Western Receives $1.25 million Grant from Reisher Scholars Program

With a $1.25 million grant from The Denver Foundation’s Reisher Scholars Program, Western Colorado University is giving more Colorado students the financial support they need to complete their degrees with minimal debt.

The grant, awarded as part of a $25 million statewide investment celebrating the Reisher Scholars Program‘s 25th anniversary, will support 48 Western students over the next two academic years.

“We’re incredibly proud of the partnership we have with the Reisher Scholars program and believe deeply in the work they’re doing,” Western’s President Brad Baca said. “Anytime we can remove some of the financial barriers between a student and a college degree, we give that student the freedom to focus on learning, growing, and preparing for their future.”

In 2023, Western became the ninth institution to partner with the Reisher Scholars program, joining a network of Colorado colleges and universities committed to helping in-state students who have completed at least one year of college or who are transferring in to complete their bachelor’s degrees without worrying about the cost.

“Reisher Scholars has been a program that’s provided me support, community, and an opportunity for debt-free college that I wouldn’t have had otherwise,” one of Western’s Reisher Scholars, Arizona Lee, said. “Reisher has always made me feel that the ‘human’ part of being a student comes first. Now, I’ll be walking into law school without undergraduate debt, which is huge!”

The program combines need- and merit-based scholarships ranging from $6,000 to $22,000 with mentoring, advising, and a community that supports high-achieving students through graduation, allowing students to focus on their academic and professional goals.

“This investment celebrates 25 years of transformative partnerships and positions the Reisher Scholars Program for its next chapter of growth,” said Javier Alberto Soto, president and CEO of The Denver Foundation, which administers the scholarship program. “By putting significant resources directly into the hands of institutions that share our commitment to student success, we are strengthening relationships statewide and opening doors for the next generation of Colorado scholars.”