  Don’t wait until the last minute.
  • Follow instructions, meet deadlines, and proofread your application.
Outside Scholarships

Per federal regulation, students who are awarded outside, private or community scholarships must notify the Financial Aid Office as soon as possible. We can follow-up with the donor and be sure they have all the information they need to get the scholarship funds to us as soon as possible.

Report Your Scholarship

We are required to treat outside scholarships as an additional resource. If you have received need-based aid (grants, subsidized loan and/or work study) as part of your financial aid award, it may be reduced by your outside scholarship. Other aid may also be adjusted as necessary.

Disbursement of Funds

The Financial Aid Office will communicate with your donor on all reported scholarships to ensure payment is received.  Privately funded scholarships are processed for disbursement to the student’s account after the scholarship check has been received by the Financial Aid Office. Scholarship funds will be credited half to the fall and half to the spring unless otherwise designated by the donor. Scholarship checks should be made payable to Colorado School of Mines and mailed to the following address:

Colorado School of Mines
Financial Aid Office
1301 19th Street
Golden, CO 80401

Scholarship checks made payable to both the student and the school require the student to endorse the check.  Emails are sent to the student’s Mines email upon receipt of the check.

All available scholarships will credit to the student’s account three business days prior to each semester.

Students can check Trailhead regarding the status of their outside scholarship: Trailhead → Scholarships card → View Reported Outside Scholarships → Select Aid Year (i.e., 2023-2024) → Resources.  Scholarships that have been paid will have “Paid” to the right of the title of the scholarship.  To see the official payment go to “Award Offer” which is the tab located to the left of “Resources.”

Adjustments to Scholarships

Residency Changes
Scholarship awards are based on tuition classification at the time of admission.  If your residency status changes, the scholarship award will be updated to reflect that change.  A non-resident student paying in-state tuition will have their scholarship adjusted to resident rate.

Credits in a Semester Adjustments:
Full tuition scholarship awards for undergraduate students are based on enrollment in 15-19 credits.  If you take less than 15 credits, your scholarship will be adjusted to actual tuition charges.  Please notify financial aid as soon as your schedule is set so we can make the appropriate adjustments.  Financial Aid will review all enrolled credits at census and make any required changes.  If you received a refund of scholarship funds before we make the adjustment, you would owe Mines for the tuition difference.

For renewable scholarships that pay toward tuition and fees like the President’s Scholarship and Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship, you generally must be at least half-time (6 credits) for your scholarship to remain unchanged in that semester.  Your semester scholarship award cannot exceed your tuition/fee charges.  You are still required to pass 24 credits in the fall/spring with a cumulative GPA of 2.500 to renew your scholarship for the following year.

Outside Scholarship Adjustment Policy:
Scholarships awarded upon admission will not be adjusted due to outside scholarships unless the outside scholarship is for tuition and fees or causes the total student award to exceed the student’s cost of attendance. Grants and other aid could be impacted by outside scholarships if the total of the student’s scholarships and grants exceed the cost of attendance.

Additional Mines Scholarship Adjustment Policy:
If a student subsequently becomes eligible for another Mines scholarship, the student will receive the scholarship worth the highest dollar amount. Scholarship awards may impact other need-based awards. Please contact our office if you have additional questions.

Scholarship Extension

Scholarship extensions are granted on a case-by-case basis and usually in the most extreme cases of need.  Maximum extensions are granted for two additional semesters (one additional year).  Go to Trailhead > Scholarships card > Scholarship Extension Request.

ROTC Scholarships

Air Force ROTC scholarships pay tuition, a monthly stipend, and per semester book allowance. The amount of tuition paid is based on type of scholarship awarded.  Two, Three, and Four year scholarships may be awarded.  Applicants should submit their online application by December 1st for timely processing.

Army ROTC scholarships pay full tuition and mandatory fees, along with a monthly stipend and per semester book allowance.  Two, Three and Four year scholarships may be awarded. Applicants should submit their online application by December 1st for timely processing.

Scholarships and Adjustment to Financial Aid

The combination of all financial aid awarded including scholarships, grants, loans and work-study cannot exceed your total cost of attendance. If you receive a scholarship, it may impact your other financial aid awards. Mines will use private scholarships to replace loans and/or work-study before adjusting any university grants or scholarships. We will email notification of a revised award letter if there are any changes to your financial aid.

A note about the taxation of scholarships: Scholarships received that exceed your total cost of tuition and required fees, books, and educationally related supplies and equipment are subject to federal income tax. Scholarships, fellowships or grants that are designated for room and board, transportation, and personal expenses may be taxable as income. Keep your receipts and copies of university bills. Questions regarding taxation of scholarships should be addressed to the local IRS office where you can obtain IRS Publication 970.

Contact Info

Mailing address:
Colorado School of Mines
Financial Aid Office
1301 19th Street
Golden, CO 80401

Office Location:
Ben Parker Student Center, E160
1200 16th St
Golden, CO 80401 

303-273-3301
Toll-free: 1-888-446-9489
finaid@mines.edu

For scholarship questions, email scholarship@mines.edu

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More information:

For billing issues contact: Bursar's Office 303-273-3158

For health insurance waivers contact: Student Health Insurance 303-273-3388

For College Opportunity Fund contact: Registrar's Office 303-273-3200

For information on Veteran Affairs contact: Registrar's Office 303-273-3200