New Scholarships Page
Helping Fund a Dreamer’s Education…
At “I Have A Dream” Foundation® Boulder County, our goal is to not only help Dreamer’s aspire towards a college degree, but have a stepping stone towards financial relief as they persue higher education. Dreamers have exclusive access to several scholarships provided by the foundation.

$3M
Since 1998, IHDF Boulder has awarded over $3 million in post-secondnary scholarships to low-income studnets in Boulder Country
$500K
In 2016, IHDF Boulder was awarded Colorado Department of Higher Education’s Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative (COSI)
$10K
Dreamers are eligible for a $10,000 scholarship through IHDF, which can be used over the course of four years
Applying to Scholarships
The Common Application - due July 15
To apply to any of the scholarships available, students must fill out the Common Application for “I Have a Dream” Scholarships. If a student fails to fill out this form before the deadline, they may experience delays in the disbursement of their scholarship. This form must be filled out annually. If you miss the July 15 deadline, please fill out the form and contact the College and Career department for next steps.
Tax disclaimer: scholarship money refunded to you from your school may have tax implications if used towards the cost of room and board.
What You Will Need
- Essay: Please write a short essay about what you bring, or what you hope to bring to your postsecondary program. What strengths and skills are you most proud of, who do you lean on for support, and what do you hope to do with your education in the long term?
- Have completed the FAFSA, and COF if eligible
- A copy of your most recent unofficial transcript, as of today (high school or college
Scholarships Available
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“I Have a Dream” Foundation Dreamer Scholarship
Description: Thanks to the support and generosity of our class sponsors, "I Have a Dream" Foundation, Boulder County is able to provide Dreamers with a $10,000 scholarship to use for the academic endeavors after high school. The scholarship is dispersed evenly between the semesters of your proposed academic plan ($1250 per semester for a 4-year institution, $2500 per semester for a 2-year institution, and $10,000 for a one-year program)
Eligibility Requirements:
- Be an official Dreamer Scholar
- Have graduated from a high school or GED program
- Be enrolled in a postsecondary program, and have started within one year of high school graduation (two years of high school graduation date for Iris and Phoenix Dreamer Scholars)
- Once starting to use the scholarship, students are eligible to take up to 1 year off. Students must communicate with the College and Career department to discuss their planned absence.
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“I Have a Dream” Foundation Guest Scholarship
Thanks to an anonymous donor, Dreamer Guests can apply for $3,000 or more per year towards their postsecondary education. The purpose of the scholarship is to provide monetary assistance to students who have participated in the IHDF program and have a need for financial assistance in postsecondary. The scholarship is need based and renewable on an annual basis.
Eligibility Requirements:
- Be a current or past Dreamer Guest in the IHDF program
- Have graduated from a High School or GED program
- Be enrolled in a post-secondary program within one year of high school graduation date
- Have applied to three or more additional scholarship opportunities
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Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative (COSI)
This scholarship is made possible by the State of Colorado’s Department of Higher Education’s Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative (COSI program), whose goal is to increase the attainment of post-secondary credentials and degrees for underserved students in Colorado.
Eligibility Requirements:
- Must be entering a Colorado Public Institution as a first-time student for the 2020/2021 academic year OR have proof of ASSET through your institution
- Must have a 2.5 cumulative GPA upon high school graduation, and must maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA
- Must provide your social security # or DACA number upon scholarship disbursement if a citizen, permanent resident, or DACA student
Thank you to our generous donors who provide matching funds to make the COSI scholarship possible:
- Cielo Foundation
- Mary Hester Family
- Boulder Valley Rotary
- Boulder Housing Partners Resident Representative Council
- Premier Members Credit Union
- Dalton John Bane
- Marc and Mindy Liebman
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Dakota Solomon Memorial Scholarship
In 2002, Ariel and Kristen Solomon established the Dakota Solomon Memorial Scholarship with IHDF in memory of their son, Dakota to help under-resourced IHDF students further their education.
Eligibility Requirements:
- Currently enrolled and/or accepted to a university, college, or other type of “continuing education”
- Determination, character, effort, leadership skills, and perseverance
- Extent of community involvement
- Financial need
- Scholastic performance as shown by grade point average, SAT test scores
- Writing skills demonstrated by application essay
Applicants must submit, in addition to the general application requirements:
- A short answer about how the IHDF program has impacted you
- Two reference letters
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Las Alas Para Volar Scholarship
The Just Like Us Scholarship provides between $3,000 and $5,000 annually to current or past participants in the IHDF program. The purpose of the scholarship is to provide monetary assistance to students who may need extra money above and beyond what is provided by IHDF.
Eligibility Requirements:
- Be an IHDF Dreamer Scholar
- Graduated from high school or GED program
- Be enrolled in a postsecondary program, and have started within one year of high school graduation (two years of high school graduation date for Iris and Phoenix Dreamer Scholars)
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Marc and Mindy Liebman Scholarship
Since 2020, the Mindy and Marc Liebman Scholarship Foundation has provided $1000, a new computer, and printer to two students per year and for every year of their education.
Eligibility Requirements:
- Must be entering a college or vocational program as a first-time student for the 2020/2021 academic year
- Must maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA to renew the scholarship in multiple-year programs.
- Budget: of your expected expenses and income must be submitted as part of this application
- The Liebman Family would like to meet the scholarship recipients at a time and place that is convenient for the student, which “I Have A Dream” staff will coordinate and be present for.
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Cielo Foundation Vo-Tech Scholarship
The IHDF Vo-Tech scholarship was established in 2021 to support Dreamer Scholars pursuing vocational and trade certification in postsecondary. Thanks to a generous donation from the Cogen Foundation, the scholarship provides up to $5,000 to students in need of financial support above and beyond Dreamer Scholarship and other financial aid.
Eligibility:
- Applicants must a Dreamer Scholar or Dreamer Guest with the “I Have A Dream” Foundation of Boulder County.
- Have graduated from high school or a GED program.
- If you are interested in completing your GED to qualify for this scholarship, please contact a member of our team at college@ihaveadreamboulder.org
- Communicate with the College and Career team regularly (at least 2x per year, 1x per semester) to maintain eligibility once awarded.
- Be accepted in Vocational/ Technical Program before applying for this scholarship
- You do not have to be enrolled in a VoTech Program to be eligible for this scholarship.
- If you would like support identifying a program that is right for you, or need help enrolling, please contact a member of our team at college@ihaveadreamboulder.org
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AAUW Boulder Two-Year Trade School Scholarship
This scholarship is made possible by AAUW Boulder (American Association of University Women), whose mission is to advance equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy and research. As of May 2021, this scholarship is available young female-identified students to further their education in a trade school. It is $3,000 a year and is renewable for two years.
Eligibility Requirements:
- Be an IHDF Dreamer Scholar
- Be a first-year student in your program
- Have graduated from High School
- Demonstrate financial need
- Attend an AAUW Boulder tea
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AAUW Boulder Four-Year College Scholarship
This scholarship is made possible by AAUW Boulder(American Association of University Women), whose mission is to advance equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy and research. As of May 2021, this scholarship is for young female-identified students to further their education in 4 year college, $5,000 a year, and is renewable for your four years.
Eligibility Requirements:
- Be an IHDF Dreamer Scholar
- Be a first-year student in college
- Have graduated from High School
- Demonstrate financial need
- Attend an AAUW Boulder tea