Financial Aid & Scholarships

Admission & Aid

At Morgridge every student is considered for scholarships when they are admitted. Many additional resources are available to help fund your education. These include loans, assistantships, private scholarships and grants. We are here to help you navigate funding opportunities. Explore the resource below or contact us for more information.

Check out our core DU scholarship page for information on University-wide funding opportunities.

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Morgridge Scholarships

Scholarships offered by Morgridge include Dean’s Scholarship awards, named merit scholarships, GTA and GRA appointments, grants, and fellowships. Unlike student loans, these awards do not need to be paid back.

You're considered for most MCE-funded scholarships automatically upon admittance. Dean’s Scholarships vary by program and are awarded to incoming students based on academic merit. They can be awarded for one to three years. Morgridge also has over 40 donor-funded merit scholarships that are awarded to outstanding applicants when they are admitted.

We encourage all students to actively pursue opportunities to present their scholarly research at conferences. Miller Scholarship funding may be provided to support presentation costs including travel. Doctoral students who have successfully defended their dissertation proposals may be eligible for dissertation grant funding support with advisor approval.

  • Dean's Scholarship

    MCE Dean’s Scholarship awards pay for tuition costs. They are applied to student accounts evenly across the academic year. Typically, Dean’s Scholarship awards are divided equally between Fall, Winter and Spring quarters.

    If your program’s coursework requires Summer enrollment, your Dean’s Scholarship award will be spread over four quarters. If you enroll in the Summer by choice, you will need to contact MCE Financial Aid to ensure your award is allocated properly.

    If you receive a Dean’s Scholarship and are subsequently awarded a Graduate Assistantship (GTA or GRA), your Dean’s Scholarship may be reduced by the equivalent amount of tuition waiver accompanying the GTA or GRA. However, your overall MCE funded financial aid package will never be reduced from the original award amount.

  • Fisher ECSE Scholarship

    Fisher ECED Scholarship: About the Award

  • Uhrmacher Scholarship

    The Uhrmacher Scholarship was created in honor of Dr. P. Bruce Uhrmacher by a group of his former graduate students. The main goal of the Uhrmacher scholarship reflects his educational philosophy; namely, it seeks to support and mentor graduate students while nurturing their creative ideas in the field of Curriculum & Instruction. The award is dedicated to helping preserve the open sharing of fresh ideas and to helping students artfully express these ideas at the American Association for Teaching & Curriculum (AATC) annual conference. Awards are given to proposals related to important themes in 21st-century education — arts and aesthetics, diversity, ecology, spirituality, human development, curriculum theory, alternative schooling, qualitative research and others.

    This scholarship is awarded annually and is open to all Morgridge College of Education (MCE) doctoral students.

    The Uhrmacher Scholar receives:

    • Mentoring from Professor Uhrmacher and MCE alumni.
    • A financial stipend to support travel to the American Association for Teaching and Curriculum conference.
    • Support in organizing a presentation.
    • Support in preparing a manuscript for submission to Curriculum and Teaching Dialogue, the peer-reviewed annual journal published by AATC.

    Students seeking an award must submit a proposal application to the annual meeting of AATC.

  • Miller Scholarship

    Through the generous support of the George W. & Mamie Dodd Miller Endowed Scholarship Fund, MCE students may apply for up to $500 in scholarship funding to support their presentation of scholarly research papers at national and international conferences. Funding is available up to annual budget limitations. Scholarship can only apply to tuition charges.

    Miller Scholarship and Travel Funds Application to Present Research at National or International Conference

  • Dissertation Grant Funding Support

    Students who have successfully defended their dissertation proposal have several resources to support executing and completing their dissertation, including applying for dissertation fellowships offered by DU's Office of Graduate Education.

    MCE is revamping its internal Dissertation Research Grant program and we encourage students to first apply to COESA's Dissertation/DIP/DRP grants, which can be found here:

    COESA Dissertation/DIP/DRP Research Grant Procedures

  • Urban Teacher Fellowship

    The Urban Teacher Fellowship (UTF) is an innovative one-year program made possible by a partnership between the University of Denver’s Morgridge College of Education (MCE) and Denver Public Schools (DPS). The goal of UTF is to support 15 teacher fellows and provide them with the resources and experience necessary to ensure that all children have access to highly-trained educators. Upon completion of the year-long program, fellows will receive a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction and a Colorado teaching license.

    Learn More

Student Loans & Federal Grants

An education is one of the best long-term investments you can make in your future, and borrowing is one way to fund that investment. With careful planning, a loan can be a smart decision for you and your family, as many educational loans have more favorable terms than other consumer loans (such as car loans or credit cards). However, since all loans must be repaid, you should only borrow what you need.

Learn more about available student loans:

All federal financial aid is managed by the central DU Office of Financial Aid, located in University Hall Room 255.

For assistance with your federal financial aid, contact a Graduate Financial Aid Advisor at (303)871-4020 or finaid@du.edu.

  • TEACH Grant

    Through the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007, Congress created the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education TEACH Grant Program that provides substantial grants to students who intend to teach in a public or private elementary or secondary school that serves students from low-income families. In exchange for receiving a TEACH Grant, you must agree to serve as a full-time teacher in a high-need field in a public or private elementary or secondary school that serves low-income students and teach for at least four academic years within eight calendar years of completing the program of study for which you received a TEACH Grant.

  • Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program

    The Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program is intended to encourage individuals to enter and continue in the teaching profession. Under this program, individuals who teach full- time for five consecutive, complete academic years in certain elementary and secondary schools that serve low-income families and meet other qualifications may be eligible for forgiveness of up to a combined total of $17,500 in principal and interest on their FFEL and/or Direct Loan program loans.

  • Public Service Loan Forgiveness

    If you are employed by a government or not-for-profit organization, you may be able to receive loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. Learn more.

  • Work Study

    Work-study is a need-based financial aid award that allows you to work on campus (or with an approved off-campus employer) to earn money to help pay for educational expenses. It’s not a grant (because you must work to earn it), and it’s not a loan (because you don’t have to repay it). You can only apply for work-study positions if you have this award as a part of your financial aid package and you must be enrolled at least half-time (4 credits) to use it. If you were not awarded work-study, visit Student Employment for other job opportunities.

    To learn more about DU work-study visit the DU website.

Applying for Federal Financial Aid

  • 1. Apply For Admission to the Morgridge College of Education

    You must be admitted to the University to be eligible for student loan awards. It is recommended that you begin the FAFSA process prior to receiving your admissions decision (see the steps below). Grants, scholarships, student loans and student employment positions will not be awarded until you have been formally admitted and completed all of the following steps.

  • 2. Apply For a U.S. Department of Education PIN

    Apply for a Federal Student Aid PIN through the Federal Student Aid office of the U.S. Department of Education.

    Learn more about your Federal Student Aid PIN

  • 3. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid Online

    Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

    You will need to complete the FAFSA each year of enrollment in your degree program. The new FAFSA forms for the following academic year are available on January 1 each year. To apply, you will need your PIN from Step 2. The school code for the University of Denver is 001371. Priority consideration deadline is March 15th for all federal aid however, you may submit your FAFSA after that deadline. High-need-based aid (Work-Study) may not be available after the priority deadline.

  • 4. Receive a Student Aid Report (SAR)

    If you have applied for a PIN, you can view the SAR online through the FAFSA website. Review your SAR for accuracy and make any necessary corrections.

    Learn more about Student Aid Reports (SAR)

  • 5. Accept Your Financial Aid Award

    The Office of Financial Aid will use the information on your FAFSA to determine your eligibility for financial assistance (loans) and student employment.

    Once this process is complete, you will be notified via email that your award can be viewed online with instructions for reviewing your award. You must accept or decline the awards offered to you online.

    You may be selected for verification of the information reported on the FAFSA by the Department of Education (your SAR will indicate you have been selected).  The Office of Financial Aid will contact you by email to notify you of the additional information needed. If selected, additional documentation is required to be turned into the University before determining your aid eligibility and disbursing any funds.

  • 6. Plan Ahead and Think Long-Term

    Applying for financial aid is easier than it seems, but it is important that you submit all of the required forms and meet all the deadlines.

    Here are some additional tips that will maximize your chances of securing assistance:

    • Ask questions. The Morgridge College of Education Office of Admissions and the University Office of Financial Aid staff are available to answer your inquiries and direct you to on- and off-campus resources.
    • File your federal tax forms as early in the year as possible, remembering that you can estimate your income and taxes for the prior year.
    • Make sure that your application to the Morgridge College of Education is complete. The earlier you submit all of your paperwork, the better your chances of tapping into all sources of aid.
    • Be sure to review the financial aid information on the Morgridge College of Education’s website and pursue any types of funding that may apply to you.
    • Determine if you are eligible for an employer reimbursement or tuition waiver through the company or organization where you work. Some employers may provide partial or full tuition reimbursement to employees or dependents. Check with your Human Resources department to see if your employer offers these benefits. The Bursar’s Office can set up deferred payments for students who will have all or a portion of their bill paid by an employer. For questions about eligibility for DU employee tuition waivers, please contact the Office of Human Resources.