Opportunity next colorado
Opportunity Next
Opportunity Next helps students from the Class of 2024 (and equivalent completers, like someone who earned their GED) gain the skills necessary to make it in the careers powering Colorado forward. Opportunity Next was created the state of Colorado allocated $25,000,000 to accelerate skill development among graduating high school seniors. Our goal now is to make sure you know about and are prepared to succeed in Colorado’s fast-growing purpose-driven careers.
Who is eligible to receive scholarship funding from Opportunity Next?
In order to be eligible for a scholarship, you must:
- Be a Class of 2024 high school graduate.
- Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) / Colorado Application for State Financial Aid (CASFA) (must be submitted to be awarded, but you don't need to demonstrate financial need)
- Get assistance completing the 2024-2025 FAFSA at a FAFSA Lab at the ACC Littleton Campus - Mondays from 1-6pm.
- Apply to ACC
- Enroll in a minimum in 6 credits in one of the eligible programs or apprenticeships at ACC for Fall 2024.
- Students who complete the first 4 steps will be auto awarded $1500 scholarship and no additional app
Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative (COSI)
The Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative launched the End What You Started Program in 2021 to help Colorado residents go back to school and earn their credential or degree. The program supports in two ways: providing financial assistance and support services throughout their college experience. These funds support addressing the significant decline in enrollment at our public institutions of higher education, high rate of job loss, continuing unemployment, and the overall disruption to the workforce caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. These disruptions have resulted in significant economic harm to individuals and businesses. Finish What You Started quickly and effectively provides support for students to return to their college or university to complete their postsecondary credential to help rebuild and revitalize Colorado’s workforce.
Why Should You Participate?
Support:
Finish What You Started program provides support services to students in order to obtain college credentials or degrees. This may include additional services such as career planning and trainee coaching, connection to community
Grants
Grants are a type of financial aid that does not have to be repaid. If you qualify, we encourage you to seek both state and federal grants. Grants are awarded based on full-time enrollment and may be prorated according to your actual enrollment level.
State Grants
In order to qualify for any state grant, you must:
- Complete the FAFSA
- Demonstrate financial need via FAFSA results
- Be a Colorado resident
- Meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards
Awarding priority for state grants is based on the order in which the student’s Financial Aid file is complete.
Colorado Career and Technical Education Grant
The Colorado Career and Technical Education (CTE) Grant is a need-based grant that is funded by the State of Colorado. To be eligible, you must:
- Meet all general qualifications in the above State Grants section
- Be enrolled in an eligible short-term certificate program that is ineligible for federal Title IV aid
- Be registered with the Selective Service System (if required)
Colorado Student Grant
The Colorado Student Grant (CSG) is a need-based grant that is funded by the State of Colorado. To be eligible, you must:
- Meet all general qualifications
Colorado distributed its third and final round of Opportunity Now grants this week, capping a program that’s awarded $89.5 million since 2023 to public-private partnerships creating new ways to train state residents for careers in high-need occupations.
The final round of awards was the smallest — nearly $7 million given to eight projects expected to train 1,815 individuals specifically for jobs in the talent-short infrastructure and behavioral-health sectors. But it brings to a culmination a program conceived in a 2022 law and launched in 2023 that is expected to serve 20,000 Coloradans and that already has helped to get 5,000 into new jobs in sectors ranging from healthcare to construction to advanced industries.
State leaders aren’t done awarding Opportunity Now funds just yet, as a 2024 law created a tax credit, available from 2026 through 2032, for companies that invest in facility improvements and equipment acquisition to boost in-house worker training. That law also established the Opportunity Now Regional Talent Summits, a series of seven recently completed gatherings where employers and educators identified the biggest talent-pipeline gaps and are developing two- and
Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative
Every Coloradan deserves an affordable path into the workforce; Bridging the gap between those Coloradoans who have a college degree and those who do not. The Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative (COSI) was established in 2014 from a vision by Governor John Hickenlooper to ensure that every Colorado student has affordable access to postsecondary education, and support services to complete a degree or certificate in their desired field.
COSI programs couple tuition assistance and student support services to help increase Colorado students' college completion, decrease student debt and prepare Colorado students for a successful career.
UNC COSI Scholars Program
We offer support, scholarships and community! The UNC COSI program has 5 COSI state grants and brings in $3.4 million dollars to UNC and is exclusively for scholarships and wrap around support services to over 400 UNC students.
The UNC COSI Scholars programs are all designed to empower UNC students with the tools necessary to succeed in postsecondary education and beyond. We provide proactive, comprehensive student support services, mentoring and success workshops.