For Students: Spring and Summer Tuition and Fees

April 14, 2020 @ 4:32 p.m.

Dear CU Denver Students,

The COVID-19 pandemic has upended the way we traditionally function. During this public health emergency, our first priority has been to ensure the health and safety of our community and to support one another as we face the many challenges in our lives.  

We remain committed to your personal and educational success. If you have yet to do so, please check out the student resources that our faculty and staff have made available remotely, as well as the modified grading policy that gives you maximum flexibility to complete the spring semester successfully and remain on the path toward your goals.

We also know this crisis is taking an economic toll. We’re writing today about financial decisions for the spring and summer semesters, and to be transparent about the hard choices we’ve had to make.

Student workers will be paid through the end of spring semester
We know our student workers depend on their paychecks just as our employees do. We have committed to continue paying student employees through the end of the spring semester, even those who are unable to perform their regular work duties.

Refunds are being provided for housing and parking
We have been providing prorated refunds for residence hall contracts for students who have moved out of Lynx Crossing (formerly Campus Village) and refunds on student parking for the spring semester.

Tuition and mandatory fees will remain unchanged for the spring semester
We expect that you will complete the spring 2020 semester and since courses taught virtually continue to count fully toward your degree program, tuition and mandatory fees will remain unchanged. This is consistent with the other University of Colorado campuses. 

We continue to provide student services virtually, and our faculty are working hard to provide a high-quality educational experience regardless of delivery method. We are committed to learning from this experience and hopeful that it will result in novel and effective new models of learning. 

Meanwhile, if you’re having difficulty paying your bill, we will do everything we can to work with you through this time. Please contact Bursar@ucdenver.edu for payment arrangements. In addition, the Loving Lynx fund may be available to help you with unanticipated financial emergencies. 

Most campus fees waived for the summer semester
While the spring fees cannot be refunded as they were used to ensure the virtual continuation of services, our dedicated budget staff has worked hard to find a way to reduce student fees for the summer.

We’re happy to report that for the summer 2020 semester, CU Denver will be committing university resources to cover the costs of the following fees:

• All Auraria fees (bond, student facilities, energy renewal, Phoenix Center, Health Center), totaling $108.55 per student
• Auraria RTD College Pass fee ($125.00 per student)
• CU Denver Student Wellness Center fee ($12.00 per credit hour)
• Online Fee ($100 per online course, $50 per hybrid course)

This represents a significant savings on student fees for summer 2020. You will still have access to services funded by these fees, including remote wellness programming and resources from the CU Denver Wellness Center, the Phoenix Center, and the  Auraria Health Center (which you can call at 303-615-9999 for any COVID-19 related concerns). We will continue to assess fees for technological, student service supports, and school and college advising.

Let’s talk about all of this
We recognize this unprecedented situation has caused considerable disruptions and presents unparalleled challenges for you and your families, as it does for our faculty and staff and the entire university. We are striving to be fair and transparent in determining our financial policies, and we appreciate your patience and understanding as these complex decisions are made.  

We know you may have further questions, so we invite you to join a live  Zoom webinar on the topic this Thursday, April 16, from 2:30-3:00 p.m. 

Our student government leaders will interview Jennifer Sobanet, CFO and senior vice chancellor of administration and finance, and Todd Haggerty, associate vice chancellor of budget, and you will have the opportunity to submit questions live. The Zoom will be recorded and shared on the university’s social media channels following the conversation.

In closing, we deeply appreciate your flexibility and dedication to your studies as we navigate this crisis together. We are committed to supporting you to the absolute best of our abilities.

Please take care of yourselves.


Jennifer Sobanet
Senior Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance, Chief Financial Officer

Roderick Nairn, PhD
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs