The Colorado State University System is proud to offer the CSU Spur Scholarship to students from 80216.
The CSU Spur Scholarship was created to support students from the 80216 postal code. CSU Spur has been engaged with the Globeville and Elyria-Swansea neighborhoods since 2013, and the community shared the importance of creating a scholarship for its students.
The scholarship is awarded to incoming, first-year students who reside in 80216 and who have applied and been accepted to a CSU System school (CSU, CSU Pueblo, CSU Global). Students exhibiting financial need are awarded up to $2,500 per year for up to four years (a potential $10,000 commitment per student). Spur Scholarship funds may be used to cover tuition and fees, textbooks, housing, or food.
The CSU System institutions believe that all students should have the opportunity to attain higher education, and this scholarship is part of our commitment to provide educational opportunities to students from the local communities that are home to CSU Spur.
First-time CSU System students who live in 80216 are eligible upon admission to a CSU System institution (CSU Fort Collins, CSU Pueblo, and CSU Global) for the need-based CSU Spur Scholarship, which grants up to $10,000 per student ($2,500 annually for four years). Students must maintain good academic standing to be named a recipient.
The Spur Scholarship is available for all CSU System institutions: CSU Fort Collins, CSU Pueblo, and CSU Global.
The CSU Spur Scholarship began in Fall 2021 and is awarded to all eligible students.
The student eligibility criteria:
- Colorado resident as verified by the institution at point of admission
- First-time CSU System undergraduates
- Resident of the 80216 postal/zip code
- Demonstrated financial need as determined by each institution
- Completion of the institution’s scholarship application
- Recurring scholarship awarded upon student maintaining good academic standing
The CSU Spur Scholarship does not require a separate application. Upon admission to a CSU System institution (CSU Fort Collins, CSU Pueblo, or CSU Global) you will fill out a standard application for financial aid or hear from the school’s admissions office. Any student who meets the CSU Spur Scholarship criteria will automatically be eligible for the scholarship.
- Students apply for financial aid through their respective CSU System institution (CSU Fort Collins, CSU Pueblo, CSU Global) central campus scholarship application. All students who are eligible through this process will be placed in a prospective applicant pool.
- The institution will evaluate all prospective scholarship awardees, to determine awardees. The committee may determine the scholarship amount based on the level of need for each student.
- The scholarship is automatically renewed up to four years if the student maintains good academic standing, as determined by the institution.
Each scholarship is up to $10,000 ($2,500/year) per student awardee. The scholarship is available for up to four years, given the student maintains a good academic standing with their respective institution.
No. The Spur Scholarship began in Fall 2021 for admitted students at a CSU System institution and is not retroactive for students previously enrolled.
Eligible students will receive the CSU Spur Scholarship in addition to the financial aid they receive from their institution of admission. The annual $2500 will be divided into two payments (fall and spring terms) and will directly credit the student’s account.
No. The funds may be used for any student needs, including tuition, textbooks, housing, or food.
The CSU Spur campus is open to the public in Denver as part of the redevelopment of the National Western Center. CSU Spur is made up of three buildings with a focus on water, food, and health – and is focused on providing hands-on educational opportunities to all learners, and inspiring the next generation to work on the globe’s most important issues.
CSU Spur is located in 80216 and has been an active member of the communities within the 80216 zip code since 2013, as part of a goal to be a good neighbor to nearby residents. The CSU System institutions believe that all students should have the opportunity to attain higher education, and this scholarship is part of the commitment of the CSU System, and its institutions, to provide educational opportunities to all students.
KAREN SCHLATTER
Director, Colorado Water Center
Karen Schlatter was appointed director of the Colorado Water Center at Colorado State University in 2025, after joining the Center as associate director in 2023. Schlatter brings academic, nonprofit, and public sector experience in managing complex water challenges with a deep commitment to building partnerships and the ability to engage in conversations across Colorado’s water community. She joined CSU from the University of Florida Water Institute where her work included facilitating multi-stakeholder/academic teams to achieve shared goals around water management through collaborative, interdisciplinary research. Prior to her role at UF, she served as associate director of the Colorado River Delta Program at the Sonoran Institute, where she focused on building cross-sector and international partnerships to support large-scale ecological restoration, effective binational water management, and community engagement in the Colorado River Delta region. Schlatter earned a Bachelor of Science in biology from McGill University and a Master of Science in environmental studies from the University of Colorado Boulder. She served as an agricultural extension volunteer in the Peace Corps in Paraguay.
TOM VILSACK
Chief Executive Officer, World Food Prize Foundation
Effective March 1, 2025, Thomas J. Vilsack, former United States Secretary of Agriculture and Governor of Iowa, will become the first Chief Executive Officer for the World Food Prize Foundation. In this new role, Governor Vilsack will focus on expanding the Foundation’s global network, and will further position the Foundation as a leader in addressing global food and nutrition insecurity, continuing his lifetime of public service.
In 1998, he became the first Democrat to be elected as the Governor of Iowa in more than 30 years. During his two terms as Governor, he created an $800 million, 10-year economic development incentive program—the Iowa Values Fund. His administration worked with schools, medical providers, businesses, faith-based organizations and other entities to expand healthcare coverage to more than 90,000 previously uninsured children.
He became the 30th and 32nd United States Secretary of Agriculture, from 2008-2017 and 2021-2025, respectively. Only five people in U.S. history have served in the Cabinet longer, and during his tenures, the United States Department of Agriculture set records for U.S. agricultural exports and provided food assistance to millions of Americans. He helped expand food and nutrition access through summer feeding programs for children and additional support for fruit and vegetable purchases through the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program. As Secretary, he worked to develop new and superior markets for small and mid-sized farms, allowing those operations to remain viable and in turn, strengthening and growing rural communities.
Governor Vilsack has long been connected to the World Food Prize Foundation, having served on both the Council of Advisors and the Board of Directors. His insights and acumen were vital in shaping our mission and initiatives. His leadership and experience will be instrumental in expanding the Foundation’s international reach and continuing the mission of elevating innovations and inspiring action to sustainably increase the quality, quantity and availability of food for all.
Celebrate the Fourth of July at Spur!
CSU Spur is hosting its first Fourth of July party! Join us at 5:30 p.m. on July 4 for a live DJ, local barbecue, activities for kids, and a view of celebrations across the city from the Terra rooftop.
Tickets are $5.
We’ll see you Saturday!
2nd Saturday at CSU Spur is 10 a.m.-2 p.m. this Saturday (July 11), and this month, the theme is Wonderful World of Water. Explore hands-on activities focused on watersheds, aquatic ecosystems, water conservation, and the journey water takes from mountain snowpack to our homes, as well as agua frescas, the Westernaires, a river clean-up, the Market at the Center, and more!