Colorado Promise is a last-dollar program and is not meant to supplant any services that state government or higher education institutions provide to support student affordability. State agencies and institutions should continue awarding financial aid and scholarships to eligible students, and students should continue to accept awarded grant aid in their financial aid package.

Students are automatically eligible to receive the tax credit if they meet all eligibility criteria; there is no separate application. To ensure eligibility, students can complete a FAFSA or CASFA each academic year, complete at least six credits with a 2.5 GPA per term and attend an eligible Colorado public college or university. Eligible institutions include community colleges, public four-year colleges and universities, area technical colleges and local district colleges.

This tax credit fully reimburses tuition and fees paid out-of-pocket by eligible students and their families. The higher education institution of choice will notify students if they are eligible for the program and how much was paid in qualified educational expenses for a given tax year. To receive the credit, a student must file state income taxes and request the amount shared with the student by their institution. Each year, students will file taxes and claim the credit for tuition and fees paid in the prior academic year, not the current academic year.

Eligible students can receive the tax credit reimbursement while working towards any undergraduate degree at an eligible Colorado public higher education institution, including a certificate, associate, or bachelor’s degree. For most eligible students, a certificate and/or associate degree is covered by the program. In addition, students who begin their postsecondary education with enough dual or concurrent enrollment classes and/or AP/IB credits could use the remaining 65 credits to cover an entire bachelor’s degree free of charge, after receiving the tax credit reimbursement.

If you are eligible for Colorado Promise and take time off from your degree program (such as not enrolling for one or more terms or semesters), you remain eligible for the tax credit when you return to your studies as long as you continue to meet eligibility criteria.

Yes, as long as you transfer to an eligible public institution in Colorado, such as a community college, area technical college, local district college, or public four-year college or university.

Yes! Colorado Promise applies toward your first 65 credits for eligible students, regardless of whether you have completed a certificate, associate degree or another credential. You can continue to receive the tax credit until you reach the 65 credit cap.

Students should always request Colorado Promise, never their parents, guardians or through another individual. This is true for students considered independent and dependent on the FAFSA.

Yes! This is a refundable tax credit, meaning eligible students will receive the full amount paid out-of-pocket for tuition and fees in eligible terms, even if that amount is larger than the student’s tax liability or total income in that tax year.

To claim the credit, you will file state income taxes for the tax year following the academic year(s) for which you were eligible. For example, if you were eligible in Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 but would not otherwise file taxes, you should file your taxes in early 2026 for the 2025 tax year to claim the credit. Additional guidance on this process will be provided in the coming months.