Application Deadline: November 1, 2024, at 5:00 pm

Requirements

Bright Futures offers money to help pay for college or career training just for living in Weld County while you’re in high school. There are no academic requirements to apply initially, but after your first year, you must maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA. There are no income requirements or loans to pay back.

Just follow these instructions if you are a first-time applicant or a Bright Futures student applying for another year.

The deadline to complete the application or renewal process is May 15 at 5:00 each year. If you miss the May 15 deadline for any reason, Bright Futures has a second application deadline on November 1 at 5:00 p.m. The application for the November 1 deadline will open on October 1. The November application will only be eligible for awards during the spring/summer semesters of the current school year.

Students that have applied and been accepted for Bright Futures funding through the May 15 application deadline DO NOT NEED TO REAPPLY under the November 1 deadline.

First-Time Applicants

  • Be a Weld County resident your senior year plus one other year of high school.
  • Create your online account by clicking on the Create New Account button on the login page.
  • Complete your FAFSA/CASFA application for the same academic school year you are applying for Bright Futures award.
  • Complete 12 hours of community service and upload your log by the application deadline (May 15 for fall/spring semesters OR November 1 for spring/summer semesters). The community service must have been completed within the past twelve months of the application deadline.
  • Complete the online application by the application deadline (May 15 at 5:00 p.m. for fall/spring semesters OR November 1 at 5:00 p.m. for spring/summer semesters)
    • Provide the name of the school you will be attending.
    • Upload your final FAFSA Submission Summary or CASFA report and provide your Student Aid Index (SAI) value from your verified FAFSA/CASFA.
    • Upload your completed community service log.
  • Complete all assigned follow-up requests by the specified deadlines.

Continuing Applicants

  • Maintain a 2.0 or higher cumulative GPA.
  • Complete the renewal application by the application deadline (May 15 at 5:00 p.m. for fall/spring semesters OR November 1 at 5:00 p.m. for spring/summer semesters)
  • Provide an unofficial transcript at the end of each semester.

    • If your cumulative GPA drops below 2.0, you have one more semester to bring it up to 2.0 or higher. If your cumulative GPA remains below 2.0 for the next semester, you will no longer be eligible to apply for Bright Futures (in any year).
  • Complete your FAFSA/CASFA application for the same academic school year you are applying for Bright Futures award.
  • Complete 12 hours of community service and upload your log by the application deadline (May 15 for fall/spring semesters OR November 1 for spring/summer semesters). The community service must have been completed within the past twelve months of the application deadline.
  • You are eligible to renew your application for up to six years following graduation or eight semester awards, whichever comes first.

Geographic Region

All Bright Futures award recipients must attend a college, trade school, or training program within Colorado or its adjoining states (Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Wyoming).

The application will be available in January. Please check back.