What is the College Opportunity Fund (COF)?
The College Opportunity Fund (COF), created by the Colorado Legislature, provides a stipend to eligible undergraduate students. The stipend pays a portion of your total in-state tuition when you attend a Colorado public institution or a participating private institution. Eligible undergraduate students must apply, be admitted, and enroll at a participating institution. Qualifying students may use the stipend for eligible undergraduate classes.  The stipend is paid on a per credit hour basis to the institution at which the student is enrolled.  The credit-hour amount will be set annually by the General Assembly.

Who is eligible?
In-state undergraduate students who meet the residency requirements and provide appropriate citizenship documentation are eligible for the COF stipend. Your age, your income, and your financial aid eligibility are irrelevant - students of all ages, all incomes, and all aid statuses will be eligible.

What happens if I don't complete both steps for the COF stipend?
You will be responsible for paying the full tuition, including the portion that would have been covered by the College Opportunity Fund. For example, let's say your tuition was $2000 and the COF stipend was worth $800. Those who complete both steps succesfully would pay $1200, but those who don't would pay $2000. These amounts are for illustration only.

How do I change my COF status of "Authorized"/"Declined" for the current or upcoming semester?
After you have authorized COF for your first semester, you will remain authorized until you indicate otherwise. You can change your COF status either through MAVZone or by contacting the Registrar's Office. Students who decline COF will be responsible for paying the full tuition, including the portion that would have been covered by the College Opportunity Fund.

How will the amount of the stipend be calculated?
Your stipend amount will be calculated based on the number of eligible credit hours you register for each term. This amount per credit hour may differ each year as approved by the state legislature. This is determined on an annual basis each spring for the upcoming academic year. The amount of the stipend per credit hour will be the same at all Colorado public institutions, including community colleges.

Will I receive a check?
No. Upon your authorization, your stipend amount will be sent by the state on your behalf directly to the institution you choose to attend. The stipend amount will be applied directly to the total tuition charge on your university account. The stipend amount will not be mailed to your home or transferred to your bank account.

What will I pay? What if I have financial aid?
You will pay total tuition MINUS the portion paid on your behalf by the COF MINUS any financial aid. For example, if your total tuition is $2000, and COF pays $800 on your behalf, and a scholarship pays $500, you will pay 2000 - 800 - 500 = $700. These amounts are for illustration only.

Will the stipend cover the total amount of in-state tuition?
No. Prior to the COF implementation students were still responsible for a portion of tuition. This has not changed. Both tuition rates and COF stipend values will change from year to year.

Am I eligible for COF stipends for as long as I am an undergraduate in Colorado?
No. COF stipends will be capped at 145 cumulative attempted semester credit hours, with some exceptions. The Colorado Commission on Higher Education (CCHE) will track each student's hours over all Colorado institutions. CCHE will also estimate the number of COF hours remaining for students enrolled before fall term 2005. The cap does not include AP or IB credit earned while in high school.

How will the 145-hour cap work?
For students starting after July 1, 2005, it's a lifetime limit on attempted credit hours paid by COF. Hours taken outside Colorado or as an out-of-state student will not count in the cap. Earned hours from AP or IB will not count in the cap. Students taking additional undergraduate work after receipt of a bachelor's degree may have 30 more undergraduate hours added to their limits. In addition, some waivers to the lifetime limit may be available.

Can I take courses after reaching the 145-hour cap and still receive COF?
Under specific circumstances. Students taking additional undergraduate work after receipt of a bachelor's degree may have 30 more undergraduate hours added to their limits. In addition, some waivers to the lifetime limit may be available. To request an extension beyond the 145-hour cap, please submit a COF Appeal to the Registrar's Office. Mesa State College is authorized to award/deny appeals for a one-time, one-year waiver. If Mesa State College has already awarded a one-time waiver or if the appeal was denied, students may appeal to the Colorado Department of Higher Education. For additional information, stop by the MSC Registrar's Office in Lowell Heiny Hall #127 or call (970) 248-1555.

If you do not attain a bachelor's degree or receive a waiver for additional hours, you may still take hours above the 145 hour limit, but you will not receive a COF stipend to defer the costs of such hours.

Will the stipend program apply to Continuing Ed?
Generally, tuition charges for courses offered by Continuing Education will not be covered by COF because they are not currently subsidized by the State of Colorado. There may be exceptions.

What if I'm an undergraduate taking graduate courses?
Tuition charges for graduate-level courses taken by in-state undergraduates may or may not be covered.

Are 'vouchers,' 'stipends,' and 'COF' the same thing?
Yes. The College Opportunity Fund program is variously known as COF, vouchers, stipends, and Senate Bill 04-189. Although the word "voucher" appears frequently in the press, it does not appear in Senate Bill 189 itself or on the CCHE web site, which both use the word "stipend" instead.

Where can I get more information on COF?
Details of the COF program are being determined by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education (CCHE) and the Colorado Access Network (CAN, formerly known as the Colorado Student Loan Program or CSLP). See the FAQ site which includes commonly asked questions and answers. Address any further questions to the CAN at askCOF@college-access.net

View the full text of Senate Bill (pdf).