Program costs and student funding

Money

Tuition & Fees

Students in the CHP program engage in a full-time course of study following the program’s APA-accredited curriculum (APA, Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation, 750 1st St. NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242; 202.336.5979).  The estimated six years (mean, median and mode) it takes students to complete the CHP program is the same as the norm for clinical psychology PhD programs nationwide.  Contingent on the program’s financial resources and the good standing of the student within the program, the CHP program endeavors to provide tuition and fee support for students for the program curriculum.  To date, the program has been able to pay full tuition and fees for year 1 students (both resident and non-resident)* and resident-only tuition and fees for students in years 2 and beyond.  Prior to the start of year 2, all eligible students must have secured resident status for tuition and fee purposes or pay the full difference in costs between resident and non-resident tuition and fees.** 

The table below provides a sense of the course workload by showing the typical credit hours taken by CHP students by year and semester. In year 6, CHP students are usually on a full-time, required internship, which is a considered a course for which students register for 1 credit hour per semester summer through spring.

Estimated Credits per Semester

 

Fall

Spring

Summer 

Year 1

12

13

4

Year 2

14

14

3

Year 3

10

13

3

Year 4

8

10

3

Year 5

3

3

3

 

*Students from certain western states are eligible for resident tuition beginning their first year of study through the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education/Western Regional Graduate Program. ​ Qualified students are typically conferred this status as part of the admissions process administered by CU Denver’s Graduate School. Also, Under the Colorado American Indian Tribes In-State Tuition Act (effective Fall 2021), a student who would not otherwise qualify for in-state tuition and who is a registered member of one of the federally recognized American Indian tribes with historical ties to Colorado, as designated by the Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs in partnership with History Colorado (see list here), is eligible to be classified as an in-state student for tuition purposes.

** The semester or academic year costs for resident vs non-resident students can be estimated by referring to the official tuition and fee figures posted on CU Denver’s Bursar website http://www.ucdenver.edu/student-services/resources/CostsAndFinancing/StudentBilling/TuitionFees/Pages/Grad-TuitionFees.aspx. International applicants should consult CU Denver’s Office of International Admissions and International Student Services office for current and complete information about rules and regulations specific to their international student status. At this time, those holding certain temporary visa types (such as F-1 student visas) are not eligible for resident status. Given that the program only pays resident tuition for Years 2 through 5, this would mean that such students would need to pay the difference between the resident tuition rate and the international tuition rate (currently set at the non-resident rate) for those years, as well as any specific fees, additional credit hours, or other costs required specifically for international students for all years of the program.  At this time, those who already have US permanent resident status or certain other visa types do not face a restriction on establishing resident status for tuition purposes. Please see http://www.ucdenver.edu/academics/internationalprograms/oia/admissions/tuition/Pages/default.aspx for information regarding tuition policies, fees, and possible additional cost for international students. If you have additional questions or need additional information, please contact intladmissions@ucdenver.edu or CHP_Admissions@ucdenver.edu.​


​Financial Aid

In addition to tuition and fee support, qualified* students in the CHP program are typically appointed into one or more Teaching, Research, or Graduate Assistantships or Lecturer positions in fall and spring semesters for up to 20 hours per week. Contingent on the program’s financial resources and other sources of revenue, students are currently paid a minimum, combined gross salary of $15,924 for the academic year for these assignments. Beginning in Fall 2024, entering students will be paid a minimum, combined gross salary of $16,404 during their first academic year (i.e., the 9 months of fall and spring semester) in the program. Some students may alternatively hold outside employment for up to 20 hours per week, contingent upon program approval of the employment.  The program has been so far been successful in providing or approving student employment for academic Years 1 through 5.  Summer funding is not guaranteed but, to date, the program has been successful in providing or approving partial or full summer funding opportunities for the majority of students.  All employment or funding requires approval from the program. Additional information about student loans and other, non-departmental sources of funding can be found at CU Denver's Office of Financial Aid:  http://www.ucdenver.edu/student-services/resources/CostsAndFinancing/FASO/Learn/Pages/Learn.aspx

*Qualifications may include such factors as health/practice insurance and good standing in the program. In addition, international students would need to research and obtain qualifications for employment and maintain eligibility throughout the program. Please see International Student and Scholar Services for more information: http://www.ucdenver.edu/academics/InternationalPrograms/OIA/ISSS/Pages/d....