CollegeInvest 529 Scholarship Program

This program is designed to award scholarships to Colorado residents of middle income families who have planned for a higher education by saving over the years with a CollegeInvest 529 College Savings Plan.

CollegeInvest 529 Scholarship Program for the 2022 – 2023 school year

The application period will begin in August 1, 2022 and will close on September 30, 2022

What is the CollegeInvest 529 Scholarship Program?

This is a great opportunity for students or adults looking to go to college or vocational school for the first time, those planning to go back to school, or looking to change careers. Each eligible student will be awarded $2,000 for the 2022-2023 school year.

The Scholarship award is for one year only.

Applicants may re-apply for each year the Beneficiary is enrolled in a post-secondary institution, and otherwise meet the eligibility requirements, and potentially receive a $2,000 scholarship for up to four awards ($8,000 maximum in total). Only one Scholarship per student/Beneficiary per year, even if they are the student/Beneficiary of more than one CollegeInvest account.

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Terms & Conditions

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Apply to 529 Scholarship:

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Log in to your 529 Scholarship account:

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CollegeInvest 529 Scholarship Program application requirements

Please carefully review the Applicant, Beneficiary and Account requirements for the current program year below.

Applicant Requirements
Student Requirements
CollegeInvest 529 Account requirements

applicant requirements

  • You must be a Colorado resident
  • You must be the owner of a CollegeInvest 529 College Savings account
  • You must complete the FAFSA (we do not accept confirmation receipt pages or password protected documents)
  • You must have an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) up to $45,000
  • You must not be eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant. Note: If your SAR says “you may be eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant”, you are not eligible for the 529 Scholarship.

Student requirements

  • Must be the Beneficiary of the CollegeInvest 529 College Savings account
  • Must be enrolled FULL TIME in an accredited post-secondary institution (public or private college, university, trade or vocational school across the country) in an undergraduate or graduate degree, or certificate program for the Fall Semester of the program year
  • Must be in FULL TIME student status when the CollegeInvest 529 Scholarship Program is awarded

CollegeInvest 529 Account requirements

  • Must be of one of CollegeInvest 529 Savings account types
    • Direct Portfolio
    • Scholars Choice
    • Smart Choice
    • Stable Value Plus
  • Must have been opened and maintained for at least four years prior to application
  • Must have a minimum balance of $2,000 on the last day of the application period. See Terms & Conditions for application dates.

Application Checklist

To apply for the CollegeInvest 529 Scholarship Program, please have the following information ready:

CollegeInvest 529 Account Owner

Full name of the CollegeInvest 529 Savings Account Owner and Beneficiary

CollegeInvest 529 Savings account number

FAFSA SAR PDFs

PDF of the Student Aid Report (SAR) – NOTE: We will not accept password protected SAR’s or confirmation receipt pages.

EFC Number

Expected Family Contribution (EFC) number from the FAFSA SAR

Enrollment Verification

Enrollment Verification for the Fall Semester from the college or from the student clearing house https://www.studentclearinghouse.org/ (We do not accept class schedules or tuition payment receipts)

Ready to apply for CollegeInvest 529 Scholarship Program?

New applicants

  • Be sure to have checked the eligibility requirements for the current program year above.
  • When you’re ready, apply online during the upcoming school year application period, noted above.
  • We do not accept password protected PDFs of FAFSA SARS or Enrollment Verifications.

Apply now

Previous applicants

  • Be sure to have checked the eligibility requirements for the current program year above.
  • When you’re ready, log in to your existing CollegeInvest 529 Scholarship Program account to apply for the upcoming school year.
  • You can also log into your account to check your application status or Scholarship history.

Log in

Frequently asked questions about the CollegeInvest 529 Scholarship Program:

General
Applications
Contributions
Awards

How do I find out more information about the 529 Scholarship?

You can find more information in our Terms and Conditions

I logged in to my account but do not see the 529 Scholarship information. Why not?

You probably logged into Direct Portfolio, Scholars Choice or Smart Choice which means you have logged into the wrong portal to see the 529 Scholarship account.

529 Scholarship has its own portal at https://scholarship.collegeinvest.org/.

Why don’t I see the application?

The Application Form is only available during the annual application period (typically August through September)

Do I have to reapply each year or am I automatically reenrolled?

You have to reapply each year and submit the required documents. If you don’t apply, you are not eligible for the award.

What documents do I need to upload to apply?

You will need a copy of the Student Aid Report (SAR) from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) website saved in PDF form and a copy of the Enrollment Verification saved as a PDF.

We will not accept any SAR’s that are password protected.

Where do I find my EFC (Expected Family Contribution)?

Your EFC is located on your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) report.

If my EFC is $45,000, can I still apply?

Yes, your EFC must be $45,000 or lower to apply.

Where do I get the Enrollment Verification?

You can get an Enrollment Verification from the schools registers office or from the Student Clearing House at https://www.studentclearinghouse.org/ ***No other documents will be accepted as Enrollment Verification***

We will not accept any Enrollment Verifications that are password protected.

When I log into the National Student Clearinghouse it has listed the spring semester enrollment, will this work as the student verification?

No, we need the fall semester. 529 Scholarship is not a first come, first serve program.  You may need to wait a week or two for National Student Clearinghouse to update their website with the fall enrollment information.

If I am a graduate school student, am I eligible for the scholarship?

Yes, both undergraduate and graduate students are eligible for the scholarship.

How many years does my CollegeInvest college savings account need to be open to be eligible to apply?

The account has to be opened and maintained a minimum of 4 years to be eligible to apply.

How much do I have to have in my account as of the close of the application period?

On the last day of the application period (see full Terms & Conditions for dates) you must have at least $2,000 in your account.

Returning Scholars may apply for a one-time minimum account balance requirement waiver. By using the one-time minimum balance requirement waiver, the Beneficiary becomes ineligible to apply for the 529 Scholarship in the future.

How do I know I am eligible for the award?

You will receive email confirmation from CollegeInvest indicating that you are eligible for the scholarship.

I’m eligible for an award. Does that guarantee me the award?

No, completion of the application does not guarantee you will receive an award. All eligible applications will be ranked from lowest EFC to Highest EFC, and be awarded in that order as annual funding is available.

How many awards can I receive?

You can receive 1 award per year up to 4 years, per beneficiary, for a total of 4 awards.

When will I get my award?

The 529 Scholarship funds will be awarded will be disbursed directly to the CollegeInvest 529 college savings account listed on the application no later than November 12, 2021.

Please note, after the funds are disbursed, it could take several weeks for them to be deposited in your account.

I’ve received notice that I’ve been awarded but I don’t see the award. Why not?

Please note, after the funds are disbursed, it could take several weeks for them to be deposited in your account. Check back after the first week in December.

How else are we helping families?

First Step Program

First Step is a new program recently passed by the Colorado legislature and CollegeInvest, offering a free $100 gift for every newborn or adopted child in Colorado on or after January 1, 2021 to jump start your way to saving for their higher education.

learn more

Matching Grant Program

When you invest a dollar, we match it. Up to $500 each year up to five (5) awards, for all eligible CollegeInvest 529 Account Owners with children up to 8 years old. It’s another way we’re helping lower to middle-income families save for higher education.

learn more