The University of Colorado (CU) continued its efforts to connect with communities across the state during the 2025 CU Presidential Outreach Tour, which took place from July 30 to August 1 in Colorado’s San Luis Valley. The tour included stops in Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, and Rio Grande counties.
CU President Todd Saliman was joined by Regents Nolbert Chavez, Elliott Hood, and Ilana Dubin Spiegel as they met with local K-12 and higher education leaders, nonprofit organizations, civic groups, and business representatives. The discussions centered on both the challenges and opportunities present in rural southern Colorado.
“That’s our foundational commitment,” said Saliman. “We want to be here to educate people so they can get an affordable education and get a valuable degree so they can get a better job when they graduate.”
CU officials shared that 86% of Colorado resident applicants are accepted at CU campuses, and nearly half of all resident students graduate without debt. Saliman also noted CU’s investment in student financial support: “CU puts more money into financial aid from internal resources than the state of Colorado puts into financial aid for all universities and colleges combined,” he said regarding the university’s $400 million annual commitment. “We are highly committed to bringing college within reach for the people of Colorado.”
Programs like CU Promise—which covers tuition and fees for students with the greatest financial need—and the CU Boulder Tuition Guarantee were highlighted as part of ongoing efforts to improve affordability and access.
The tour featured an event in Monte Vista where residents heard directly from leaders representing CU Boulder, UCCS, and CU Denver about academic offerings, admissions processes, and scholarship options.
“We want more people from the (San Luis) Valley at our campuses and that is why we are here,” Saliman said. “We have lots of choices for people. We want to make sure that all our campuses have communities where anyone from the state of Colorado can feel welcome.”
At the San Luis Valley Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES), local school districts described partnerships aimed at increasing student success. One initiative discussed was a new Data Science Essentials Certificate Program developed with CU Denver for rural students interested in technology careers.
Meetings also included conversations with Luis Murillo from Alamosa School District about services provided by the San Luis Valley Family Center—such as bilingual support, internet access, and educational tools—to help students overcome barriers.
“I want to make sure students who go through the University of Colorado can lead happy and healthy lives,” Saliman said. “The University of Colorado needs to be providing the skills, the training, the resources and the connections that you and I need to find that dream. We want to connect with more Coloradans to make sure that we can do that for as many Coloradans as we can.”
Beyond educational institutions, CU representatives visited community organizations including the Boys & Girls Club—where youth development programs were discussed—and Shooting Stars Cultural and Leadership Center, which works on creating inclusive spaces for underserved youth. A meeting with the Maestas Commemorative Committee addressed ways CU could help commemorate a historic 1914 lawsuit against educational segregation in Alamosa.
Further meetings involved groups such as the San Luis Valley Resource Development Group, Attainment Network, and Alamosa Chamber of Commerce. Discussions focused on linking education initiatives with regional economic development strategies.
“We are Colorado’s university,” Saliman said. “It is our mission to serve the people of Colorado, and all of Colorado’s communities.”
