The College Opportunity Fund (COF)
at Colorado State University | 
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| The College Opportunity Fund provides state-tax dollars to colleges and universities on behalf of eligible undergraduate students. The Fund was created by an Act of the Colorado State Legislature in May 2004 to heighten awareness that state tax dollars are used to offset the costs of undergraduate education. |
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Am I eligible to participate?
You are eligible for the stipend if you are considered an undergraduate Colorado resident for
tuition classification purposes and taking eligible undergraduate classes at Colorado State University.
How do I receive my stipend?
- Apply - The application is available on the College Opportunity Fund website.
- Authorize - Grant CSU the permission to request your stipend from the state of Colorado.
- Authorize as a part of Registration Ready or from the link provided on your RAMweb home.
- Register - Register for resident instruction (RI), undergraduate courses on RAMweb.
- Student Account - For the 2009-2010 academic year, the amount of the stipend is $68 per RI credit. The stipend will be applied to your tuition costs and printed on your student account billing statement.
What is my lifetime credit limit?
The law creating the
College Opportunity Fund caps a student's stipend at 145 credit hours. If you meet or exceed the limit, you may be eligible for an institutional waiver. Institutional waivers are granted for a maximum of one year. After university census (course add/course drop) for the term, the university will identify those students eligible for an institutional waiver. No application is necessary. If selected to receive the waiver, you will be notified by email. Waivers will be granted to students eligible and on track to receive their degree.
Institutional waivers are awarded for 12 consecutive months. If you have exhausted your institutional waiver, you may apply to the
State of Colorado for a
commission waiver.
Frequently Asked Questions
-Can the amount of the stipend change?
The Colorado General Assembly will set the stipend during the budgeting process each spring for the next academic year. However, if there is a shortage during the academic year, the General Assembly has the authority to reduce the stipend.
-Will a check be sent to me?
No. Your stipend will pay directly to your university student account.
-Can I receive my stipend for a course that I am auditing?
No. The State of Colorado prohibits any institution from requesting a COF stipend on your behalf for any course receiving a grade of Audit.
-Can I receive my stipend for test outs and placement exams?
No. The State of Colorado prohibits any institution from requesting a COF stipend on your behalf for any test out or placement exam charges.
-Can I receive my stipend for a Repeat/Delete course?
Yes. However, if you received a COF stipend for this course in a prior semester, the number of COF eligible credits at the State will still be reduced by both the Deleted course and the Repeated course.
-Are study abroad courses eligible for COF stipend?
No. Colorado State University study abroad and exchange programs are not eligible for COF funding. This includes short-term study abroad programs offered through the Division of Continuing Education. The credit earned through study abroad is not counted toward the 145 lifetime hour limit for COF eligibility.
-Are Continuing Education courses eligible for COF?
Continuing Education courses at Colorado State University are not eligible to receive COF stipend payments.
-Who should I contact if I have questions?
You may visit our office at Centennial Hall. You may call our office at (970) 491-6321, or you may e-mail our office at SFS_COF@colostate.edu.