Scholarships, Grants and Internships

Scholarships, Grants and Internships

Prospective students and graduates are encouraged to apply for scholarships during the program and loan repayment after graduation. Students are responsible for updating their tuition classification information (does not update automatically) for residency. Your tuition classification impacts your tuition rate.

Many private organizations offer scholarships to college students. We have listed some private scholarship opportunities for you to consider on this page. UCCS seeks to assist students searching for scholarship opportunities from both the university and outside scholarship providers. Outside scholarship providers are not under the jurisdiction of UCCS, therefore the University assumes no obligation for verification of the legitimacy of such providers listed on this website. Please be aware of potential scholarship scams. The University assumes no liability or obligation in verifying the validity of postings.

For more information on applying for financial aid and applying for the Colorado Application for Student Financial Aid (CASFA) or Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) please visit How to Apply | Financial Aid and Student Employment (uccs.edu)

See below for links to several scholarship opportunities for educators.

Colorado Center for Rural Education

Are you curious about ways to pay for your education to become a teacher? The Colorado Center for Rural Education has resources for you.

How to Fund Your Education
colorado center for rural education logo

Alpine Bank

Qualifications

The bank provides numerous scholarships for Colorado students. Check the bank’s website for more information.

Scholarship amount

Amounts vary based on the scholarship

Apply for an Alpine Bank Scholarship

Boettcher Foundation

Qualifications

Students must graduate from a Colorado high school and live in Colorado for their full junior and senior year of high school. They must also be a citizen of the United States, a legal permanent resident, or a DACA recipient. Students can apply during their senior year. 
 

Scholarship amount

$20,000 annually for four years

Apply for a Boettcher Foundation Scholarship

Daniels Fund

Qualifications

Students must be a Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, or Wyoming resident and be a graduating high school senior. Students must also prove citizenship or permanent residency. They must earn a minimum high school GPA of 3.0, as well as meet SAT minimum score requirements. The scholarship organization also requires household incomes be below a specific income level.

Scholarship amount

Up to a full-ride scholarship

Apply for a Daniels Fund Scholarship

Delta Kappa Gamma Society International

The Delta Kappa Gamma (DKG) Society International promotes professional and personal growth of women educators and excellence in education. We have more than 100,000 members belonging to over 2,900 chapters located around the world. Among our goals is to provide support and encouragement to women pursuing a college degree in the field of education. The DKG Eta Chapter of Colorado Springs invites you to apply for one of our scholarships. We welcome applicants needing financial assistance who have a high grade-point average and a strong aptitude for teaching. Scholarship applicants may be either embarking on a first-time career in education
or undergoing a career change. We are looking for candidates dedicated to enriching the lives of children and young adults and who will, hopefully, one day join DKG.

Award: $1,000 - $3,000

Eligibility Criteria
  • Female
  • Currently enrolled as a full-time student at a Colorado Springs college or university
  • Enrolled in coursework in a teacher education/licensure program (undergraduate or graduate level)
Application Process

Submit a letter of application which includes:

  • ACADEMIC INFORMATION: schools attended, major, GPA, special achievements, etc.
  • EXPERIENCE: employment, experience with children/youth, community leadership, etc.
  • STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: Why do you want to become an educator? What are your perceptions of teaching? Who influenced your decision to be a teacher?
  • FINANCIAL NEED: debt, scholarship(s), family circumstances, etc.
  • RECOMMENDATIONS: Include written letters of recommendation from professors, supervising teachers, and others who have knowledge of your work ethic and teaching abilities. These may be sent to Scholarship Committee under separate cover. Emails accepted.

Participate in a scholarship interview.

Deadlines
  • April 30
  • Interviews will be conducted in April - Early May
Award Disbursement
  • The scholarship will be awarded May 13, 2025.
  • Scholarship funds will be disbursed via check made out to the institution of higher education and the scholarship recipient.
  • Proceeds will be released to the school for tuition or books.

For more information, please contact ETA Chapter Co-President, Dr. Maxine Fawcett-Yeske at mfawcettyeske@gmail.com or 719-649-2348. 

Submit your DKG Scholarship Application Letter via Email

Denver Scholarship Foundation

Qualifications

Students must attend a Denver Public Schools high school and submit their GPA, show financial need, and enroll at one of 30 partner higher education institutions. Certain colleges and universities have varying GPA requirements to be eligible.

Scholarship amount

$3,600 annually

Apply for a Denver Scholarship Foundation Award

Early Childhood Council Leadership Alliance

Qualifications

Early Childhood Council Leadership Alliance (ECCLA) currently offers several scholarship and grant opportunities for students who would like to earn a degree or certificate in early childhood education in Colorado. 

Scholarship amount

Amounts vary based on the scholarship

Apply for an ECCLA Scholarship

Emergency Tuition Aid

Qualifications

The College of Education Emergency Tuition Aid is a one-time award available to current graduate and undergraduate students in the College of Education (COE) who are experiencing unanticipated circumstances that jeopardize their ability to pay tuition in full and to successfully continue in their program. The fund is supported by the College of Education faculty, staff, alumni, and other donor 
contributions. 
Interested students should contact their program faculty director to learn more and find out how to apply. 

Scholarship amount 

Scholarship based on need and funding availability. 
 

Going the Distance Scholarship

Qualifications

The Going the Distance Scholarship is an award designed to support students in the M.A. in Leadership, Student Affairs in Higher Education (SAHE) program who live 50 miles or more outside of Colorado Springs. This scholarship helps offset the cost of travel, making it more affordable for students to attend the program’s required once-a-month in-person session while balancing work and other commitments.

  • Automatically awarded to students who live 50+ miles outside of Colorado Springs
  • Supports students in the M.A. in Leadership, Student Affairs in Higher Education (SAHE) concentration
  • Helps cover travel expenses, including gas and meals, for monthly in-person sessions
Scholarship amount

$2,000

Latin American Education Fund

Qualifications

The foundation offers scholarships to Colorado residents of Latino heritage or those who demonstrate a commitment to the Latino community. Students must have a minimum GPA of 3.0. Scholarships are open to all regardless of documentation or citizenship status.

Scholarship amount

$3,000 per academic year

Apply for a Latin American Education Fund Scholarship

Passion to Purpose Scholarship

Qualifications

The Passion to Purpose Scholarship is an award designed to support clinical counselors who desire to work as a school counselor and are pursuing the Online School Counseling Endorsement program at UCCS. There is a shortage of qualified school counselors in the State of Colorado, especially in rural areas. The Colorado Department of Education has created an alternative pathway for individuals with an MA in Counseling to become licensed school counselors. This scholarship will help to make this pathway more affordable by offsetting the cost of coursework.

  • Automatically awarded to the first 6 students who are accepted into the Online School Counseling Endorsement pathway each year.
  • Helps to make this pathway more affordable for individuals seeking to work with K-12 students in a school setting as a Licensed School Counselor (SSP).
  • Designed for individuals with an MA in Counseling from a CACREP accredited program who are seeking School Counseling licensure in the State of Colorado.
Scholarship Amount

$4,000 

Pinnacol Foundation

Qualifications

Students must be the natural child, adopted child, stepchild or full dependent of a worker who was injured or killed in a compensable work-related accident at a Colorado-based employer. The family member must have been entitled to receive benefits under the Colorado Workers’ Compensation Act. Students must have or maintain a 2.0 GPA and have a high school diploma or GED, or be a high school senior. Students must reapply every year.

Scholarship amount

An average of $4,700 a year

Apply for a Pinnacol Foundation Scholarship

Sachs Foundation

Qualifications

The foundation’s undergraduate scholarships are available to Black Colorado high school students who have been residents for at least three years. Students must also submit information such as their GPA, a personal essay, and letters of recommendation.

Scholarship amount

Up to $12,500 a year

Apply for a Sachs Foundation Scholarship

Tech Forward Scholarship

Qualifications

The Tech Forward Scholarship is an award designed to support educators and professionals pursuing the Instructional Technology Certificate at UCCS. As artificial intelligence (AI) and instructional technology continue to shape education, this scholarship helps make the program more accessible by offsetting the cost of courses.

  • Automatically awarded to the first 15 students who are accepted into the Instructional Technology Certificate Program each academic year.
  • Helps reduce financial barriers for educators seeking to integrate AI and digital tools into teaching and training environments
  • Designed for current educators and professionals looking to enhance their expertise in instructional technology
Scholarship amount

$2,000

UCCS Early Childhood Innovation Scholarship

Qualifications

The Inclusive Early Childhood Education Program at UCCS has been awarded scholarship funds for Inclusive Early Childhood Education students this spring semester 2026. We are delighted to be able to offer these scholarships with a few qualifiers: 

  • Students must be employed in a licensed childcare program serving children ages birth through five.
  • Students must have a Professional Development Information System (PDIS) account set up.
  • Students must be a Colorado resident.
  • Students must be eligible for College Opportunity Fund (COF) funding, unless they are a current graduate student.
  • Each Scholarship recipient must have a signed FERPA release on file and can provide evidence of that documentation upon request by the state agencies involved in this agreement.
  • Students must be enrolled in SPRING 2026 courses in one of the following UCCS early childhood program/pathways:
    Bachelor of Arts: Inclusive Early Childhood Education (BA:IECE), Bachelor of Innovation: Inclusive Early Childhood Leadership (BI:IECL), Inclusive Early Childhood Education Graduate Certificate (IECE Cert), Special Education Program MA : Inclusive Early Childhood Education (SPED MA:IECE) before receiving the scholarship funding.
  • Submit an essay minimum of 500 words (maximum 1000 words), to include your personal story about how this scholarship would impact your professional advancement and/or build a bridge to your Early Childhood Education/Early Childhood Special Education degree attainment. We are hopeful to reach the highest need areas in our workforce such as our rural communities, low income, and underserved by targeting transfer students to start a bachelors-level program, aiming to find students with outside degrees to start masters-level coursework, and advancing a diverse workforce through strong considerations for marginalized early childhood 
    educators to include first-generation college student, indigenous communities, LGBTQIAS2S+, disabilities, multilingual early 
    childhood education candidates and/or candidates from disadvantaged backgrounds. Essays will be ranked based upon content, length, grammar, spelling, organized structure, and attention to detail. You are encouraged to write an essay that grabs the attention of the reader by being creative and using rich language. Please do not use Artificial Intelligence (AI). 

Award: $4,600
Submission due date: Sunday, November 16, 2025
Scholarship Award Notices anticipated on or before January 12, 2026

Application Link