What is the CASFA?

What is the CASFA?

CASFA is a financial aid application completed during senior year to see if you are eligible for money from the state government to pay for 4-year college, trade school, community college, etc. Students may be eligible for grants which is money that does not need to be repaid.

CASFA is for DACA & Undocumented students, Non-Citizen students and International students who are interested in applying for financial aid from the State of Colorado and institutional aid from colleges in Colorado.

Students who can complete the FAFSA should not complete the CASFA. Click here to go to the FAFSA Wizard!

To qualify for ASSET (in-state tuition) and aid from the State of Colorado, you must:

• Graduated from a Colorado high school or was physically present in Colorado for at least one year immediately preceding the date the student successfully completed a high school equivalency examination in Colorado; and

• Has been physically present in Colorado for at least 12 consecutive months prior to enrolling in an institution.

How do I apply for financial aid?

CASFA will be open on October 1st - you can’t start your CASFA until this date. Go to cdhe.colorado.gov/colorado-application-for-state-financial-aid to complete your CASFA!

It is free to complete and aid is awarded on first-come, first-served basis so the sooner you apply, the better!

What do I need to apply?

In order to complete your CASFA, you will want to gather together information about yourself and your family. This is the information that you will need:

1. A copy of the 2021 Income Taxes (usually 1040) and W-2 Forms for parents/guardians and student

   • If your family does not file taxes, have an estimate of how much money the family gets per year and you will need to prove this estimate later on.

   • If your family files taxes in another country, have an estimate in dollars of how much they earn for the year and prove this estimate later on.

2. Amount of money in checking, savings and cash for you and your parent/guardian (as of today, after bills have been paid for the month)

3. Value of businesses or farms owned by you or your parent/guardian

4. If parents/guardians are married, date of marriage or remarriage

5. If parents are divorced, date of divorce

6. Parents’ birth dates

7. Number of years family has lived in Colorado

8. List up to 10 colleges or universities that interest you

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: If my family owns their own business, can I still fill out CASFA?

  • A: YES!!

• Q: If my family works in a cash only business, can I still fill out CASFA?

  • A: YES!!

• Q: If members of my family do not have a social security number, can I still fill out CASFA?

  • A: YES!!

• Q: If my parents are divorced, can I still fill out CASFA?

  • A: YES!!

• Q: If I am not sure where I want to go to college, or if I want to attend college right after graduation, should I still fill out CASFA?

  • A: YES!!

• Q: If my family does not file taxes, can I still fill out CASFA?

  • A: YES!!