Helping make the leap to university: Reisher Bridge Scholarship Program supports transfers from Colorado Mountain College to other higher education institutions

While it’s a huge accomplishment to take part in an associate degree program at Colorado Mountain College, many students still have their eyes set on a four-year program at a bigger school. But that can also be an expensive and challenging jump to make.

Now, a new partnership between The Denver Foundation and CMC is helping to make it easier to bridge that gap as students complete their associate degrees at one of CMC’s 11 campuses.

The Reisher Bridge Scholarship Program provides a structured pathway plus academic and financial support to help CMC students complete their associate degrees and successfully transfer to one of nine participating Colorado colleges and universities, earning both degrees with minimal debt.

Reisher Bridge participants can receive up to $2,000 per term during the final year of earning their associate degrees at CMC. They also may become eligible to apply for the Reisher Transfer Scholarship, which offers awards ranging from $6,000 to $22,000 at the program’s nine partner higher education institutions. The Reisher Bridge program even provides up to $1,000 in emergency funding for any financial bumps along the way.

More importantly, the Reisher Bridge Scholarship Program offers its own scholarship navigators, who help personally mentor students and connect them to helpful resources, making it all an easier process for students and their families to make the jump to a larger school. These designated navigators and connectors will now be on hand at all of CMC’s campuses to assist students with their transfer preparations and plans. They will also organize virtual and in-person visits to schools that have bachelor’s degree programs that CMC does not.

The program is a win-win for CMC as it enhances the value of the associate degrees the college offers, as well as gives an alternative for students beyond the nine bachelor’s degrees and multiple certificates the college provides.

Partner schools in the Reisher Bridge program include Colorado Mesa University, Fort Lewis College, Colorado State University, Colorado State University–Pueblo, Metropolitan State University of Denver, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, University of Colorado Denver, University of Northern Colorado and Western Colorado University.

Eligibility for the Reisher Bridge Scholarship Program includes a mixture of residency and enrollment status, plus basic academic requirements. Recipients must be Colorado residents and either U.S. citizens or permanent residents and must be currently enrolled in a transferrable CMC associate degree program, with a cumulative grade point average, or GPA, of at least 3.0.

To qualify, students need to have 30 credits or less remaining to complete their associate degree, with plans to complete the degree by the end of the spring term in the same academic year they apply. Those interested in a Reisher Bridge Scholarship will need to demonstrate financial need, be Pell Grant eligible, and complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, form. Visit Reisher Bridge Scholarship Program for more information.