UCCS removes undergraduate application fee for all Colorado residents

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- The University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) says it is helping future students in the state by removing undergraduate application fees for its campus for all Colorado residents.

The university sees this as a plan to serve the community and make it easier for students to have an opportunity to get a college education.

"This is part of a bigger push to reduce the barriers to enrollment for Colorado residents," Jon Caudill, the Interim Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management, said. "We see the university has a mission to support our people in the state and this is one of the ways we can do that."

UCCS says 70% of its students come from the Pikes Peak area, and they hope that doing this will encourage potential students in the state of Colorado to apply to the Colorado Springs location. They say they are always looking for more ways to bring in new students.

"We are very strategic about our enrollment and how we go about that," Caudill said. "We see enrollment about not just recruiting, but also retention and persistence."

Implementing an opportunity for free admission might also have an impact to boost admission rates. A report from the Board of Regents for the school shows that enrollment at the campus has gone down about just under four percent from the Fall 2025 to Fall 2026.

UCCS says they prioritize understanding what it takes to get a college education.

"We know that things are tough on folks right now, and so we expect that to the same for students as well as parents and families that are trying to get their kids an opportunity to grow and have some social mobility," Caudill said.

The announcement about waiving application fees came Wednesday at state of the campus and there is a lot of excitement behind the decision.

"The idea that a regional comprehensive university such as UCCS can support our region and our state in a stronger way is important for us," Caudill said.

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