Bright Futures opens second application window

WELD COUNTY — College-bound students for the first time will get a second chance to apply for a Bright Futures scholarship for the upcoming college year. 

Bright Futures is a workforce development program that provides grants to Weld County high school graduates, GED recipients and honorably discharged veterans to attend college or earn a trade certificate. From Oct. 1 to Nov. 1, the program will open applications a second time this year. Students can apply here:  Bright Futures Students. To qualify, students must have spent their senior year and one other year in a Weld County high school.

 “We are working to be more responsive to the needs of students in this community,” explained CEO of Bright Futures, Jeff Carlson, in a news release. “Typically, if a student missed the deadline for any reason, they could not receive any funding until the next school year. For GED recipients and honorably discharged veterans in particular, that could place them at a disadvantage for going to school and starting on their career path.”

Qualifying students can earn up to $14,000 over eight semesters in college to earn a degree or certification from a school or program in Weld County. The program also helps Weld County students who wish to attend schools throughout Colorado and surrounding states (Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona or Utah) can get an award up to $8,000 over eight semesters, the release stated. Returning applicants to Bright Futures must maintain a 2.0 or higher cumulative GPA. According to the release, there are no income or academic requirements to qualify for a scholarship. 

The second application window will be open to all qualifying applicants, including GED recipients, honorably discharged veterans, or students who may not have qualified during the application process last May. The second application window will provide funding for the spring/summer 2025 semesters, the release stated. 

Students who previously qualified under the May deadline for the current fall/spring semesters do not need to apply again in October. The application for the fall/spring 2025-26 school year will be on May 15, 2025, the release stated.

The Bright Futures has supported over 5,875 students and invested more than $21 million to support Weld County’s workforce for the last nine years.  

To learn more about the program, go to Bright Futures.

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