Undergraduate (Bachelor) Costs & Financial Aid
Your total cost to attend CU Denver includes more than your tuition & fees - you will also need to consider your housing, food, travel, health insurance, textbooks, etc. Before you can apply for your US student visa, you must prove to CU Denver that you have the necessary funding to support your first year of study.
International Undergraduate Scholarships
The University of Colorado Denver offers a wide variety of financial aid and scholarship opportunities for international undergraduate students. We are committed to supporting your long-term academic and personal success at CU Denver, including your financial well-being.
International Admissions offers automatic merit-based scholarships and additional funding through donor awards and need-based grants. Additionally, students can apply for program-specific and external scholarships. Scholarships can be combined with employment opportunities and other financial resources to contribute to your cost of attendance.
| Scholarship Option | Application Requirement | Award Amount or Range | Criteria | Application Status Aid Year: Fall 2022 - Summer 2023 |
| Automatic Merit Scholarship | No | $5,000 - 10,000 per academic year | GPA | OPEN |
| Additional Merit Scholarship | Apply Now | Up to $8,000 per academic year | GPA and scholarship application | CLOSED The application opens August 1st. |
| ESL Academy Graduate Scholarship | No | $1,000 - $5,000 per academic year | Completion of 1 to 5 levels of the ESL Academy before Admission | OPEN |
| Program-Specific Scholarships | Apply Now | $500 - $2,500 | Varies | VARIES |
| External Scholarships | Apply Now | Varies | Varies | VARIES |
* Students in partnership programs are not eligible for these scholarships as they are based on the Downtown Denver campus international student tuition rate.
Scholarship Application Procedures & Timeline
Automatic Merit Scholarships
- Available to students admitted in fall, spring, and summer terms. Funding is awarded only in fall and spring terms. Students admitted in summer will receive their first award in the subsequent fall term.
- Students with a reduced course load (RCL) approved by CU Denver International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS) will retain their scholarships according to International Admissions policies. If you plan to take an RCL in an upcoming semester, please contact ISSS.
- Scholarships are awarded automatically based on GPA. International Admissions will convert international GPA's to the US 4.0 scale during the admission review.
- Students will be notified of the scholarship award in their admission letter.
- In order to ensure your best opportunity to secure scholarship funding and enrollment in the courses you need, make sure to complete your application as soon as possible.
- Open to non-resident, non-sponsored freshman and transfer students enrolled in on-campus degree programs. Not available for online study or CU Denver partnership programs.
- Scholarships are renewable for 4 years (freshmen) or 2 years (transfer).
Award Amounts
| GPA | Award |
| 3.0 - 3.29 | $5,000 per year |
| 3.3 - 3.69 | $7,500 per year |
| 3.7+ | $10,000 per year |
* Awards of varying amounts are available for other residency types. Please contact International Admissions with any questions about your residency type.
Additional Merit Scholarships
- Available to students admitted in fall and spring terms only, as long as funding is available.
- Application required: The CU Denver Combined Financial Aid Application for International Undergraduate Students will be available August 1.
- Priority Consideration Begins:
- Spring Semester: Oct 1st of previous year
- Fall Semester: March 1st of current year
- Applications will be reviewed monthly following the priority consideration date, until funds for the semester in question have been exhausted.
- Awards and grants are limited - apply early for the best chances!
- Open to non-resident, non-sponsored freshman and transfer Students enrolled in on-campus degree programs. Not available for online study or CU Denver partnership programs.
- Grants are renewable for 4 years (freshmen) or 2 years (transfer).
Conditions of Additional Merit Scholarship
- Once a student is notified that they have been awarded an Additional Merit Scholarship, they will need to accept the offer within 2 weeks of the notification, or the award will be rescinded and funds will go back into the scholarship pool.
- In order to keep their award, students must maintain full-time enrollment (12 credit hours per semester) and a cumulative CU GPA of 2.5+.
- Students with a reduced course load (RCL) approved by CU Denver International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS) will retain their scholarships according to International Admissions policies. If you plan to take an RCL in an upcoming semester, please contact ISSS.
Students who successfully complete level 5 at CU Denver’s ESL Academy and continue with CU Denver for their undergraduate degree studies are guaranteed a scholarship of $1,000 per year, for each level completed at the ESL Academy.
| ESL Levels Completed | Level Entered into ESL Academy | Annual Award Amount |
| One Level | Level 5 | $1,000 |
| Two Levels | Level 4 | $2,000 |
| Three Levels | Level 3 | $3,000 |
| Four Levels | Level 2 | $4,000 |
| Five Levels | Level 1 | $5,000 |
Note: Students who complete the LynxDirect Pathway Program are eligible for the ESL Academy Graduate scholarship. The non-degree portion of LynxDirect counts as one additional level of ESL study for the purposes of determining the scholarship amount. The scholarship will start in the first term of degree-seeking study (after completing LynxDirect).
Program-Specific & External Scholarships
CU Denver Scholarships
- International Freshman Scholarships
- Search our Scholarship Database
- Apply to the University Honors and Leadership program
- Business School scholarships for up to $1,500 a semester