Prospective Scholars
Calling Colorado Students
We need dynamic thinkers, doers, and difference makers like you to stay in Colorado so you positively impact our state. That’s why we created the Boettcher Scholarship Program—so leaders like you can build a brighter future for Coloradans.
Frequently Asked Questions
General FAQs
The Boettcher Scholarship is a merit-based scholarship for Colorado high school seniors that is awarded in partnership with our state’s four year, nonprofit institutions of higher education. At Boettcher we define merit to mean superior scholastic ability/intellectual curiosity, leadership, service, character, and more. We care deeply about lived experience and the context in which a student has thrived as a leader, either because of or in spite of personal circumstances. The comprehensive scholarship program has two models—Cost of Attendance and Tuition & Fees—that support the Foundation’s mission to invest in the promise of Colorado and potential of Coloradans.
Students are eligible to apply for a Boettcher Scholarship if they meet the following minimum criteria:
- Be a graduating Colorado high school senior who has lived in Colorado for your full junior and senior years of high school;
- Apply during the fall of what is your final year of high school, even if you are considering taking a gap year after graduation;
- Graduate from a Colorado high school; AND
- Be a citizen, legal permanent resident, or lawfully present (including through Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) in the United States
OR
- Meet the requirements and have applied or started the process of applying for citizenship, legal status or lawful presence. (Although students can be in the application process for citizenship, legal status, or lawful presence during the Boettcher selection timeframe, in order to become a Boettcher Scholar, you must provide documentation that shows you have successfully completed the process.)
Please contact scholarships@boettcherfoundation.org or 303.534.1937 if you have questions regarding your eligibility.
The Boettcher Foundation will not release any student’s information to any individual or organization outside of our campus partners, unless we receive a subpoena request that we will notify the applicant about first.
For more information, view our Legal Status or Lawful Presence FAQs.
Boettcher Scholarship selection criteria include:
- Superior scholastic ability and intellectual curiosity
- Evidence of potential leadership
- Service to community and school
- Outstanding character
Selection for the Boettcher Scholarship is based on superior scholastic ability, intellectual curiosity, a demonstrated commitment to school and community activities, and strength of character. A successful candidate also demonstrates a strong potential for continued leadership and service. As a merit-based scholarship, we define merit to mean the selection criteria above and more. We care deeply about lived experience and the context in which a student has thrived as a leader, either because of or in spite of personal circumstances.
Our application review is a holistic selection process that evaluates applicants on four selection criteria – superior scholastic ability and intellectual curiosity; evidence of leadership and involvement; service to community and school; and outstanding character.
Typically, competitive applicants rank in the top 5% of their classes and have test scores that average 1388 on the SAT and 32 on the ACT (as a reminder, we are not requiring test scores for this year’s applicants.) It’s important to note these averages are precisely those; every year we have Scholars who score below and above those averages.
Though grades, coursework, and test scores are important, we know that numbers do not tell the whole story of a student’s unique abilities, lived experiences, or character. We also weigh the qualitative components of an application that include leadership, involvement, and service to community and school.
Boettcher Scholars typically are initiators and/or leaders of clubs, organizations, or activities in their schools or communities, in addition to participating for multiple years. They may have founded their own nonprofit or started a business (excluding common high school employment such as babysitting or lawn care). Or, they have been recognized publicly for a unique talent. These may include earning accolades at the international science fair, being recognized for raising livestock, working outside of the home, or demonstrating leadership by taking care of siblings.
In order for you to be able to make an informed decision as to whether to apply for the Boettcher Scholarship, we advise you to talk to your high school counselor or postsecondary advisor and read more about the Boettcher Scholarship to determine if you are a competitive candidate.
Beginning with the class of 2022, the Boettcher Foundation will award 50 scholarships annually. Previously, the annual Scholar recipient number was 42. Approximately 100 Colorado finalists are selected to interview from an initial pool of applicants, which is typically more than 2,000.
Since the beginning of the Boettcher Scholarship program in 1952, the Foundation has awarded more than 2,800 scholarships.
Boettcher Scholarship applications open in early September and are due no later than 5:00 p.m. on November 1 of your senior year. Applications can be accessed on our Scholarship Application page.
All applicants are notified of their status via email. Semifinalists will be selected in mid-December and asked to submit tw0 letters of recommendation. Approximately 100 finalists will be notified via email in February and will be interviewed in March. Soon after the finalist interviews, the winners are notified — 42 for the class of 2021 and 50 for the classes of 2022 and beyond.
Awarded in partnership with our state’s four-year, nonprofit institutions of higher education, our comprehensive scholarship program can be used at any of our 16 institutional partners (referenced below). The two models, and their award amounts, are described below.
Cost of Attendance Model: Scholars receive an annual fixed amount of $20,000 per year from Boettcher for four years. Institutions will then use institutional, merit, and/or need based support (or a combination) to support up to the total cost of attendance for each Scholar minus travel and other expenses. Institutions under this model are Adams State University, Colorado Mesa University, Colorado School of Mines, Colorado State University, Colorado State University – Pueblo, Fort Lewis College, Metropolitan State University of Denver, University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, University of Colorado Denver, University of Northern Colorado, and Western Colorado University.
Tuition & Fees Model: Scholars receive an annual fixed amount of $20,000 per year from Boettcher for four years. Partner institutions will then use institutional, merit, and/or need-based support (or a combination) to support up to the total amount of tuition and fees for each Scholar. Institutions under this model are Colorado Christian University, Colorado College, Regis University, and University of Denver.
- Be a graduating Colorado high school senior who has lived in Colorado for your junior and senior years of high school
- Be a citizen, legal permanent resident, or legally present (including through Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) in the United States
- Meet the requirements and have applied or started the process of applying for legal status or lawful presence. (Although students can be in the application process for legal status or lawful presence during the Boettcher selection timeframe, in order to become a Boettcher Scholar, you must provide documentation of legal status or lawful presence approval.)
The Boettcher Foundation hosts webinars annually. Titled “Everything You Need to Know About Scholarships,” the webinars go over how students can “ACE” their college and scholarship applications, including tips on how to make their applications stand out.
Upcoming Webinars:
- Wednesday, August 23, 12-1 p.m.
- Tuesday, September 12, 5:30-6:30 p.m.
- Wednesday, September 27, 5:30-6:30 p.m.
- Thursday, October 5, 12-1 p.m.
An abbreviated version of the presentation is also available here. To view the video with subtitles, click here. Ver el vídeo: todo lo que debes saber de las becas.
We have compiled a printable guide that offers tips on how to be competitive for the Boettcher Scholarship and many other scholarships. You can download our scholarship resource packet here.
The Boettcher Foundation has also published a book, All the Wisdom and None of the Junk: Secrets of Applying for College Admission and Scholarships. Every Colorado high school received a complimentary copy to be kept in its guidance counseling office. More information about the book is available here.
Because the scholarship targets students who have spent their junior and senior years in Colorado high schools, our application is in English. We do provide overview materials in Spanish here.
Ver el vídeo: todo lo que debes saber de las becas.
If your study abroad program was an exchange through a Colorado high school, whereby you earned credits through your Colorado high school and/or you will still graduate from a Colorado school, you are still eligible to apply for the Boettcher Scholarship. If you completed an independent or non-affiliated program, please email us at scholarships@boettcherfoundation.org to determine your application eligibility.”
Generative AI tools like ChatGPT can be helpful as you brainstorm your essay topic, build an outline, and refine your essay. However, we caution you against relying heavily on these tools. Essays are a requirement of Boettcher Scholarship applicants because they help us get to know applicants better – as we aim to learn about an applicant’s personal experiences, insights, and character. Copying and pasting an essay response from artificial intelligence tools would call into question the originality and authenticity in your essays. Please make sure to pull from your own personal experience when writing your essay. AI can never replicate your authentic voice, and we want to ensure that your essays reflect that voice.
Legal Status or Lawful Presence FAQs
Students are eligible to apply for a Boettcher Scholarship if they meet the following minimum criteria:
- Be a graduating Colorado high school senior who has lived in Colorado for your full junior and senior years of high school and
- Be a citizen, legal permanent resident, or lawfully present (including through Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) in the United States
OR
- Meet the requirements and have applied or started the process of applying for citizenship, legal status or lawful presence. (Although students can be in the application process for citizenship, legal status, or lawful presence during the Boettcher selection timeframe, in order to become a Boettcher Scholar, you must provide documentation that shows you have successfully completed the process.)
What is Legal Status? Generally speaking, a person with legal status has the right to remain in the United States permanently and holds an immigrant visa, commonly referred to as a “green card”. Those with an immigrant visa are also known as lawful permanent residents. A person may have conditional legal status in certain circumstances. A person may be eligible for an immigrant visa for a variety of reasons, but most commonly because of a family connection to a United States citizen or lawful permanent 2 Revised August 30, 2019 resident, a relationship to an employer, or status as an asylee or refugee (a person entitled to asylum or refuge from his or her home county) for more than a year.
What is Lawful Presence? A person may be lawfully present in the United States without having legal status. For instance, those who have been granted deferred action under DACA are lawfully present though they are not lawful permanent residents (see below). Those lawfully present are in the United States on a temporary basis, even if they might remain here for a long period of time. Other examples of the lawfully present include those in the United States on a student visa or those granted temporary protected status based on unrest in their home country. It is common for a lawfully present individuals hold one of many types of visa. It is important to note that some types of visa allow the holder to attend a college or university as a degree-seeking student, but others do not. You will only be eligible for a Boettcher Scholarship if the visa or you hold or have applied for permits you to be a full-time postsecondary student.
What is DACA? DACA is a federal program that allows people who came to the United States as children and meet several requirements to request deferred action on removal (deportation). An individual who has received deferred action under DACA is considered by the Department of Homeland Security to be lawfully present in the United States during the period deferred action is in effect. See more information at www.uscis.gov. At this time, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services is not accepting new applications under DACA, but those previously granted deferred action are eligible to apply for renewal of their status. More information can be found at www.uscis.gov/daca2017.
- During the application round of the Boettcher Scholarship you need to select the status that most closely applies to your current status or status you are eligible for or in the process of applying for. By selecting either Lawful Presence or Other Legal Status, you are stating that, to the best of your knowledge, you currently hold or are eligible to apply for lawful presence or legal status in the United States.
- If selected as a semifinalist, you must provide to the Boettcher Foundation (i) proof of lawful presence or legal status, or (ii) proof of application for lawful presence or legal status by submitting a confirmation letter from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) verifying they have received your application, or proof of correspondence with an attorney that verifies your effort to obtain lawful presence or legal status.
- We ask that students continue to keep us updated about any notifications they receive as their application moves through the process. These updates can be sent directly to scholarships@boettcherfoundation.org.
- If selected as a Boettcher Scholar, you must provide proof of approval (please reference question No. 7 below for details about proof of approval) and a signed Affirmation of Lawful Presence or Legal Status in the United States to the Boettcher Foundation by August 1. (Affirmation document will be provided by the Boettcher Foundation to all Boettcher Scholars.)
- A new signed Affirmation of Lawful Presence or Legal Status in the United States must be provided to the Boettcher Foundation every year that you are a Boettcher Scholar.
- You must remain in good standing with the Boettcher Foundation in accordance with the Boettcher Foundation Scholarship program Policies and Conduct Contract.
- Yes. In the application round you will need to select the status that most closely applies to your current standing or standing you are in the process of applying for on the Boettcher Scholarship application, stating that to the best of your knowledge you will meet all requirements for obtaining lawful presence or legal status in the United States.
- If you are selected to move into the semifinalist round of Boettcher Scholarship selection or are selected as a Boettcher Scholar, there is additional proof of application for lawful presence or legal status and approval required. (Please see questions 3 & 4 above.)
The Boettcher Scholarship is only given to students who have legal status or are otherwise lawfully present in the United States. Selected Boettcher Scholars who are not citizens must submit a signed Affirmation of Lawful Presence or Legal Status in the United States along with documentation of legal status or lawful presence approval to the Boettcher Foundation by August 1.
While there are many documents and combinations of documents that demonstrate legal status or lawful presence in the United States, the list below identifies many of the most common. Documents must be current (not expired). Documents not on the list below will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
- Form I-551 (Permanent Resident Card or Alien Registration Receipt Card, commonly known as a “green card”)
- Temporary I-551 Stamp on foreign passport or I-94 or I-94A 4 Revised August 30, 2019
- Form I-797 showing approval of deferred action status (under DACA)
- Form I-766 (Employment Authorization Document) annotated “C19” (temporary protected status), “A13” (family unity status), or to show another qualifying status
- Form I-94 with stamp showing
- grant of asylum under section 208 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA);
- admission under Section 207 of the INA (refugee status); or
- admission for at least one year under Section 203(a)(7) of the INA (diversity visa lottery);
- Grant Letter from the Asylum Office or INS
- Form I-571 (Refugee Travel Document)
If the expiration date on your acceptable documents is on or before August 1, you must
provide updated/renewal documentation to confirm your lawful presence or legal status in the United States to the Boettcher Foundation by August 1. If you have questions about if your
lawful presence or legal status documentation is valid, or if you have another form of
documentation other than listed above, please contact the director of programs, Tiffany
Anderson, at Tiffany@boettcherfoundation.org.
Students may apply for the Boettcher Scholarship before they receive confirmation of their lawful presence or legal status in the United States. However, if you are selected as a Boettcher Scholar, in order to be eligible to receive the Boettcher Scholarship, you must submit proof of your lawful presence or legal status in the United States to the Boettcher Foundation by August 1. Please reference question No. 7 above for information about acceptable documentation to confirm lawful presence or legal status.
To maintain eligibility for the Boettcher Scholarship while you are in college, you must:
- Remain in good standing with the Boettcher Foundation in accordance with the Boettcher Foundation Scholarship Program Policies and Conduct Contract.
- Sign a yearly Affirmation of Legal Presence or Lawful Status in the United States.
- And provide continuous proof of lawful presence or legal status (ensuring renewal documentation is provided to the Boettcher Foundation before your original documentation’s expiration date.)
- Boettcher Scholars must attend a four-year college or university in the State of Colorado in order to receive the Boettcher Scholarship.
- The Boettcher Foundation’s acceptance of lawfully present students or students with other legal status does not guarantee acceptance of these scholars into the different Colorado institutions, nor does it guarantee the 25% scholarship match that the institutions provide to Boettcher Scholars. We will work individually with any selected student to ensure they pick the Colorado institution that is the best fit for their interests and eligibility status.
Once you become a Boettcher Scholar, you are eligible to receive undergraduate funding for up to four (4) consecutive years, as long as you continue to be eligible to receive federal student financial aid, or continue to be lawfully present or hold legal status in the United States, and you remain in good standing with the Boettcher Foundation in accordance with the Boettcher Foundation Scholarship Program Policies and Conduct Contract. If you are no longer considered lawfully present or no longer hold legal status in the United States, you must notify the Boettcher Foundation immediately.
If you are not lawfully present or do not hold legal status in the United States, the Boettcher Foundation will not continue to provide your scholarship.
No, if you met all of the Boettcher Scholarship requirements at the time you received the Boettcher Scholarship, you will not have to pay back the scholarship if you are no longer lawfully present or no longer hold legal status in the United States. Your loss of lawful presence or legal status, however, will affect your ability to receive future funding from the Boettcher Foundation.
- The Boettcher Scholarship and the International Education Grant can be used for study abroad programs offered through partner colleges or universities in Colorado, as long as you meet all other scholarship requirements.
- If you are not a United States citizen, before leaving the country, confirm that you will be able to re-enter the United States. Legal guidance should be considered before any decision to study abroad is made.
- The Boettcher Foundation will not release any student’s information to federal officials or anyone else outside of our campus partners for recruitment purposes, unless we receive a lawful subpoena or warrant that requires us to do so.
- For more information about how student information may be used and how the Boettcher Foundation protects student information, please contact the director of programs:
Director of Programs
Tiffany@BoettherFoundation.org
303.534.1937
COVID-Related FAQs
We understand the myriad of challenges that make it difficult for students to take the ACT or SAT. Because of those challenges, we cannot assume all students will have access to testing opportunities. Therefore, we have decided to move to test optional. If possible, we still encourage applicants to submit test scores, as that will be one more piece of data to consider in our application review. That noted, we want to emphasize that your test score is one of the many factors we consider in our holistic application review.
Please visit the SAT and ACT websites for additional test date information and/or to find resources to help you prepare for the fall tests.
We understand that disruptions to the traditional in-person learning model and the switch to online learning are well beyond the control of students and families. We absolutely will take this into consideration upon application review. As always, we will review transcripts not only for letter grades, but also for grade trends and academic rigor. We will also review transcripts with the knowledge that students faced unique and unprecedented challenges.
As with our transcript review, we will review the activities section of our application with the knowledge that many activities have been canceled or otherwise disrupted due to COVID-19. Students will not be penalized for not being able to participate in these activities, as we understand these cancellations are simply out of their control.