COSI Achieve
The COSI Achieve grant pairs funding for scholarships with holistic support services, ensuring that all students participating in the program receive both. The program combines two of COSI’s grant program Matching Student Scholarships, which provides tuition support, and Community Partnership Program, which provides funding for holistic student support services. COSI’s outcomes reports have shown that students receiving support from both of these programs were more likely to persist and complete their credential.
COSI announced the organizations awarded the grant in December 2025. A full list is below. In Spring 2026, COSI will work with participating institutions and non-profit organizations to set-up the program which will begin serving students July 2026.
To prepare, participating organizations should consider reviewing the Achieve Program Guidebook which is intended to provide a clear and detailed understanding of COSI Achieve’s objectives, structure, and operational requirements.
In December 2025, the Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative announced awards for COSI Achieve. A total of $31,066,355.37 was awarded to institutions of higher education and non-profit organizations fora four-year award period through June 30, 2030.
Institutions of Higher Education: *
- Adams State University: $718,179.30
- Arapahoe Community College Foundation: $988,356.00
- Colorado Northwestern Community College: $396,260.00
- Colorado School of Mines: $922,064.00
- Colorado State University: $1,108,077.69
- Colorado State University Pueblo: $1,007,841.02
- Community College of Aurora: $1,598,368.99
- Community College of Denver: $1,057,371.41
- Fort Lewis College: $630,586.60
- Front Range Community College Foundation: $1,679,851.55
- Lamar Community College: $401,893.00
- Metropolitan State University of Denver: $1,220,781.07
- Morgan Community College: $761,561.00
- Northeastern Junior College: $520,524.00
- Otero Junior College Foundation: $451,515.00
- Pickens Technical College: $638,529.40
- Pikes Peak State College Foundation: $982,762.86
- Pueblo Community College: $1,082,018.83
- Red Rocks Community College Foundation: $1,424,476.00
- Trinidad State College: $687,209.00
- University of Colorado Boulder: $1,118,732.38
- University of Colorado Denver: $919,438.22
- University of Colorado Foundation (Grantee) f/b/o University of Colorado Colorado Springs (Beneficiary): $1,211,105.76
- University of Northern Colorado, INC.: $1,236,969.34
- Western Colorado University: $302,295.34
Non-Profit Organizations: *
- Adams County Scholarship Fund: $975,445.60
- AdvanceEDU: $445,080.28
- Denver Scholarship Foundation: $500,880.38
- Denver Health and Hospitals Foundation: $304,590.67
- Early Childhood Council Leadership Alliance: $830,707.25
- Empowering Communities Globally: $1,007,609.67
- I Have A Dream Foundation of Boulder County: $1,120,183.94
- INSPiRE: $306,886.01
- Peak Education: $975,445.60
- Pueblo Hispanic Education Foundation: $653,804.84
- Weld Legacy- Bright Futures: $878,953.37
*Funding amounts shown reflect the full four‑year award. All funding is subject to annual renewal. Funds are only guaranteed for the current fiscal year, with future years contingent upon approval through a State‑issued option letter.
Program Launch Deliverables
The following chart outlines the deadlines for program deliverables. Grantees can also see the Achieve Program Launch Calendar of Events which will include program launch activities through June 30, 2026.
- December 18th- Requested Corrections for Program Launch Funding Due to PM
- December 22nd- Award Acceptance Due
- January 29th- Award Period (4-Year) Program Budget & Statement of Work Due
- February 13th- Risk Assessment Due
- February 16th- Achieve Program Launch Agreement Signed by Grantee
- March 19th- Achieve Agreement Signed by Grantee
- May 15th- Grant Term Program Budget & Statement of Work for 2026-2027
As part of COSI's technical assistance for the Achieve Program Launch, COSI will provide support to grantees with program planning and launch. have several in-person Here is what is coming up:
1:1 Technical Assistance
During the Program Launch period, January 2026 - June 2026, grantees will have monthly virtual 1:1 meetings with the COSI program contact. COSI program contacts are listed in a separate section below.
Video Training and Q&A Sessions
COSI will Launch a series of recorded training videos diving deeper into program specific topics. Grantees can watch at their own pace and attend live monthly virtual Q&A sessions to ask questions about the topics covered.
Release dates for video trainings:
- January 13th
- January 27th
- February 10th
- February 24th
- March 10th
- March 24th
- April 7th
- May 5th
Monthly Live Q&A Session:
- January Q&A: February 3, 2025 @9:00- Registration & Link
- February Q&A: March 2, 2025 @11:00- Registration & Link
- March Q&A: March 31, 2025 @2:00- Registration & Link
- April Q&A: April 16, 2025 @10:00- Registration & Link
- May Q&A: May 12, 2025 @ 1:00- Registration & Link
Regional Meetings
Attending an in-person regional workshop is strongly advised if you are participating in the COSI Achieve Program.
These interactive workshops will help your organization:
Understand the new COSI Achieve program elements and work through potential implementation challenges with COSI staff.
Learn about various program documents and requirements that address your student population's needs
Collaborate with your partners and COSI staff to refine your program design.
Connect and share best practices with other COSI grantees.
COSI has reserved the following dates and locations. More information and a registration form will be provided soon. Plan to attend the Regional Meeting that is closest to your location.
| Date | Location |
| February 10-11, 2026 | Trinidad State College |
| March 3-4, 2026 | Front Range Community College – Fort Collins Campus |
| April 8-9, 2026 | Red Rocks Community College |
Program Budget & Statement of Work Development
COSI will provide support and feedback on the development of grant term program budgets and statement of work. More informaiton will be coming early 2026.
Each COSI Achieve program is assigned a COSI staff member as a point of contact. This person is the organization's main contact and will provide technical support throughout the grant.
Alison Grendahl
COSI Program Manager
COSI Achieve Programs:
- Adams State University
- Lamar Community College
Jacquie Granados
COSI Program Manager
COSI Achieve Programs:
- Colorado Northwestern Community College
- Colorado School of Mines
- Colorado State University
- Colorado State University Pueblo
- Community College of Aurora
- Community College of Denver
- Fort Lewis College
- Front Range Community College Foundation
- Metropolitan State University of Denver
- Morgan Community College
- Northeastern Junior College
- Otero Junior College Foundation
- Pickens Technical College
- Pikes Peak State College Foundation
- University of Colorado Boulder
- University of Colorado Denver
- University of Colorado Foundation (Grantee) f/b/o University of Colorado Colorado Springs (Beneficiary)
- University of Northern Colorado, INC.
- Western Colorado University
Mariana DelMonte-Gladstone
COSI Program Manager
COSI Achieve Programs
- Adams County Scholarship Fund
- AdvanceEDU
- Arapahoe Community College Foundation
- Denver Health and Hospitals Foundation
- Denver Scholarship Foundation
- Early Childhood Council Leadership Alliance
- Empowering Communities Globally
- I Have A Dream Foundation of Boulder County
- INSPiRE
- Peak Education
- Pueblo Community College
- Pueblo Hispanic Education Foundation
- Red Rocks Community College Foundation
- Trinidad State College
- Weld Legacy- Bright Futures
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View the Program Guidebook
The COSI Program Guidebook is intended to provide a clear and detailed understanding of COSI Achieve’s objectives, structure, and operational requirements. It aims to ensure the consistent and effective implementation of the COSI Achieve program across all participating organizations. The Guidebook is a living document and may change. Changes will be announced in the monthly COSI Newsletter - sign up here.
Program Guidelines
- COSI Achieve Request for Proposal (RFP): Outlines the program's objectives, requirements, and proposal process.
- Achieve Program & Proposal Questions: This resource provides answers to common questions to support proposal development.
- Partnership Examples: This resources highlights several examples of partnership types and the requirements that COSI Grantees must adhere to.
Reporting Templates
- COSI Achieve Google Drive: Centralized repository for program documents and templates.
- COSI Achieve Statement of Work (SOW) Award Period Template: Standardized template identifying the key areas where programs must provide holistic support services to scholars over the four-year award period.
- COSI Achieve Budget Structure Guide: Guidelines for the program budget structure, emphasizing flexibility and responsible allocation to support both matching scholarships and holistic support services.
- COSI Achieve Statement of Work (SOW) Grant Term Template (Coming soon): Standardized single-year template identifying the key areas where programs must provide holistic support services over the grant term.
- Mid-Year Budget Adjustment Form: This document is the mid-year budget adjustment form. It provides a structured template for Grantees to request modifications to their approved grant term budget outside of annual reporting.
Holistic Student Support Resources
- Postsecondary Resource Guide: This resource provides recommendations on program model and structure for the holistic support services offered through the grant.
- Transition Guidance Document: Guidelines to ensure a smooth and equitable transition into the COSI Achieve program.
- Student Intake Assessment Sample: This sample student intake assessment form. It gathers information across various domains including demographics, academic confidence, financial wellness, basic needs, technology access, and career interests to understand a student's holistic profile and potential support needs.
- Student Intake Rubric Example: This rubric is designed to help Grantees assess a student's potential tiered support needs across various areas. It provides a structured way to evaluate indicators and facilitate the identification of appropriate support services.
- Triaged Scholar Support Model: This document outlines the COSI Achieve program's Triaged Scholar Support Model. It describes a three-tiered system for delivering personalized support services based on a scholar's identified level of need.