Financial Aid, Student Employment, and Scholarships

Office Hours
Cragmor Hall Room 201
Monday: 8:00 am - 7:00 pm
Tuesday - Friday: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm

Phone Numbers
Phone: (719) 255-3460
Toll-Free: 1-800-990-UCCS
Fax: (719) 255-3650

Email
Financial Aid:  finaidse@uccs.edu
Student Employment:  stuemp@uccs.edu
Scholarships:  scholarships@uccs.edu

Federal School Code: 004509

There are two basic types of financial aid available to assist students in meeting their educational cost: gift aid and self-help aid.  The first step to be considered for financial aid is to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.fafsa.gov and list the UCCS federal school code 004509. For more information regarding the application process, please review the “How to Apply for Financial Aid” section below.

Gift Aid

Gift aid consists of grants and scholarships and does not have to be repaid.

Grants

Federal grant programs consist of the Federal Pell Grant and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG). 

Grants funded by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado include Colorado Student Grant (CSG), the Colorado Responsibility Grant (CRG) and the Colorado graduate Grant (CGG). 

UCCS Tuition Grant is funded by campus funds.

Scholarships

UCCS scholarships are awarded to both need-based and merit-based students. To review scholarships available, please visit the UCCS Scholarship website at http://www.uccs.edu/finaid/types/scholarships.html.

Merit awards, such as the CLC Scholarship, require applications be submitted by Feb 1.  The majority of remaining scholarships offered at UCCS have an application deadline of March 1. 

Self-Help Aid

Self-help aid consists of work-study and loans. 

Work Study

Work study is a part-time, subsidized employment program (approximately 10 to 15 hours per week) in which students must work to earn their award. Positions are available with both on and off-campus employers. To be considered for work study, students must complete the FAFSA and answer yes to question #31 “Are you interested in being considered for work study? “, meet the first March 1 priority date, and meet Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards.  Students must apply for and be hired for positions in order to utilize their award.

Loans

Loans are funds that have to be repaid. 

Federal Stafford Loans 

Nearly all students are eligible to receive Stafford loans regardless of credit rating. Stafford loans may be subsidized by the U.S. government or unsubsidized depending on the student’s financial need as determined by the results of the FAFSA. 

Federal Perkins Loans

Perkins Loans are low-interest federal student loan for graduate and undergraduate students. The University acts as the lender using a limited pool of funds provided by the federal government.

Federal PLUS Loans

PLUS loans are based on credit rating and are available to graduate students (GradPLUS) and parents of dependent students (PLUS) to borrow up to the student’s cost of attendance minus any additional aid or financial resources received by the student. To apply for a PLUS loan, please log into www.studentloans.gov.

1. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.fafsa.gov.

The FAFSA enables a student to apply for federal and state financial aid. There is no charge for submitting the FAFSA and please feel free to contact the financial aid office for assistance. Remember, the FAFSA must be completed every year.

School Code: 004509

2. Review your Student Aid Report (SAR).

A SAR summarizes the information the student provided on the FAFSA and provides an Official Expected Family Contribution (EFC).  A SAR is sent within a few days after filing the FAFSA online. Once you have received your secure link through email, carefully check your SAR for errors. If you discover any errors, you can correct them online or contact the financial aid office to assist you in making any needed corrections.

3. Complete the UCCS Scholarship Application.

For more information please visit finaidse.uccs.edu.

4. You may be selected for verification.

If selected, an email will be sent to you requesting the necessary documents to complete your financial aid file. This request may include tax documentation. Tax documentation can be fulfilled by:

•      Submitting a correction to your FAFSA at www.fafsa.gov, using the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) retrieval tool provided, or             
•      Requesting a tax transcript by either:
  • submitting Form 4506-T to the IRS
  • using the IRS online request system at www.irs.gov.

5. Review your financial aid award notification.

The financial aid award notification will detail your financial aid eligibility.

6. Apply for federal student loans

Log into MyUCCS Portal to accept, reduce, or decline your award.  If you are a first-time borrower, please complete Stafford entrance counseling and Stafford Loan Master Promissory Note at www.studentloans.gov. 

Temporary Assistance

The university has available a short-term loan program for students in need of temporary financial assistance (e.g., textbooks). These loans are temporary in nature and have a maximum repayment period of one semester. The fee to borrow is $5 per $100 borrowed. Students may borrow only one loan per semester with a maximum of $700. Short-term loans are available five days before the first day of class for each semester. 

Student Loan Deferment

(Includes Summer term) Hours of enrollment for UCCS students will be electronically submitted to the National Student Loan Clearinghouse automatically each semester by the Office of Admissions and Records.

If your loan servicer is requesting enrollment verification other than from the National Student Loan Clearinghouse, you can request an enrollment verification form from the Office of the Registrar. You can also request a loan deferment form from your loan servicer, and that information is available by signing into www.studentloans.gov and then click the “managing repayment” section to access the list of loan servicers. The Office of Admissions and Records certifies the student’s enrollment status on loan deferment forms. 

Note: In order to receive a deferment as a half-time student, an undergraduate student must be enrolled for at least 6 credit hours and a graduate student must be enrolled for at least 3 credit hours. In order to receive a deferment as a full-time student, an undergraduate student must be enrolled for at least 12 hours and a graduate student must be enrolled for at least 5 credit hours.

SEAN’s Place

Current job openings, both on and off campus, work study and non-work-study, are listed on SEAN’s Place, an online Student Employment Assistance Network for students. This service is strictly self-referral, and to apply for any job the student must contact the employer directly. Students may access SEAN’s Place at seans.uccs.edu.

On-Campus Employment 

On-campus employment is available to full-time or part-time degree status students or unclassified students who are enrolled at least half-time. Additionally, during the summer, degree-seeking students may work on campus without being enrolled if they were enrolled as at least a half-time student during the previous spring semester and will return in the fall semester. Jobs are generally part-time and are listed throughout the year on SEAN’s Place depending upon employer needs.

Off-Campus Employment

Off-campus employment, both part-time and full-time, is available throughout the year on SEAN’s Place depending upon employer needs. Openings range from highly skilled technicians and computer assistants to clerical work, food service, and general labor. Temporary and on-call positions in such areas as day care, tutoring, house cleaning, and furniture moving are also listed.