LAEF Word of Thanks Fundraiser

Since 1949, the Latin American Educational Foundation has been fueled by dreams. Dreams filled with hope, that every Coloradan has an opportunity to live a full, abundant life. We believe education has the power to uplift our community and transform lives. For 76 years, LAEF has built a legacy in Colorado by helping students reach their highest potential through education. 

Imagine you’re the first in your family to step onto a college campus, fear and excitement energizing each step you take as you enter your first class.

Because of Coloradans like you, our students get to experience this every year. 

With your help, we guide our students on their higher education journey and ensure each scholar has the support, resources, and knowledge to achieve their dreams. Each LAEF scholar has access to 1:1 success coaching, and we proudly renew our scholarships, enabling students to count on our support until they graduate. 

LAEF partners with several Colorado institutions through the Colorado Higher Education Partnership (CHEP); our generous partner institutions match scholarships awarded by LAEF, doubling the scholarship award, and making them renewable.

LAEF has: 

- Served over 7,000 scholars state-wide

- Awarded over $7.5 million dollars in scholarships over the past 76 years

- Achieved a graduation rate of 77%, outpacing state and national             graduation rates

For the 2024-2025 school year:

- LAEF awarded $351,000 in scholarships to 121 students

- 81% of LAEF scholars are first-generation college students

- 75% of scholars are low-to-moderate income and Pell Grant eligible

- 1 in 3 students come from rural Colorado

Today, we're asking you to strengthen our circle of support, and be a part of our generational impact. While generous donors like you have made it possible for thousands of LAEF scholars to graduate and become active community members, still, we can only accept a fraction of new applicants each year. 

For our 2025 scholarship application, we received over 600 applications from highly qualified students. Unfortunately, we are only able to award 125 scholarships for the 2025-2026 school year.

Will you help us say “YES” to more Colorado students?

With the support of our fellow Coloradans, we are building the future workforce of our beautiful state, together. Thank you for building a bridge of opportunity for our deserving students.