Types of Aid
Financial aid comes in three forms: money you keep, money you earn, and money you repay. Most students end up with a mix of all three.
Explore Your Options
Grants
Need-based money you never repay, from federal, state and university sources. Filing the FAFSA is how you qualify.
Scholarships
Awards based on merit, need, program or background. Some come from CU Anschutz, others from outside organizations.
Work-Study
A part-time job, often on campus, funded partly by the federal government. You earn a paycheck rather than receiving a lump sum.
Student Loans
Federal, university and private loans. Start here to compare them before you borrow.
Federal Loans
Private Loans
Title VII Loans
Federal loans for students in specific health professions programs, lent by CU Anschutz at a low fixed rate.
Summer Aid
Summer comes out of the same annual pot as fall and spring. What you have left depends on what you already used.
Take Aid in This Order
You do not have to accept everything you are offered. Working down this list in order costs you the least over time.
1
Grants and Scholarships. Free money, so take all of it before anything else.
2
Work-Study. Earned income, with no interest and nothing to repay.
3
Federal Loans. Fixed rates, income-driven repayment plans and protections private lenders do not offer.
4
Private Loans, Last. Credit-based, usually more expensive and without federal protections. Use them only to fill a gap federal aid cannot.
What Changed for Federal Loans
Effective July 1, 2026
Grad PLUS ended. Closed to new borrowers. Some continuing students still qualify.
New program and lifetime caps. Total federal borrowing is now capped by program and over your lifetime.
New repayment plans. New loans use the Tiered Standard Plan or the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP).
Annual Direct Unsubsidized limits for graduate students did not change. If you borrowed before July 1, 2026, different rules may apply. See Federal Student Loan Changes.
What Now?
Start With the FAFSA
Grants, work-study and federal loans all start with one application.
Compare Student Loans
If this does not cover everything, federal loans usually come next.
Look at Grants First
Grants are money you never repay. Take all you qualify for before borrowing.
Know Your Costs
Your cost of attendance sets the ceiling on how much aid you can receive.
Something Changed?
Lost income, a change at home or unusual costs can all be reviewed.
Where Is My Refund?
Aid pays your bill first. What is left is released to you by the Bursar.