Chancellor Sobanet Commits to Removing Barriers to Access, Timely Degree Completion 

Earlier today at the State of UCCS address, Chancellor Jennifer Sobanet announced the elimination of the undergraduate application fee for all Colorado residents.  

“We have a responsibility to build an environment that minimizes barriers to progress and provides students the support and relationships they need to thrive,” Sobanet said. “Sometimes even a relatively small barrier, like an application fee, can be enough to keep someone from taking that first step to becoming a Mountain Lion.” 

UCCS Interim Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs Jon Caudill said his division has been working hard to assess the full enrollment cycle and better understand where students need support – either from people or process improvement. 

“Our team identified several opportunities last year that resulted in more new first-time students choosing UCCS this fall and the highest freshman to sophomore retention rate we’ve seen in a decade,” Caudill said. “Eliminating the undergraduate application fee for Colorado residents is the next step in that plan.” 

The elimination of the application fee is part of a larger effort Sobanet announced today to leverage UCCS’s unique status as a regional public research university (RPU) to center the university’s mission and evolve alongside the changing needs of both students and Southern Colorado.  

“For UCCS to continue to serve our region, we must evolve. This might mean doing things differently, but it does not mean changing who we are, who we serve or why we’re here,” Sobanet said.