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 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
How the College Opportunity Fund Works
- Eligible residents sign up at the COF Web site.
- When students register for classes, they must authorize which classes they want their COF stipend to pay for individually - or they can give a lifetime authorization.
- Students apply for COF funds through the Student Tab on MyMCC.
- Once Morgan Community College receives COF confirmation from the Colorado Department of Education, the student 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 home page www.MorganCC.edu and clicking on the COF icon and following the steps listed. 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, one-year institutional waver. Students who wish to initiate the waiver process should send a written request to Student Services requesting the waiver.
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, one-year institutional waver for those student who qualify. A letter will be sent to those students notifying them that an institutional waiver has been granted. If the student wishes to decline the automatic institutional waiver they must do so in writing within the time frame outlined in the letter.
CCHE Waiver
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. Waiver forms and instructions are available on their website at http://highered.colorado.gov/Finance/COF/.