ASCENT

• One full year of college tuition and fees are paid for!
• Save time and money on college – between $5,000 – $10,000 depending on the program.
• Wrap-around student support services provided in the transition from high school to college that includes:
  • Advising
  • Social-emotional support
  • FAFSA support
  • Scholarship support
  • Job search, resume/cover letter/mock interview support
  • Transferring from one college to another (in state or out of state)
  • Letter of recommendation
  • Course scheduling
  • Career counseling
  • Campus resource referrals

• Students who have met all high school graduation requirements by the end of 12th grade.
• Students who have completed 12 credits* of college coursework by end of 12th grade: 
  • Check out the many ways a student can earn college credits with: 
    • Concurrent Enrollment
    • Advanced Placement (AP) Exam
    • International Baccalaureate (IB) Exam
    • College Level Examination Program (CLEP) 
  • Priority status given to students who have their 12 credits completed by the end of 1st semester of senior year.
• Students who are college-ready in English and Mathematics. College ready in English and Math is demonstrated by:
  • Achieving a passing score on the English/Math Accuplacer
  • Passing an English and Math CE course
  • Passing score on SAT/ACT
  • Or a grade waiver (only applies to community colleges)
  • Talk to your counselor to determine your eligibility
• Students who have applied for the following:
  • COF (College Opportunity Fund)
  • Financial Aid
  • Apply and be admitted to a participating Colorado college or university
• Students who are currently in the 13th grade or a 5th year program are not eligible.

The steps to apply are listed below. Connect with your school counselor to apply for ASCENT.

Step 1: ASCENT Application Worksheet 

Step 2: Online ASCENT Application

Step 3: Signed Agreement Form (Due April 2021)

In addition to the ASCENT application, make sure to apply to: 

• College Opportunity Fund (COF)
• Federal and State Financial Aid  (FAFSA or ASSET/CASFA)
• Denver Scholarship Foundation (DSF)
• College Specific Scholarships
• Private Scholarships

*Important: Many scholarships require that you officially graduate from high school to receive them. Therefore, if you earn a scholarship and also decide to participate in ASCENT, you will likely have to forfeit or defer the scholarship.

November 1, 2020: Application Opens

March 1, 2021: Application Closes

April 6, 2021: Conditional Acceptance

May/June 2021: Final Acceptance (pending CDE slots and AP/IB/CLEP scores)

ASCENT funding can vary year to year and therefore ASCENT slots are not guaranteed even for students who meet all eligibility criteria.  Due to this, it is imperative that each student develops an alternate financial aid plan in addition to ASCENT.

• ASCENT students are required to enroll in at least 12 college credits during both semesters of their ASCENT year. ASCENT students may not enroll in fewer than 12 college credits per semester unless approved by the DPS ASCENT Manager and Coordinator.
• DPS does not allow students to take online courses, unless there are extenuating circumstances. This is decided on a case-by-case basis by the ASCENT Manager and Coordinator.
• Studies have shown that most 1st year students are most successful when they have in person learning and support. Online coursework is highly independent and provides minimal support for students.

• Yes, and it varies year-to-year based on funding.

• If you participate in ASCENT, you are still eligible to apply for DSF scholarships after you complete the ASCENT program.
• Also, completing ASCENT counts as a year at DPS. Therefore, if you complete your graduation requirements and have only been at DPS for 3 years and then decide to participate in ASCENT, it counts as a 4th year for the purposes of DSF eligibility.

It doesn’t. Because the student has not officially graduated high school, they do not receive federal or state financial aid outside of ASCENT funding.

• Yes, as long as they meet the eligibility requirements listed above.

All students who have taken concurrent enrollment courses in HS have already applied for COF. Students only apply for COF one time.

• Yes, as long as they meet the eligibility requirements listed above.

• Students may stay at their current college, transfer to another college, or go into the workforce.
• Scholarships and funding: 
  • Denver Scholarship Foundation
  • Private scholarships
  • College specific scholarships
  • FAFSA or ASSET/CASFA
  • Raise.me

Please reach out to your school counselor for questions about ASCENT. You can also contact the ASCENT Coordinator or Manager listed below:

• Alejandra Nevárez, ASCENT Program Coordinator, alejandra_nevarez@dpsk12.org
• Kelly Gilmore, ASCENT Program Manager, kelly_gilmore@dpsk12.org