More Colorado students will pay less to attend MSU Denver
A new scholarship backed by a $3.25 million grant expands college affordability for students from four high school districts.
At a time when it feels like the price of everything is rising, the cost of a college education is about to become more affordable for many incoming students at Metropolitan State University of Denver, thanks to the MSU Denver Connect Scholarship.
The newly established scholarship reflects a shared commitment between the University and its MSU Denver Connect direct admission partners, Denver Public Schools, St. Vrain Valley Schools, the Douglas County School District and Adams County School District 14, to make higher education and pathways to career success more accessible. Graduates from the MSU Denver Connect partner districts in 2026 and 2027 who are admitted to MSU Denver, enroll full time and complete the required financial aid steps will receive $500 per semester — up to $1,000 during their first academic year.
The MSU Denver Connect Scholarship is just one of the funds benefiting from a $3.25 million grant from the Reisher Scholars Program at The Denver Foundation. Over the next two years, the grant will also bolster the University’s student-teaching scholarships and retention and completion grants. Announced on Aug. 3, the grant is part of a landmark $25 million initiative marking the 25th anniversary of the program.
Founded by the Reisher Family in 2001, the Reisher Scholars Program oversees several initiatives, including its signature scholarship, which provides students with the financial means to complete their undergraduate degree. MSU Denver has been a partner since the beginning.
The recent grant is a new avenue of support, expanding access, opportunity and success for Colorado students.
“This investment celebrates 25 years of transformative partnerships and positions the Reisher Scholars Program for its next chapter of growth,” said Javier Alberto Soto, president and CEO of The Denver Foundation, which administers the scholarship program. “By putting significant resources directly into the hands of institutions that share our commitment to student success, we are strengthening relationships statewide and opening doors for the next generation of Colorado scholars.”
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Will Simpkins, Ed.D, vice president for enrollment and student affairs, expressed his enthusiasm for the grant’s impact on the University’s ability to work in partnership with school districts, students and families in making the important decision of where to go to college.
“Thanks to the Reisher Scholars Program at The Denver Foundation, we will be able to guarantee MSU Denver Connect scholarship for students entering over the next two years from the direct admissions partnership with Denver, Douglas County, St. Vrain Valley and Adams 14 school districts,” Simpkins said.
Katie Gianatasio, senior manager of Counseling and College Access with DPS, noted that more DPS graduates enroll at MSU Denver than at any other college. She said this partnership is an opportunity for students to get a great education that will help them succeed in Colorado’s workforce.
“The more we can open doors and create opportunities where students know they are welcome and wanted, while combating the cost of college, the more we help individual students and Denver as a whole,” Gianatasio said. “It gets our next generation ready for a future where they can be the best person they want to be.”
The Colorado Talent Pipeline Report has consistently shown that earning postsecondary credentials is a critical factor in meeting the workforce demand of the Colorado economy.
“MSU Denver is proud to support more accessible pathways to economic mobility for Front Range students,” Simpkins said. “Accessible, affordable and aligned to Colorado’s workforce — that is the Roadrunner way!”
