CSU Pueblo Secures $1 Million Grant to Help 150 Students Complete Degrees
The Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative Achieve grant will provide tuition support and wraparound services to help students overcome barriers and persist through graduation.
PUEBLO, Colo. — A $1,007,841.02 grant will help 150 students each year at Colorado State University Pueblo overcome financial barriers and complete their degrees through a combination of scholarship funding and comprehensive support services.
The university received the award through the Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative (COSI) Achieve grant program, which the state announced in December 2025 and finalized in April 2026. The program pairs tuition assistance with wraparound services designed to help students stay enrolled and graduate.
“Being awarded the COSI Achieve grant will allow us to address the issue of helping people fund their educational goals.”
Dr. Kathryn Starkey, Dean of Extended Studies at CSU Pueblo
Starkey said COSI Achieve will support CSU Pueblo's work to remove barriers that can prevent students from completing their degrees by pairing financial assistance with the student support services they need to persist.
Supporting Students Facing Financial Barriers
The funding is intended for students who face challenges paying for college, including nontraditional students returning to school after time away and students balancing work and family responsibilities while completing their degrees.
COSI Achieve combines two established state initiatives that address both the financial and personal barriers students may encounter while pursuing higher education.
Matching Student Scholarships
Scholarship assistance helps eligible students cover tuition expenses and reduce financial barriers to remaining enrolled.
Community Partnership Program
Wraparound support services help students address challenges outside the classroom that can affect persistence and degree completion.
Helping Students Persist to Graduation
State outcomes reports indicate that students who receive both financial aid and wraparound support services are more likely to persist in college and successfully earn their credentials.
University leaders say the program strengthens educational access while creating pathways for students whose college journeys may have been interrupted by financial hardship, work obligations, or family responsibilities.
Program Launch and Application Information
The COSI Achieve program will begin serving CSU Pueblo students in July 2026. Interested students may apply using the online COSI Achieve application form.
Apply for the COSI Achieve ProgramFor more information about the COSI Achieve program, contact Lori Lucero, Grants Specialist in Extended Studies, at 719-549-2392.
