CMU Montrose students join Montrose City Council meeting to express gratitude for scholarship support
For a growing number of Montrose, Colorado, students, the dream of earning a college degree begins with the support of an entire community.
Thanks to the City of Montrose's ongoing investment in higher education, recent graduates of the Montrose County School District are receiving scholarships through the Montrose Success Fund, an annual $75,000 contribution established by the city and administered through the CMU Foundation. As Colorado Mesa University's largest financial partner in Montrose, the city created the fund to help students attend CMU Montrose or CMU Tech and reduce the financial barriers that often stand between high school graduation and college enrollment.
The impact is significant. For many recipients, the scholarship support from the Montrose Success Fund helps cover most, if not all, of their first-year college tuition, allowing students to focus on their education, career goals and future opportunities rather than the cost of attendance.
Students Hannah Sulzen, Hope Stephens and Laela Delgado had the opportunity to personally thank the community leaders who helped make their educational journeys possible. Students attended a Montrose City Council meeting on Oct. 20, 2026, where they were recognized and invited to share their appreciation with the Mayor and City Council members for their commitment to local higher education.
Early Childhood Education student Sulzen attended the meeting to express gratitude for the scholarship’s support.
“I am so thankful that so many people right here in our small community step in to help the students. Currently, this scholarship, along with a few others I earned, has covered me completely for my first year in college. I get to focus more on what classes I want to take rather than how I am going to pay for them,” said Sulzen.
“I am so thankful that so many people right here in our small community step in to help the students. Currently, this scholarship, along with a few others I earned, has covered me completely for my first year in college. I get to focus more on what classes I want to take rather than how I am going to pay for them." — CMU Montrose Student Hannah Sulzen.
The Montrose Success Fund represents more than financial assistance. It reflects a shared commitment to keeping local talent in the region, strengthening the workforce and ensuring that students have access to affordable pathways toward meaningful careers. Through the partnership between the City of Montrose, the CMU Foundation and Colorado Mesa University, local students are gaining the support they need to succeed from their very first day on campus.
“Thank you to the City of Montrose, to the people who continually support Colorado Mesa and the students; we truly would not be in the same position if it weren't for the support of our community,” said Sulzen.