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Colorado School of Mines · Colorado

Colorado Mines scholarships and merit aid

Mines auto-awards either the Provost Award or the President's Scholarship toward tuition and fees, with amounts that swing sharply by residency, and it pays only the single highest Mines award rather than stacking them.

Verified Jul 20262 months ago

The short answer

Is Colorado Mines worth a closer look?

Colorado Mines is worth checking if your student has strong grades or scores. We found 7 published awards, and 2 are based on those numbers.

Merit tiers72 based on grades or scores
Research checkedJul 2026By our research team

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Published scholarships

These amounts and requirements come from the school’s own published pages. Open an award to see who qualifies and how to keep it.

Resident $2,500-$7,000…Resident $2,500-$7,000; Non-resident $12,000-$16,000

President's Scholarship

Based on grades or scoresCan continue
See who qualifies
Who qualifies

Based on the full admission application (evaluated by Admissions). U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and Colorado ASSET-eligible students automatically evaluated; must be fully admitted by May 1.

How to keep it

Renewable for 8 consecutive semesters (4 years) of fall/spring; maintain a minimum 2.500 cumulative GPA; reviewed at the end of spring. FAFSA not required to renew. Tuition and fees only; not summer.

Notes

Designated for tuition and fees only; amount changes with residency. NOTE conflict: the scholarships page lists the resident range as $2,500-$7,000 while the first-year page lists $3,500-$7,000 (see Section C).

Source

Resident $1,000-$2,000…Resident $1,000-$2,000; Non-resident $6,000-$10,000

Provost Award

Based on grades or scoresCan continue
See who qualifies
Who qualifies

Based on the admission application. Student receives EITHER the Provost Award OR the President's Scholarship (not both).

How to keep it

Renewable for 8 consecutive semesters (4 years) of fall/spring; pass a minimum of 67% of attempted credits and maintain a 2.000 cumulative GPA; reviewed each semester. FAFSA not required. Tuition and fees only; not summer.

Notes

Tuition and fees only; amount changes with residency. NOTE conflict: the scholarships page lists the non-resident range as $6,000-$10,000 while the first-year page lists $8,000-$10,000 (see Section C).

Source

Tuition and mandatory fees…Tuition and mandatory fees (after COF for CO residents)

Harvey Scholarship Program (PASCAL)

Apply separatelyCan continue
See who qualifies
Who qualifies

New first-year fall candidates; U.S. citizen or permanent resident; admitted by Mines Admissions; record of academic excellence. Competitive — apply via General Scholarship Application; finalists interview; no more than 12 selected.

How to keep it

Renewable for eight semesters, with an additional award for one summer of Field Session.

Notes

Pays tuition and mandatory fees (after COF for CO residents). Scholars also eligible for a $7,000 Harvey Scholars Enrichment Grant (study abroad, conferences, etc.).

Source

Tuition and mandatory fees…Tuition and mandatory fees (after COF for CO residents)

Grewcock Presidential Scholars Program (PASCAL)

Apply separatelyCan continue
See who qualifies
Who qualifies

All first-year fall candidates; competitive — apply via General Scholarship Application; finalists interview; no more than 10 selected.

How to keep it

Renewable for eight semesters; also funds extracurricular learning and leadership programming.

Notes

Covers tuition and mandatory fees (after COF for CO residents).

Source

$5,000-$10,000

Starzer Service Scholarship Program (PASCAL)

Apply separatelyCan continue
See who qualifies
Who qualifies

Mission-driven servant leaders; preference to Colorado high school graduates but out-of-state encouraged. Apply via scholarship portal.

How to keep it

Per academic year; renewal terms in the scholarship portal.

Notes

Financial awards $5,000-$10,000 per academic year.

Source

$5,000

Bliss Scholarship Program (PASCAL, first-generation)

Apply separatelyCan continue
See who qualifies
Who qualifies

First-year and transfer students who are the first in their family to earn a bachelor's degree. Apply via scholarship portal.

How to keep it

$5,000 annually, renewable up to four years (fall/spring only).

Notes

Funds may be used for tuition, books, fees, and room and board (broader than the tuition-only admission awards).

Source

Full-time tuition and mandatory fees…Full-time tuition and mandatory fees (after COF, Mines award, Pell, and/or Colorado Grant)

Mines Promise Program

Apply separatelyCan continue
See who qualifies
Who qualifies

Colorado resident; U.S. citizen/eligible non-citizen/Colorado ASSET; incoming first-year (or transfer) for fall 2026; first bachelor's; full Pell eligible (SAI -1,500 to 0); enrolled full-time 12-19 credits. FAFSA/CASFA + COF stipend by March 1.

How to keep it

Renew by completing FAFSA/CASFA each year by April 1, remaining full-Pell-eligible (SAI -1,500 to 0), and meeting SAP.

Notes

Colorado-resident, Pell-eligible tuition-and-fees promise (a last-dollar program after COF/Mines award/Pell/Colorado Grant). Does not cover summer.

Source

See what could change an award

Straight from the aid office

What Colorado Mines's aid office says

Per the Financial Aid Office, Colorado School of Mines, August 2026. How we verify

Automatic consideration

Is there a separate merit scholarship application?

No — the admission application is the scholarship application, and the merit decision arrives with the admission decision itself. There is nothing separate to file and no second notification to wait for.

“will automatically be considered for a merit scholarship, and he will be notified if he receives a scholarship when his admission decision is released.”
Priority deadline

Is there a priority deadline for merit consideration?

November 1 for the 2027-2028 school year. The office framed it as the date that gets the admission decision — and with it the merit decision — back as early as possible.

“The priority deadline for the 2027-2028 school year is November 1st, and this will allow him to hear back from Mines about his admission decision as early as possible.”
No published cutoffs

Is there a GPA or test-score threshold that triggers a merit award?

No — Mines states there is no specific number. Merit is decided from multiple parts of the application, which means families cannot pre-compute an award from a stats grid the way they can at formula schools.

“Merit scholarships are determined by a number of different things from applications, so there isn't really a specific test score or GPA requirement in order to receive a scholarship.”
The ceiling

How much total aid can a student receive?

Up to the full cost of attendance — the standard federal ceiling.

“will be able to receive aid up to his Cost of Attendance”
Outside scholarships

If outside awards push past the cost of attendance, what gets cut first?

Loans first, scholarships and grants last — the family-favorable ordering, stated explicitly. An outside scholarship at Mines displaces borrowing before it ever touches gift aid.

“if outside scholarships push him past the Cost of Attendance, our office will start by reducing loans, and leave scholarships and grants until last.”
Renewal GPA

What GPA keeps the merit scholarship each year?

It depends on the specific award — each merit scholarship carries its own renewal requirement, published on the Maintaining Scholarships page rather than as one campus-wide number. The award letter names which scholarship a student holds; that name is what to look up.

“GPA requirements depend on which award”

What families often miss

  1. A student receives EITHER the Provost Award OR the President's Scholarship, and if eligible for another Mines scholarship, receives only the single highest-dollar award (athletic and music excepted).

  2. The Provost Award and President's Scholarship apply to tuition and fees ONLY — not housing, food, or summer. With 2026-2027 on-campus COA at $46,480 (resident) / $71,470 (non-resident), a tuition/fee award leaves housing ($10,922) and food ($7,978) uncovered.

  3. Awards are set by tuition classification; if residency changes, the amount is adjusted (a non-resident who gains in-state status has the award dropped to the resident rate). Non-resident amounts are far larger because non-resident tuition is far higher.

  4. Tuition scholarships are based on 15-19 credits; below 15 credits the award is adjusted to actual tuition charges, and your semester award can never exceed your tuition/fee charges.

  5. The Provost Award requires a 2.000 cumulative GPA and passing 67% of attempted credits (reviewed each semester); the President's Scholarship requires a 2.500 cumulative GPA (reviewed at the end of spring). Summer credits don't count toward renewal.

  6. Favorable rule: Mines applies private/outside scholarships to replace loans and/or work-study BEFORE reducing any Mines grant or scholarship — unless the outside award is designated for tuition and fees or pushes total aid above the cost of attendance.

See costs and school data

Who this school may work for

A strong STEM applicant — especially a non-resident, where the President's Scholarship ($12,000-$16,000) is largest — who understands Mines awards are tuition-only, residency-pegged, and limited to the single highest Mines award.

Published yearly cost: Approximately $46,480 for 2026-2027. Source

Cost and graduation facts

Federal reporting on who actually enrolls at Colorado Mines, what they paid after aid, and what happened next — independent of anything the school markets.

Average annual net price by family income at Colorado Mines, academic year 2021-22 — in-state, Title-IV aid recipients only
Family incomeAverage net price paid
$0–$30,000$16,849
$30,001–$48,000$18,162
$48,001–$75,000$22,192
$75,001–$110,000$28,183
$110,001+$35,112
All income levels (average)$28,690

Sticker price vs. what students actually pay

Published tuition & fees (in-state), AY 2022-23
$21,914
Published tuition & fees (out-of-state), AY 2022-23
$45,824
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$28,690

That works out to roughly a 29% discount below the federal AY 2021-22 average cost of attendance of $40,560 (College Scorecard — a separate, federally reported figure, not the published cost of attendance shown above).

Colorado Mines is a public school; Scorecard's net price figure covers in-state, Title-IV-aid-recipient payers only — there is no comparable federal figure for out-of-state students.

Outcomes for students who enrolled here

Graduation rate (150% of normal time), 2016 cohort
82%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
93%
Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
$23,000 (~$244/mo on a 10-yr plan)
Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
$97,335
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
15%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
35%
See other scholarships and cost examples

If your student brings another scholarship

If a student is eligible for more than one Mines scholarship, only the single highest-dollar award is paid (excluding athletic and music). All Mines awards are tuition/fee-only and capped at actual tuition/fee charges. Outside scholarships are applied to replace loans and/or work-study before reducing any Mines grant or scholarship.

'If a student subsequently becomes eligible for another Mines scholarship, the student will receive the scholarship worth the highest dollar amount.' Mines uses private scholarships to replace loans and/or work-study before adjusting any university grants or scholarships. Admission awards are not reduced by outside scholarships unless the outside award is for tuition and fees or causes total aid to exceed cost of attendance. Total aid cannot exceed cost of attendance.

Source

Other Colorado Mines scholarships worth checking

These awards can be harder to find. Each one has its own rules.

AmountUp to $8,000EligibilityInternational first-year students, evaluated by Undergraduate Admissions; renewable 8 semesters; tuition and fees. Sponsored students may not be eligible.

Source

AmountAmount not publishedEligibilityTransfer students seeking first bachelor's; U.S. citizen/PR/Colorado ASSET; PTK member. Maintain 2.500 GPA; renewable up to 6 consecutive semesters; tuition and mandatory fees.

Email scholarship@mines.edu with Mines CWID and membership certificate.

Source

AmountUp to full tuition + fees (varies; Army pays full tuition & fees)EligibilityROTC applicants; 2-, 3-, and 4-year scholarships; monthly stipend and book allowance. Apply by December 1.

External federal programs.

Source

Colorado Mines merit aid FAQ

  • Do I need the FAFSA to get the Provost Award or President's Scholarship?

    No. These admission awards are based on your application and do not require the FAFSA to qualify or renew (though the FAFSA is required for need-based scholarships and the Mines Promise).

  • Can I receive both the Provost Award and the President's Scholarship?

    No. You receive either the Provost Award or the President's Scholarship, and if eligible for additional Mines scholarships, you receive only the single highest-dollar award (athletic and music excepted).

  • What GPA do I need to renew?

    Provost Award: 2.000 cumulative GPA plus passing 67% of attempted credits. President's Scholarship: 2.500 cumulative GPA.

  • What is the deadline for the General Scholarship Application and competitive (PASCAL) awards?

    The General Scholarship Application priority deadline is March 1 for incoming first-year students; PASCAL (Harvey, Grewcock, Starzer, Bliss) applications open in December in the portal and require the General Scholarship Application first.

  • How much does Mines cost for 2026-2027?

    Full cost of attendance is $46,480 for Colorado residents and $71,470 for non-residents (on campus). Resident tuition is shown after the College Opportunity Fund (COF) stipend.

See sources and other schools

How Colorado Mines compares

  • 145 of 749 verified schools in our dataset use loan-first displacement.

    Colorado Mines is in a recognizable cluster (145 schools share this category). That framing matters when comparing peer schools that may publish the policy differently or not at all.

  • 665 of 749 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.

    Colorado Mines is one of them. The cohort minority (84 schools) only awards one-year scholarships, which means the four-year value families assume on a brochure quote isn't guaranteed at every school.

Sources used on this page

Every claim is checked against Colorado Mines’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.

Compare with similar schools

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