The Auraria Library is proud to partner with the institutions of the Auraria Higher Education Campus to provide access and historical context to the displacement of the vibrant community that made up the town of Auraria during the early-to-mid 1900s.
In the late 1850s, the Colorado gold rush lured miners to the intersection of the Platte River and Cherry Creek. It was here the thriving community of Auraria was established and would ultimately become one of Denver’s oldest and culturally rich neighborhoods. In 1969, voters approved a bond referendum— despite contention and pushback from Aurarians— allowing the creation of the Auraria Higher Education Campus as part of the Denver Urban Renewal Program; however, an estimated 900 people, including 235 families and households, were unfairly displaced in the process.
Photographs and documents related to the Aurarian community and their displacement can be found in Digital Auraria’s Auraria History Collection and Hispanic Historic Experience in Colorado Collection. In addition, institutional records related to the displacement, the development of 9th street, and the Auraria Higher Education Center can be found in Auraria Library’s Special and Digital Collections. Denver Public Library and History Colorado also house and provide access to a variety of historic materials for further research, many of which rely on active collaboration with Aurarian community members.
Through the Displaced Aurarian Scholarship, historic preservation efforts, and collaboration with community members, we at Auraria Library hope to honor the history, stories, and sacrifices of the people of Auraria.
I Am Auraria
The “I Am Auraria” exhibit, located on the first floor of Auraria Library, is the result of History Colorado’s Memory Project to preserve the history of those displaced by the development of the Auraria Higher Education Center. The exhibit also includes resources for students applying for the Displaced Aurarian Scholarship, including computers to access a database and map of the neighborhood’s residents from 1955 to 1973.
Equity in Perpetuity: The Displaced Aurarian Scholarship
The Displaced Aurarian Scholarship program was designed to provide funds for tuition and fees for undergraduate and graduate students who were residents of the Auraria neighborhood between 1955 and 1973, before the Auraria Higher Education Campus was built. The scholarship was also available to the children and grandchildren of these residents. From 1988 through 2021, more than 600 people received Displaced Aurarian Scholarships.
Program Expansion
Beginning with the Spring 2022 semester, the program has expanded to include all direct descendants of the displaced Aurarians in perpetuity. A direct descendant is a person who was born or legally adopted into the direct line (great-grandchildren, great-great grandchildren, et cetera).
This program now covers tuition and fees for degree- or credential-seeking students, at either the undergraduate or graduate level, offered at the Auraria campus. Classes taught at other locations, including Anschutz Medical Campus, are not funded by the scholarship.
Students must demonstrate academic success/progression to continue to receive the scholarship. As of spring 2022, there is no limitation to the number of semester hours or semesters that students may receive support for.
The Auraria Library applauds this expansion by the institutions as this continued direction aligns with our values of diversity, equity, and inclusion by honoring the history of Aurarians.
Applicant Eligibility
- Considered a Colorado Resident for financial aid purposes
- Direct descendant of resident (child, grandchild, great-grandchild, etc.)
- Must provide proof of lineage, like birth certificates, school and church records, tax documents, or newspaper articles
- Must provide documented proof that their ancestor lived within the Auraria neighborhood boundaries between 1955 and 1973
- Special and Digital Collections can assist potential Scholarship recipients in collecting evidence of their displacement or descendance through access to DURA records and Denver directories. Contact us for assistance via email or a research consultation appointment.
How to Apply
The University of Colorado Denver, Metropolitan State University of Denver, and the Community College of Denver all offer the Displaced Aurarian Scholarship.
Select your institution below to learn more and get assistance with your scholarship application:
