Bright Futures, a workforce development program, is beginning to offer a second application window with the first being in October. Bright Futures provides financial awards for Weld County high school graduates, GED recipients and honorably discharged veterans to attend college or earn a trade certificate.
Historically, Bright Futures has only offered one application deadline for the fall/spring academic year, which was in May. For the first time ever, they are providing a second application window from October 1 – November 1.
“We are working to be more responsive to the needs of students in this community,” explained CEO of Bright Futures, Jeff Carlson. “Typically, if a student missed the deadline for any reason, they could not receive any funding until the next school year. For GED recipients and honorably discharged veterans in particular, that could place them at a disadvantage for going to school and starting on their career path.”
Bright Futures awards up to $14,000 over eight semesters for qualifying applicants to earn a degree or certification attending school in Weld County. A student who attends school in Colorado outside of Weld County or any of Colorado’s seven bordering states (Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona or Utah) may receive up to $8,000 over eight semesters. The Bright Futures award is available to all first-time qualifying students, there are no academic or income requirements. Returning applicants to Bright Futures must maintain a 2.0 or higher cumulative GPA.
The second application window will be open to all qualifying applicants, including GED recipients, honorably discharged veterans, or students who may not have qualified during the application process last May. The second application window will provide funding for the spring/summer 2025 semesters.
Students who previously qualified under the May deadline for the current fall/spring semesters do not need to apply again in October. The application for the fall/spring 2025-26 school year will be on May 15, 2025.
“The Bright Futures program was created to build a stronger workforce for Weld County by helping students with college, trade school or career training,” Carlson stated. “The second application is a natural next step in helping these students attend schooling in a timely manner to become a valued member of the Weld County workforce.”
Since 2015, Bright Futures has supported over 5,875 students and invested more than $21 million to support Weld County’s workforce. The application for students to apply is: Bright Futures Students.
To learn more about the program, visit Bright Futures.
