About the Puksta Scholars Program
The Puksta Scholarship was founded in 2001 as legacy of Harry and Eva Puksta. The Foundation provides scholarships, mentorship, and community engagement training for undergraduates, who exhibit a strong commitment to service and civic responsibility. The Puksta Foundation currently sponsors programs at Colorado State University, Metropolitan State University of Denver, University of Colorado Boulder, and the University of Colorado Denver.
The Puksta Scholarship Program at Colorado State University awards a $7500 per year scholarship to undergraduates who participate in a civic engagement social project. The scholarship is awarded during the sophomore, junior and senior year with the expectation that scholars will develop multi-year project (renewal contingent on fulfilling all requirements and availability of funding).
Who are the Puksta Scholars?
Eligible applicants must exhibit a strong commitment to service & civic responsibility. Each Scholar develops their social change project to address the root cause of an issue or need in the community. Puksta Scholars have worked on issues such as access to education, health care & poverty in developing countries, & supporting the homeless population. Scholars are selected at the end of their first year at CSU.
In addition to a strong CSU community, students also connect with Puksta Scholars at the other host schools including the University of Colorado-Boulder, Metropolitan State University, University of Denver, and University of Colorado-Denver. Applicants are highly encouraged to visit the Puksta Foundation website at https://pukstafoundation.org to learn more about the program, the Scholars and their projects.
Information Sessions
We offer Scholarship Information Sessions for applicants who want to learn how to write a competitive application and prepare for a scholarship interview. A recorded session is available for those who can not attend the sessions below. Fall information session dates are as follows:
- Thursday, Nov. 9th 4:00-5:00pm in LSC 306
- Wednesday, Nov. 15th 4:00-5:00pm in LSC 308
Eligibility Requirements:
- Be a resident of the City of Denver or attended a Denver High School for 3 years (students with Colorado ASSET Bill, Senate Bill 13-033 are eligible)
- Current first-year CSU student participating in the Key Communities, SLiCE Programs or equivalent university leadership development program with demonstrate past & ongoing contributions to service and/or community engagement projects
- Have a CSU cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher
- File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by March 1st or Colorado Application for State Financial Aid (CASFA) for ASSET students
- Applications due March 24th.
How do I apply?
Complete an application for the Puksta Scholars Program by March 6th. Visit your RamWeb or CSU Academic Works* for the application!
*You must FIRST complete the Colorado State University Scholarship Application (CSUSA) through Academic Works in order for the Puksta Scholars Program application to become available to you. Please be sure to prepare enough time to complete BOTH applications!
ENRICHING LIVES, ENGAGING COMMUNITIES
What Puksta Scholars say:
“The program has shown me that there are a lot of good people in the world who want to make positive change – just like me.”
“I would not trade this program for any other program.”
“I loved this experience and I will never be able to discuss these four years of my life without mentioning this program.”