The campaign to get Metro State students to apply for the Colorado Opportunity Fund (COF), the state legislature’s new way of appropriating money to higher-education institutions through individual students, has been very successful, but a number of students still need to complete the process.

While more than 21,000 students (representing nearly 100 percent of the Fall 2005 enrollment at Metro State) have applied for COF, 1,530 students have not authorized the use of the COF stipend toward their Fall 2005 tuition.

Students need to apply for COF only once, but they are required to authorize or decline the COF stipend each semester. The payment deadline—and COF authorization deadline—for the Fall 2005 semester is August 19, 2005. Students who have not authorized the COF stipend will be responsible for paying an additional $80 per semester hour.

Faculty and staff are urged to remind all students to finish up the COF process, which is as follows.

• Go to http://metroconnect.mscd.edu
• access the MetroConnect Registration/BANNER tab
• click on the "Student Records & Financial Aid" menu item, then select "Student Records"
• click on the "COF Stipend Authorization" menu item
• choose to authorize or decline your COF stipend
  

Questions about COF authorization should be directed to the Cashier’s Office, CN 107, 303-556-4745.