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Graduate Financial Aid

Types of Aid

Grants & Scholarships

Grants and scholarships--a category of financial aid that you do not have to repay--can be based on merit and/or financial need. Your eligibility for federal need-based grants is determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Federal and State Grants

Federal TEACH Grant

The Federal Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) grant program is available to students in the Morgridge College of Education who are enrolled in:

  • the Teacher Education Certificate program or,
  • a Teacher Education master's program or,
  • the Denver Teacher Residency program

Students can receive up to $4,000 per year in this funding. In exchange for receiving a TEACH grant, you must agree to serve as a full-time teacher in a high-need field in an elementary or secondary school that serves low-income students. If the teaching obligation is not fulfilled, the TEACH grant will be converted to an unsubsidized Direct loan which must be repaid with interested accrued from the date of the grant's disbursement.

To apply, students need to submit a FAFSA and be awarded the TEACH grant as a part of their financial aid package. Entrance Counseling and an Agreement to Serve must be completed online at https://teach-ats.ed.gov each year a student receives the TEACH grant. Learn more about the TEACH grant at www.StudentAid.gov.

Colorado "Critical Career" Graduate Grant

Funding for this grant is extremely limited, and eligible students who are awarded this grant will be notified separately via email. No application is required. Award amounts vary from $1,000 to $5,000. To be eligible, students must meet all of the following criteria:

  • be a graduate student enrolled in an approved degree program
  • be a Colorado resident
  • be enrolled at least half-time
  • be enrolled in a critical career field as determined by the Colorado Department of Higher Education (science, technology, engineering, math and health care)
  • Expected Family Contribution (EFC) must be less than $7,000

DU Departmental Financial Aid

All types of institutional aid at DU is awarded by individual graduate departments instead of our office. Therefore, if you have questions about the opportunities listed below, you should contact your graduate school directly.

Graduate Teaching/Research Assistantships (GTA/GRA)

Assistantships are merit awards that include both a tuition waiver and a stipend and incorporate a teaching or research component into your studies. Application and eligibility requirements vary by department, and may be part of the application process. Please note: Students cannot have both a work-study position and a GTA/GRA position simultaneously and must choose to have only one or the other.

Graduate Studies Doctoral Fellowships

Doctoral fellowships are awarded by academic departments to PhD students enrolled for at least 8 credits per term. Award amounts vary from $1,000 to $5,000 annually.

Departmental Grants & Scholarships

Generally, students are considered for departmental scholarships at the time of admission to a graduate program. This gift aid can be based on merit and/or financial need and usually requires full-time attendance. For further information regarding financial aid opportunities in your department, use the appropriate links below or contact your department directly.

Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Conflict Resolution Institute

Contact them directly at 303-871-6477 or cri@du.edu.

Daniels College of Business

View departmental aid or contact them directly at 303-871-2438 or Marilyn.Hughes@du.edu.

Graduate School of Professional Psychology

Contact them directly at 303-871-3736 or gsppinfo@du.edu.

Graduate School Social Work

View departmental aid or contact them directly at 303-871-2886 or gssw-admission@du.edu.

Graduate Tax Program

View departmental aid or contact them directly at 303-871-6239 or via email.

Intermodal Transportation Institute

Contact them directly at 303-871-4702 or du-iti@du.edu.

DU/Iliff Joint PhD Program

View departmental aid or contact them directly at 303-765-3136 or JointPhD@iliff.edu.

Josef Korbel School of International Studies

View departmental aid or contact them directly at 303-871-2544 or korbeladm@du.edu.

Morgridge College of Education

View departmental aid or contact them directly at 303-871-2509 or EdInfo@du.edu.

Natural Sciences and Mathematics
School of Engineering and Computer Science

Private Scholarships

Scholarship opportunities are available through various entities not affiliated with DU. These scholarships can come from a variety of sources, including community organizations and women's, ethnic or religious organizations. Check with organizations near you to see if scholarship funding is available, as some opportunities are not broadly advertised.

Throughout the year, many organizations provide our office with information regarding their private scholarship and grant opportunities. To help you in your search, we have developed a scholarship search page. Be sure to follow up with the organization directly for details about deadlines and eligibility criteria.

Where to Send Private Scholarship Checks

If you received a private scholarship, please send it (or have your donor send it) directly to our office for processing:

Financial Aid
University of Denver
2197 S. University Blvd.
Denver, CO 80204

Once processed, your scholarship will appear as a part of your financial aid award in webCentral and will disburse to your account in the same way as the rest of your aid.