A CU Boulder student holds a sign protetsing rising university tuition in 2012. (James Bradbury/CU Independent file)
All 32 Colorado public universities and several private universities will waive application fees tomorrow for Colorado Free Application Day. The University of Colorado Boulder is participating in Free Application Day for the second consecutive year.
“We hope that more students consider CU Boulder (as) an option and apply,” said CU’s Executive Director of Admissions Clark Brigger.
Last year, CU Boulder had the second-highest number of applications in the state submitted on Free Application Day – 4,791 – according to Denver 7. The channel reported that approximately half of these were from students of color, with one-third from first-generation students.
“We believe that application fees are a barrier and support the Colorado Free Application Day,” Brigger said.
By lowering this financial barrier, Colorado colleges look to increase economic diversity in higher education. In 2017, the New York Times reported that 59% of students at CU Boulder come from the top 20% financially.
“I think it is nice for low-income students to have this option,” said Ofelia Morales, director of financial aid at CU.
Still, the cost of tuition remains a financial burden for many students.
In Colorado, almost half of all young adults and more than one-in-four middle-aged residents owe money to student loans, according to the Colorado Sun.
Colorado Free Application Day kicks off at 12:01 a.m. on Oct. 15. Applicants must submit their applications by 11:59 p.m. Specific limitations and instructions for each university can be found here.
Contact CU Independent Managing Editor Hannah Metzger at hannah.metzger@colorado.edu.
