Displaced Aurarian Scholarship

The Displaced Aurarian Scholarship is a scholarship that provides tuition and fees for undergraduate and graduate students who were residents or whose guardians were residents of the Auraria neighborhood between 1955 and 1973. The scholarship is available in perpetuity to descendants of these residents. 

The geographical area is bounded by Colfax, Auraria Parkway, Speer, and I-25.

Unfortunately, the Displaced Auraria Scholarship is not retroactive. However, if eligible, a recipient can receive the Scholarship for undergraduate degrees, graduate degrees and certificates.

You may begin the application process before beig admitted. However, you will need to have a CU Denver student ID and be accepted into a program of study before being awarded Displaced Aurarian Scholarship funds.

Eligibility for the scholarship can be determined prior to admissions if all applicable documentation is submitted, but as noted the scholarship will not be awarded to the student until after they have been admitted to an eligible program of study.

• Applicants will be asked to show history of familial lineage/guardianship and residency in the Auraria neighborhood between 1955 –1973.
• Documents such as birth certificates, school, church or tax records, pictures, newspaper or other published articles are appropriate for showing lineage and residency.
• A great resource for showing residency is the Library of Congress White Pages. Simply Google “Library of Congress White Pages Denver Colorado” and the year your ancestors lived in the Auraria Neighborhood. For example: “Library of Congress White Pages Denver Colorado 1955”.
• If an applicant is struggling to find documents showing lineage, please reach out to the Displaced Aurairian Scholarship Liaison, Jaime Álvarez at jaime.alvarez@ucdenver.edu so that they may connect you with the appropriate resources. The Denver Public Library has developed an online Displaced Aurarian Scholarship Resource Guide, and they have also been helping people in person at the Central Library and online. You are welcome to connect with the Denver Public Library directly. Please reach out in a timely manner as securing documentation will take time.

There is not a hard deadline for the Scholarship. Applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible before the term they wish to begin courses, as the review process can take a few weeks. An applicant will receive a confirmation email once they have applied. If reviewers have questions about the application, they will reach out to the applicant directly. If applicants have a question about their application, they can reach out to the Displaced Aurarian Scholarship liaison: Jaime Álvarez at jaime.alvarez@ucdenver.edu.

An applicant will receive a scholarship award decision within 2-3 weeks of all application materials and requested documents being submitted.

• Bachelor, Master, Doctoral programs and certificates are eligible for funding through the Displaced Aurarian Scholarship.Individuals who are eligible for the Displaced Aurarian Scholarship are welcome to completemultiple degrees and certificates. The ASPIRE to Teach program is also eligible for funding under the Displaced Aurarian Scholarship. The Executive MBA is not currently covered under the scholarship.

Displaced Aurarian Scholarship recipients should be actively working towards the completion of a degree, certificate or program. If a course is not a part of recipient’s degree plan, but necessary to their academic journey, the recipient will be asked to provide faculty or advisor approval which can be sent via email to Displaced Aurarian Liaison, Jaime Álvarez at jaime.alvarez@ucdenver.edu.

Scholarship recipients do not need to apply every semester. Displaced Aurarian scholarship recipients should communicate with the Scholarship office after registering for classes, but prior to the start of each term for which they would like to continue receiving funding. The Scholarship Office can be contacted at scholarship@ucdenver.edu. A finalized semester schedule helps ensure accurate payment calculations and timely payment processing.

Payments post after census date of each semester.

A scholarship recipient needs to be working towards their degree.  

Displaced Aurarian Scholarship recipients are highly encouraged to regularly meet with their academic advisor and ensure they are making timely progress towards their degree.

The University of Colorado Denver understands that family is not always linear or nuclear. For that reason, we welcome individuals who were raised by a Displaced Aurarian from 1955 – 1973 to apply if they feel like they would qualify for the scholarship. These instances will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and applicants will still be asked to provide documentation. Please reach out to the Displaced Aurarian Scholarship liaison Jaime Álvarez if you have any questions at at jaime.alvarez@ucdenver.edu.

Guardians' records might be accessible to prove they received the scholarship. Requests to access another relatives’ application materials will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Additional considerations, including FERPA release documentation and the amount of time that has elapsed since the relatives’ attendance might impact ability to access records. If previously submitted documents can be accessed, the applicant may be able to move forward by providing proof of relationship to the relative. If you would like to access a relative's documentation, please reach out to the Displaced Aurarian Scholarship Liaison, Jaime Álvarez, at jaime.alvarez@ucdenver.edu.

The University of Colorado at Denver is committed to supporting Displaced Aurarian legacy students from matriculation to graduation. Starting Fall 2022, Aurarian Legacies will be involved in an Aurarian Legacy cohort meant to create community, provide a culturally responsive onboarding and access to points-of-contact in critical resources such as financial aid, student services, mentoring, life skills coaching and leadership opportunities.