Colorado Department of Revenue — Colorado Promise Tuition and Fee Credit
The Revenue Department requires an institution-issued certificate to claim Colorado Promise; the eligible student reports the credit on their own state return.
About Colorado Department of Revenue — Colorado Promise Tuition and Fee Credit
The Colorado Department of Revenue does not decide whether a student meets Colorado Promise’s academic requirements. That review starts with the institution and the Department of Higher Education. Revenue processes the state return on which an eligible student claims the certified credit. Knowing which office does what helps prevent sending a scholarship application to the wrong agency or expecting Revenue to approve tuition before it is paid.
Colorado’s 2025 individual income-tax guide includes the Colorado Promise Tuition and Fee Credit as a refundable credit. A student may claim it only after receiving an institution-issued certificate confirming eligibility and the amount. Even when a parent or another person paid the cost, the eligible student files the claim; a parent may not claim the credit for a dependent.
Before filing, compare the certificate with the annual student-account statement and keep records of tuition and fee payments, scholarships, and grants. If figures do not match, first contact the campus financial-aid office that issued the certificate. Revenue can answer tax-return and form questions, but it does not replace the academic review or create the institution’s certificate.
The general individual taxpayer helpline is 303-238-7378. The Department lists weekday service from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mountain Time, except state holidays. For sensitive information, use Revenue Online or official filing instructions; do not send Social Security numbers, complete tax documents, or banking details through ordinary unencrypted email.
The credit follows tax years, so the term when tuition was paid and the tax return do not always fall in the same calendar year. Someone who paid qualifying expenses during tax year 2025 should use the instructions for that return, not copy an amount from a brochure for another academic year. <a data-profile="co-promise">CDHE’s page explains the academic side</a>; <a data-profile="co-revenue">Revenue maintains tax instructions and taxpayer contact information</a>.
Who it serves and what it can cover: The Revenue Department requires an institution-issued certificate to claim Colorado Promise; the eligible student reports the credit on their own state return.
How to apply or get help: The individual taxpayer helpline is open Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Mountain Time, except state holidays. For case-specific questions, contact the program or financial-aid office named on its official page.
State agency that processes Colorado returns and tax credits