Across Colorado, many colleges and universities have worked to develop Promise Programs, which help to remove some of the financial barriers connected with continuing your education after high school. The Promise Programs at each institution promise to cover at least the cost of tuition for eligible students. At some colleges and universities, the programs cover more than tuition. Eligibility for Promise Programs depends on each college or university's specific eligibility requirements.
Students who attend Colorado public institutions of higher education with family incomes of $90,000 or less are eligible for complete reimbursement of any out-of-pocket tuition and fees they pay for postsecondary education. The reimbursement comes from a tax credit which covers the amount paid in tuition and fees during the prior academic year, for students in their first two years of college. This is the amount paid after scholarships and grants. The tax credit covers up to the first 65 credits a student takes, not counting any concurrent enrollment, AP/IB, military credit, or credit for prior learning. For an overview of the program and more eligibility requirements, access the fact sheet.
Qualified program applicants can receive up to $7,500, per State Board Action in April 2026, in one-time financial assistance toward their educator preparation program costs in exchange for a 3-year commitment to teaching in a shortage area in a Colorado public school. Qualified applicants must be enrolled in a Colorado-approved educator preparation program and be employed as a paraprofessional in a school district, charter school, or BOCES. Applicants who are employed as an alternative teacher or temporary educator eligibility (TEE) educator in a shortage area are considered as a qualified program applicant. The application window opens July 1 of each year. Applications are awarded on a first come first serve basis until funds are depleted.
The Colorado Center for Rural Education and the Colorado Department of Higher Education encourage talented teacher candidates to student teach in Colorado rural school districts and eventually become a teacher in a Colorado rural school district. The value of the stipend is up to $4,000 for the semester of student teaching. Stipend recipients are expected to complete student teaching in a Colorado rural school district and then apply to and work in a rural school district. The Fall application timeline for this stipend is December 1 through March 31. The Spring application timeline is July 1 through October 31.
The Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) and the Colorado Center for Rural Education (CCRE) encourage talented teacher candidates to teach in Colorado rural school districts and eventually become teachers in Colorado rural schools. The value of the Rural Teaching Fellowship is $10,000 given to selected candidates who complete a year-long clinical experience in a rural school during the final year of their teacher preparation program and commit to teaching for two years in a rural district after program completion. Candidates who are selected for this program, Rural Teaching Fellows, receive $5,000 from their institute of higher education and $5,000 from the CDHE as a lump sum (taxable income) or as a scholarship during their final year of licensure preparation. Year-long fellowships are created via partnerships between educator preparation programs and rural Colorado schools, districts, BOCES, and charter schools.
The Colorado Center for Rural Education and the Colorado Center for Rural Education encourage talented individuals interested in Special Services Provider employment in rural or small rural schools in Colorado to apply for the Special Services Provider Stipend (SSPS). The SSPS provides recipients up to $6,000 to pay for a variety of program-related costs during their final clinical experience. Must commit to working full-time in one of Colorado's rural or small rural school districts for a period of three (3) years after receiving a Special Services Provider license from the Colorado Department of Education. Special services providers are school audiologists, school counselors, school nurses, school occupational therapists, school orientation and mobility specialists, school physical therapists, school psychologists, school social workers, and school speech-language pathologists.
