Admission
Merit Aid and Scholarships
CC meets 100% of every student’s demonstrated financial need, which means we’ll cover the gap between what college costs and what a family can pay. We also offer merit aid to top applicants—plus, a limited number of competitive, application-based scholarships for students interested in math and science, public service, or equity work. Read on to learn more.
Merit Aid
Our strongest applicants are automatically considered for merit aid—no separate application required. That includes our top honor, the Leadership Scholarship: a four-year award worth $60,000 ($15,000 a year, split across two semesters) for students with standout academic achievement.
If you apply using the Common Application, QuestBridge Application, or Apply Coalition with Scoir, you’re automatically considered for the Leadership Scholarship, regardless of your application round. If you’re selected, you’ll be notified when you receive your admission decision.
CC Application-Based Scholarships
CC offers three application-based scholarships: Barnes, El Pomar, and WES—each with its own eligibility criteria and timeline. Take a look below to review eligibility and apply.
Athletic Scholarships
Athletic scholarships are available for our two NCAA Division I programs: women’s soccer and men’s ice hockey. NCAA rules don’t allow athletic scholarships for our Division III sports. Questions? Reach out to CC athletics at (719) 389-6476 or visit theathletics website.Outside Scholarships
The following scholarships aren’t administered by Colorado College, but they’re worth a look.Each year, the Boettcher Foundation selects a small group of Colorado’s most accomplished high school seniors for this honor and, through its partnership with CC, covers the full cost of their tuition and fees. If a recipient demonstrates additional need beyond that, Colorado College steps in with need-based aid to meet it in full.
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation is a nationwide academic competition based on students’ PSAT scores. If you’re a National Merit Finalist, let them know Colorado College is your first-choice college by their published deadline.
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation awards three types of scholarships. Here’s how each one works:
- National Merit $2,500 Scholarship: a one-time $2,500 award selected by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.
- Corporate-Sponsored Scholarship: a one-time or renewable award funded by a corporate sponsor, with amounts and renewal terms that vary by sponsor.
- College-Sponsored Scholarship: a renewable award for up to four years at your sponsoring college. At Colorado College, National Merit Finalists who name CC as their first-choice college can receive $2,000 a year for up to four years.
Visit the Scholarships page on the Student Financial Services website for more information about the National Merit Scholarship.
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In most cases, private or outside scholarships won't reduce the financial aid award at Colorado College. See our outside scholarships policy for more details.
Tuition Remission
Tuition Remission is a benefit that covers a significant portion of tuition costs for students who are eligible dependents of someone who works at Colorado College or a participating ACM school. Because of that, merit scholarships aren’t awarded on top of it. If a merit scholarship is awarded before your Tuition Remission benefit is confirmed, it will be removed—and reinstated if that benefit is ever lost.
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Last updated: 08/21/2026