Boettcher Scholarship

We need dynamic thinkers, doers, and difference makers like you to stay in Colorado so you positively impact our state. That’s why we created the Boettcher Scholarship Program—so leaders like you can build a brighter future for Coloradans.

Scholarship Overview

Boettcher Scholarship Models

Our Scholarship Program has two models that support the Foundation’s mission to invest in the promise of Colorado and the potential of Coloradans.

Cost of Attendance Model: Scholars receive an annual fixed amount of $20,000 per year from Boettcher for four years. Institutions will then use institutional, merit, and/or need-based support (or a combination) to support up to the total cost of attendance for each Scholar minus travel and other expenses. Institutions under this model are Adams State University, Colorado Mesa University, Colorado School of Mines, Colorado State University, Colorado State University Pueblo, Fort Lewis College, Metropolitan State University of Denver, University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, University of Colorado Denver, University of Northern Colorado, and Western Colorado University.

Tuition & Fees Model: Scholars receive an annual fixed amount of $20,000 per year from Boettcher for four years. Partner institutions will then use institutional, merit, and/or need-based support (or a combination) to support up to the total amount of tuition and fees for each Scholar. Institutions under this model are Colorado Christian University, Colorado College, Regis University, and University of Denver.

Eligibility Requirements

To be considered for the Boettcher Scholarship, you must meet these four minimum requirements:

• Be a graduating Colorado high school senior who has lived in Colorado for your full junior and senior years of high school OR be a registered member of a federally recognized American Indian Tribe/Nation with historical ties to Colorado
• Apply during the fall of what is your final year of high school (the equivalent of your senior year), even if you are graduating early or considering taking a gap year after graduation;
• Graduate from a Colorado high school

AND one of the following:

Be a citizen, legal permanent resident, or lawfully present (including through Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) in the United States

OR

Meet the requirements and have applied or started the process of applying for citizenship, legal status, or lawful presence. (Although students can be in the application process for citizenship, legal status, or lawful presence during the Boettcher selection timeframe, in order to become a Boettcher Scholar, you must provide documentation that shows you have successfully completed the process.) For more information, view our Legal Status or Lawful Presence FAQ.

Once you apply, the Boettcher Foundation Scholarship selection committee judges each student on:

• Superior scholastic ability and intellectual curiosity
• Evidence of leadership and involvement
• Service to community and school
• Outstanding character

As a merit-based scholarship, we define merit as merit of circumstance, meaning the selection criteria above and more. We care deeply about lived experience and the context in which a student has thrived as a leader, either because of or in spite of personal circumstances. Competitive candidates also demonstrate strong potential for continued leadership and service.

The Boettcher Foundation hosts webinars annually. Titled Everything You Need to Know About Scholarships,” the webinars go over how students can “ACE” their college and scholarship applications, including tips on how to make their applications stand out.