UNC Helped Lead Efforts in Development of Statewide Portal for Colorado ASSET Students
2020年10月8日
The Colorado Department of Higher 教育 recently announced a new online application that allows Colorado students who haven’t historically qualified for federal 援助, to complete an application for state financial 援助 (Colorado Application for State 财政援助(CASFA). The 北科罗拉多大学 helped lead efforts in the collaboration and creation of this new unified state application.
Advancing Students for a Stronger Economy 明天 (ASSET) is a Colorado law that allows eligible undocumented students to pay in-state tuition and receive the College Opportunity Fund stipend at Colorado public colleges.
After attending a Colorado Association of 金融援助 Administrators conference
and viewing a presentation by Metro State 大学 (MSU) about their paper application
for institutional 援助 for ASSET students, 马蒂Somero, UNC’s 财政援助主任, reached out to Tom Biedscheid, Colorado State 大学’s
财政援助主任. Somero shared with Biedscheid his idea of having one unified
state application for ASSET students to use. The goal was to make the state financial
援助 application process for ASSET students easier through one application versus having
to fill out multiple forms for each school the student applies to.
Somero s援助 that both he and Biedscheid then invited the 大学 of Colorado and MSU into the conversation, and all four university representatives agreed on the need 全州范围的申请. Eventually, the state mandated the use of CASFA that resulted in the unified state application for Asset students.
Once approved, UNC assisted in testing the application in its initial stages with input from UNC’s Office of 金融援助 and Information Management and Technology teams who worked closely with CDHE staff and others. 测试很成功 resulted in Colorado ASSET students being able to use the unified statewide application 2021-22学年.
“UNC remains committed to removing barriers for all of our students to pursue a higher 教育. This application will support our efforts in removing some of the financial barriers ASSET students face as they pursue their post-secondary 教育,” s援助 Kim Medina, assistant vice president of Enrollment Management at UNC. 我们知道 their pursuits will not only change their lives, but the lives of their families for 子孙后代. UNC is fortunate to have a dedicated and innovative team of professionals in our 金融援助 office ready to help all students interested in pursuing their 学位.”
根据 来自CDHE的博天堂官方网站稿, “In 2019, the General Assembly passed H.B. 19-1196, 金融援助 For Students With In-state Tuition, which allows state-funded financial 援助 to be awarded to students who do not have lawful immigration status but have resided in the state for at least three years before graduating from a Colorado 高中 or passing a 高中 equivalency exam, and admitted to a participating college within 12 months of graduating 高中. They must also sign an affidavit affirming that they are seeking or will seek legal status as soon as they’re eligible. These students are historically called ASSET students after Senate Bill 13-033, Advancing Students for a Stronger Economy 明天.”
Angie Paccione, executive director of the CDHE, says “CASFA positively supports families and is a logical next step in efforts to erase equity gaps and put college in reach for the families who benefit most from a postsecondary 教育. 这是一个例子 of how Colorado demonstrates its commitment to educating all of our students on their 学术之旅.”
The main focus of the CASFA is for Colorado ASSET students to complete the application to determine potential eligibility for institutional and state-funded financial 援助. 班.S. citizen students can also complete the CASFA to determine their eligibility for any potential institutional 援助. Institutional and state-funded financial 援助, including grants and work-study funds, helps open doors to higher 教育 for students who have attended 高中 in Colorado but aren’t eligible for federal financial 援助.
The CASFA follows the same methodology for determining the Expected Family Contribution as exists in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and aligns with the FAFSA open and close date — a 21-month application cycle that begins on Oct. 1, nine months before the start 获奖年度的, and ends on June 30, the last day 获奖年度的.
Students eligible for Title IV financial 援助 should complete the FAFSA 而不是CASFA.
——Katie Corder著
