FREDERICK, MD — The Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) is enabling Colorado students that historically have not qualified for federal aid to complete an application for state financial aid. Partnering with Regent Education to deliver the Colorado Application for State Financial Aid (CASFA), the Department put its ASSET and undocumented students one step closer to attaining a higher education credential or degree. Since launching on October 1, 2020, more than 1,200 students have initiated applications.
Powering the CASFA Solution
Regent Education’s Access software-as-a-service capability powers the CASFA solution. Regent Access enables financial aid awards for ASSET and undocumented students by providing an intuitive, web-based application with an interview format, personalized skip logic, integrated help, and Spanish translations. The CASFA has improved operational efficiency through data files that are exported automatically by the Department and available for importing into each participating institution’s financial aid system in a format that matches the one used by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Colorado also became the first statewide Regent Access client to provide individual campuses with the ability to provide direct support to students applying to their institutions, further personalizing and easing students’ financial aid journeys.
“Regent Education is proud to provide a financial aid automation solution that eases the application and awarding processes for these students. We are especially excited about the alignment of our mission – to empower aspiring students and the institutions who serve them – with the Department’s commitment to providing open doors to education for its undocumented students. Regent was pleased to work alongside Colorado’s financial aid and technical teams to expand the solution with state-specific enhancements and deliver the most functionally rich implementation of Regent Access to date,” said Jim Hermens, CEO of Regent Education.
Advancing Students for a Stronger Economy Tomorrow (ASSET)
In 2019, the Colorado General Assembly passed HB19-1196, Financial Aid For Students With In-state Tuition, which allows state-funded financial aid to be awarded to students who do not have lawful immigration status but have resided in the state for at least three years before graduating from a Colorado high school or passing a high school equivalency exam and were admitted to a participating college within 12 months of graduating high school. These students are called ASSET students after Senate Bill 13-033, Advancing Students for a Stronger Economy Tomorrow.
About the Colorado Department of Higher Education
The Department of Higher Education works with the Colorado Commission on Higher Education, to support students, advocate, and develop policies to maximize higher education opportunities for all. The Department believes that all Coloradans should have education beyond high school to pursue their dreams and improve our communities. Read the CDHE master plan Colorado Rises. Visit https://highered.colorado.gov/ for more information.
