Bursar's Office - University of Colorado at Boulder

The College Opportunity Fund (COF)

The College Opportunity Fund (COF) is a state of Colorado program (sometimes called vouchers or stipends) that provides tuition vouchers to resident undergraduate students who apply for the program and authorize application of the credits to their accounts.

Sponsors of resident undergraduate students who base their awards in whole or part on tuition charges should notify the university whether the awards pertain to the entire tuition charge or to the tuition charge less eligible tuition vouchers (also called student share of tuition.)

Unless the sponsor indicates otherwise, the university will assume that all tuition-based awards are meant to be tuition less eligible tuition vouchers without regard to whether the sponsored student has applied for the COF program and/or approved application of the credits to his/her account.

COF resources

3rd Party Billing Coordinator (sponsors only, please):

E-Mail: 3rdParty@colorado.edu

Address:
University of Colorado at Boulder
12 UCB
Boulder, CO 80309-0012

Phone: (303) 492-4369

Fax: (303) 735-5935

For more COF information
COF registration website

1. What is a 3rd party sponsor?

A 3rd party sponsor is an entity not related to a student who pays educational expenses on behalf of a student when billed by the university. Sponsor payments are called 3rd party sponsorships, and they are subject to the same federal reporting requirements as other financial aid.

Fellowships or sponsored research are not 3rd party sponsors. For information about sponsored research, contact Sponsored Project Accounting:

Accounting Manager: James Lei
Phone: 303-735-6435
E-mail: James.Lei@Colorado.edu
or other Sponsored Project Accountants (look in left column)

Sponsors who don’t require an invoice are administered by the Scholarship Services Program.

Trusts should note whether they are related or unrelated parties.

The Bursar's Office reserves the right to reject some sponsorships.

2. What are 3rd party sponsors requirements?

The sponsor is not related to the student,
The sponsor notifies the Bursar's Office of all current sponsored students and any changes affecting their commitments through a letter of authorization,
The sponsor has satisfied all prior commitments in a timely manner, and
The sponsor agrees to abide by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) and not disclose student information to others without the express written approval of the student.

3. What is a letter of authorization?

A letter of authorization must be sent on letterhead paper and should include the following information:

The sponsored student’s name and identification number
The amount of the sponsorship or the basis for calculating the award
Type of charges the sponsor will pay for (tuition, mandatory fees, optional fees, health insurance, and on-campus housing, books, parking, etc.)
The period of the sponsorship
The sponsor’s name and billing address
A contact name, phone number, and e-mail address
The signature of the sponsor or other person authorized to make commitments on behalf of the sponsor
Any applicable purchase order numbers, work order authorizations, or other billing codes
Any unique billing requirements.
Company ID numbers or badge numbers, or contract numbers

When to send the letter of authorization?

The sooner we know the better, since early notification prevents late and service charges from accruing. It gives the students better information about what they personally will be expected to pay, and eliminates unnecessary concern and follow-up by students and their families.

Where to send letters of authorization?

By fax: 3rd Party Billing Coordinator
303-735-5935
By mail:
University of Colorado at Boulder
3rd Party Billing Coordinator
Accounting Control Department
12 UCB
Boulder, CO 80309-0012

4. What is the 3rd party billing process?

The process is initiated when the university receives a letter of authorization from the sponsor. Upon receipt of the letter, the student’s bill is credited conditionally for the expected amount of the sponsor payment. If a sponsor commitment is tied to the number of credits a student is taking or other factors that may vary during the course of the term, the student’s account is adjusted to reflect the changes. Credits are not final until the sponsor has made payment in full. The university bills sponsors at the close of the add/drop period.

5. How does CUBill&Pay affect Third Party sponsors?

The new paperless billing system, CUBill&Pay, will NOT affect Third Party sponsors. However, if a sponsor wishes to pay online, and not receive a paper bill, the student would need to sign the sponsor up as an authorized payer. After a sponsor is signed up, the account will not be considered a Third Party acount. If you have additional questions, you may contact the Bursar's Office directly.

6. What is an enrollment deposit?

The university charges students a $200 enrollment deposit. When the student leaves the university, the deposit is applied to unpaid charges, and any remaining deposit is mailed to the student’s permanent mailing address. The deposit is refunded to the student regardless of who paid it.

7. When do sponsors get billed?

The university bills 3rd party sponsors when the add/drop period is over. Whenever possible, we prefer to send bills electronically to minimize costs and expedite payment. Terms are “Due Upon Receipt.” The university will make reasonable efforts to accommodate specific billing requirements of sponsors, but we expect students to provide any documentation, corroborations, or notifications required by their sponsors.

8. When are payments due?

Payment is due upon receipt of the bill.

Payments can be remitted by mail, wire transfer, or ACH transmission. Remittance information is as follows:

By Mail:
University of Colorado at Boulder
Office of Cash Management
3rd Party Sponsorships
41 UCB
Boulder, CO 80309-0041
By Wire Transfer: contact 3rdparty@colorado.edu for bank information.
By ACH: contact 3rdparty@colorado.edu for bank information.

9. How do sponsors revoke sponsorship?

A sponsor may revoke current financial support for any student by sending the university an official notification by mail or e-mail. Upon notification, the student will be expected to pay outstanding charges. Until the charges are paid, the student may be subject to late payment sanctions including assessments of late and service charges, inability to register for future terms, inability to obtain transcripts, etc.

10. What happens when a student withdraws?

When a sponsored student withdraws before the end of a semester, the sponsor will be billed for sponsored expenses in accordance with the university’s withdrawal policy. The withdrawal policy and the Refund/Assessment Schedule can be found on the Office of the Registrar web site.

11. How do sponsors get students' grades, transcripts, etc.?

The student is responsible for providing the sponsor with required information.

The sponsor agrees to abide by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 and not disclose this information to others without the express written approval of the student.

12. Where can sponsors get additional assistance?

General correspondence (no payments) can be mailed to:

University of Colorado at Boulder
3rd Party Billing Coordinator
Accounting Control Department
12 UCB
Boulder, CO 80309-0012
E-mail: 3rdparty@colorado.edu

3rd Party Billing Coordinator 303-492-4369

Students: call the Student Billing Department at 303-492-5381

13. Other reference information

Current tuition and fee information

Title IV School Code: 001370

Federal Employer ID Number: 84-6000555

Online Payments FAQs | 3rd Party Sponsors FAQs for Students | 3rd Party Sponsors FAQs for Sponsors | Current Students FAQs | Former Students FAQs

3rd Party Sponsors Frequently Asked Questions