This month marked the return of what is arguably Colorado’s greatest college rivalry: the Rocky Mountain Showdown between our state’s largest public research universities, Colorado State and the University of Colorado. While football is clearly in the spotlight around the Showdown, it gives us a chance to celebrate all CU and CSU have to offer our great state year-round.
It’s also an opportunity to showcase Colorado’s rich higher education ecosystem overall, which offers affordable, accessible opportunities for anyone who wants to improve their lives through learning. And even though our students compete on the field, CSU and CU are united in sending a strong message that higher education in Colorado is accessible and within reach of anyone who wants to earn a degree.
Most people in the US continue to believe that a college education offers a great return on investment – one that goes far beyond increased earnings – and yet, many young people today are hesitant to make that investment in themselves because of misperceptions about what it actually costs to go to college.
But the reality is that if you want a college education in Colorado, there are resources and support to make it happen without taking on overwhelming debt. At both CU and CSU, students who qualify for Pell Grants typically don’t have to pay any tuition and fees at all. There are generous scholarships available for military veterans, rural students, and those who are the first in their families to go to college. And once you enroll, you’ll have a support system of advisers, counselors, and faculty who are invested in helping you succeed.
We want every member of our campus communities to find connections that allow them to feel a strong sense of belonging. That is why our universities work hard to reach out and stay connected to every corner of our state, and why we invest significantly in pre-collegiate programs so that students at a young age can begin to think about their career and education options. And it’s why we’re deliberately working to reduce what students pay out of pocket by providing grants and scholarships, expanding transfer opportunities, encouraging concurrent enrollment during high school, and providing alternative pathways to a degree to meet the needs of individual students.
Supporting those students who want to earn a four-year or advanced degree in Colorado matters to the future of our state. Together, the campuses of the CU and CSU System deliver around 70% of the undergraduate degrees earned in Colorado and more than 90% of the graduate and professional degrees. We educate 100% of the doctors and veterinarians earning their credentials in Colorado, and 34% of the nurses. We account for $1.9 billion in research funding every year, which equates to the creation of 54,000 jobs.
Combined, the CSU and CU campuses graduated nearly 30,000 students last year – graduates who will go on to rewarding and diverse job opportunities made possible through their college education. They’ll become scientists, engineers, medical providers, teachers, and other professionals. They’ll drive Colorado’s economy for generations to come and improve the quality of life for our entire state and nation.
CU and CSU will continue working together – and in partnership with our great system of colleges and universities statewide – to ensure all have the access and opportunity to pursue their educational dreams. That’s where Colorado really wins.
Todd Saliman is the president of the University of Colorado.
Tony Frank is the Chancellor of the Colorado State University System.
This message was included in Chancellor Frank’s September newsletter. Click here to subscribe to the Chancellor’s monthly letter.