College Opportunity Fund (COF)

The state of Colorado pays a portion of the total cost of higher education for Colorado residents attending Colorado public institutions for their undergraduate degrees. Students must request the state-pay portion of their tuition, but they only need to apply once. Students must authorize the use of funds at each school attended. At Morgan Community College, students can authorize COF through MyMCC.

To Enroll In COF 

Applicants will need a Social Security number or alien registration number or can apply for a C number issued by the Colorado Department of Higher Education and must provide one of four types of identification: 

  • Colorado driver's license or Colorado Identification card
  • U.S. Military card
  • U.S. Military dependent ID card
  • U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner card

TO ENROLL IN COF:

Applicants can apply by going to the COF website and complete the on-line application by click on “Apply Now.”

How the College Opportunity Fund Works 

  1. Eligible residents sign up at the COF Web site, on the MCC website or their MyMCC portal.
  2. When students register for classes, they must authorize it’s use, that is a lifetime authorization (through 145 credits).
  3. Once Morgan Community College receives COF confirmation from the Colorado Department of Education, we will make sure your personal data matches and then account is credited with the COF stipend.

The information provided on the COF application will be verified by the Colorado Department of Education. The State of Colorado historically subsidized higher education for in-state students by giving money directly to the colleges. In 2004 the Colorado legislature enacted a law establishing the College Opportunity Fund (COF). Under this law, the State gives a stipend to Colorado resident students who apply for it and sends the stipend directly to the student’s account at the institution the student designates. The COF stipend appears as a credit on the student’s tuition bill. Students create a lifetime COF account by going to the MCC website.  

Thereafter, each semester a student registers for college courses the student specifies which college will receive their COF stipend. The stipend amount will appear as a credit on the student's tuition bill each semester. 

  • The College Opportunity Fund (COF), created by the Colorado Legislature, provides a stipend to eligible undergraduate students. The stipend pays a portion of the total resident tuition when a student attends a Colorado public institution or a participating private institution.
  • Qualifying students may use the stipend for eligible undergraduate courses. The stipend is paid on a per credit hour basis to the institution at which the student is enrolled. The credit-hour amount will be set annually by the Colorado General Assembly.
  • Concurrent Enrollment students are eligible for COF regardless of their tuition classification (Colorado resident or non-resident) and are exempt from HB 1023 up to age 21. All Concurrent Enrollment students must apply for the College Opportunity Fund. Once students are no longer Concurrent Enrollment students, they are subject to COF qualifying student definitions and HB 1023 requirement. 

Institutional COF Waiver

Students who have used their 145 lifetime COF credit hours funding may be eligible for a one-time, 3 consecutive semester waivers. Students who wish to initiate the waiver process should contact Student Services for assistance.

And/or

The College will periodically run a list of COF errors and while working those errors if it is determined that a student has reached their maximum COF funded hours, we will automatically grant a one-time, 3 consecutive semester waivers for those students who qualify. The student will be contacted, usually by phone, to notify them of the opportunity to receive this waiver and they can choose to accept or decline at that time.

CCHE Waiver

If you have earned a bachelor’s degree, you may qualify for an additional 30 credits for post-Bachelor work (if eligible). If you exceed this institutional waiver and still need eligibility and have earned your bachelor’s degree, you may qualify for an additional 30 credits for post-Bachelor work (if eligible). Please submit an official transcript verifying the receipt of the bachelor’s degree. Or if you need eligibility to complete your undergraduate education, you may apply directly to the State of Colorado for a commission waiver.