FWYS Finish What You Started

Finish What You Started (FWYS) Scholarship
The Finish What You Started (FWYS) Scholarship is designed to help students with some college and no degree complete an undergraduate degree at Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU Denver). This program was created by the Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative (COSI) and is part of a statewide initiative to help Coloradoans complete their degrees in a timely matter with less debt. The FWYS program is grant-funded through May 2026 and is housed under the Transfer and Adult Student Success (TASS) Center within the office of Orientation, Transfer and Re-engagement (OTR) at MSU Denver.
Scholarship Benefits
The scholarship will provide FWYS scholars with $1000 each Fall and Spring semester from first semester of enrollment in the program through to graduation from MSU Denver (by May 2026). This money will go directly into students’ accounts after census date each semester. Please note: in order to receive the scholarship each fall and spring semester, the student’s financial aid file needs to be complete, which includes completing the FAFSA or CASFA for that school year.
In addition to financial assistance, FWYS scholars will be connected with a Navigator who will provide holistic support services to assist students in achieving their academic and career goals while completing their education at MSU Denver. Students will receive individualized support from their Navigator that includes things such as help with onboarding, financial aid processes, connection to academic departments and important career resources, goal-setting and more.

Eligibility Requirements
Students are eligible if they:
•Are a resident of Colorado or classified as a resident for tuition purposes (ASSET students are eligible)
•Must be able graduate by May 2026* (see below for number of credits needed toward degreerequirements by semester student starts)•Have not earned a degree (including Associate and Bachelor degrees from Colorado schools)•Have been out of college for at least two semesters (summer included) immediately prior to re-enrolling
•Have experienced financial hardship due to the pandemic (including but not limited to: rent/housingincrease; wages/hours decrease; increased food or housing insecurity, etc…)

Necessary credit hour threshold starting Fall 2023-Spring 2024 60 Cummulative Credit Hours

Maintaining the FWYS Scholarship
In order to keep the scholarship each semester, students must:
•Maintain a 2.0 or higher cumulative GPA.
•Completed Financial Aid file, including the FAFSA or CASFA and the MSU Denver generalscholarship application each year
•Maintain sufficient academic progress toward graduation in May 2026
•Meet with their Navigator each semester and set 1-3 goals to help achieve academic success, financialwellness, and/or career readiness
•Complete goals and log them in Pathways system (information on how to do this will be provided)
•Complete any and all additional requirements requested by FWYS staff by agreed upon date(s)
•Complete the Federal Educational Right to Privacy Act (FERPA) release (this is a one-timerequirement during scholars’ first semester)
Please note: The FWYS team conducts semesterly academic checks for each of the FWYS Scholars. If the above requirements aren’t being met, it may disqualify students from being able to remain on the scholarship.