The Displaced Aurarian Scholarship & Where To Go For Documentation

The Displaced Aurarian Scholarship is designed to provide funds for tuition and fees to students who were residents OR are direct descendants (child, grandchild, great-grandchild, etc.) of residents of the Auraria Neighborhood between 1955 and 1973.

The scholarship program defines the Auraria Neighborhood's geographical area as being bound by Colfax, Auraria Parkway, Speer, and I-25 (map of the geographical area).

During the early 1970s, hundreds of Auraria residents were displaced when a city-led campaign to create the Auraria Higher Education Campus forced residents to sell their homes.

The Displaced Aurarian Scholarship applies to:

• University of Colorado-Denver
• Metropolitan State University of Denver
• Community College of Denver

PROVIDING PROOF OF LINEAGE

All scholarship applicants are required to provide proof of lineage to the Auraria resident. Examples of documents that can be used as proof include birth certificates, school and church records, tax documents, or newspaper articles.

If you are unsure of how to find documents that prove lineage, the Western History and Genealogy department can help walk you through how to find additional resources that might help, such as marriage and census records available through Ancestry Library Edition.

PROVIDING PROOF OF AURARIA NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENCY

Additionally, scholarship applicants must provide documented proof that their ancestor lived within the Auraria neighborhood boundaries between 1955 and 1973. Here are some ways to prove this:

• DENVER URBAN RENEWAL AUTHORITY (DURA) RELOCATION LIST (available online):
  • Indexed list of residents displaced during the development of the Auraria campus. Compiled by Denver Urban Renewal Authority (DURA).
• CITY DIRECTORIES (available on DPL computers through Ancestry Library Edition)
  • A city directory is a listing of residents, businesses, organizations or institutions, that identifies their location within a city. City directories are similar to telephone books, but can contain more information such as occupation and spouse's name.
  • Available online on all DPL computers in Ancestry Library Edition OR in-person at the Western History and Genealogy Department at Central Library)
• WESTSIDE RECORDER ARTICLES (available online)
  • A monthly newspaper that often covered the happenings of the Auraria neighborhood. Articles may include street addresses of residents.
  • Issues from May 1, 1964 - April 1, 1974 are available online

Need additional help? Along with the Displaced Aurarian Scholarship research guide, the Western History and Genealogy department at Central Library is ready to assist you!