Alternatives to ASCENT 

1. Earn Postsecondary Credits in High School
   Take advantage of opportunities to earn college credit while still in high school. This includes:

   • College-credit courses offered at your high school (high school select, AP, IB, CU Succeed)

   • Career pathway programs at the PSD Career Tech Center

   • Campus Select (courses taken on the college campus or online)

2. Complete the FAFSA or CAFSA Early
   Submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form or the Colorado Application for State Financial Aid (CAFSA) as soon as it opens. Applying early allows for better access to available funds.

   • Pell Grants: These are federal grants that do not need to be repaid.

3. Explore Colorado Promise
   The new Colorado Promise program offers a tax rebate for college expenses for the first two years of college (no more than 65 credits).

   • Available for students attending a Colorado public college or university.

   • To qualify, your family’s adjusted gross income must be $90,000 or less.

   • Colorado Promise Fact Sheet

4. EmpowerEd Program
   If you’ve been identified as a McKinney-Vento student during high school (experiencing homelessness), you may be eligible for EmpowerEd, a program that offers additional financial support for college.

5. FosterEd Support
   If you have been in foster care as of age 13 or older, FosterEd can help provide financial support as you pursue a postsecondary education.

6. Scholarships

Colleges and Universities each have their own set of scholarships to apply for and then there are public and private scholarships students can qualify for in a variety of ways.

6. • Don’t forget to apply for many scholarships through the PSD Scholarship application.

   • The PSD Future Ready website has many links for scholarship resources: https://www.psdfutureready.org/scholarships/.