CHFA Schools To Home
CHFA Schools To HomeHomeownership support for Colorado buyers
CHFA Schools To Home℠ supports eligible Colorado public school employees who want to purchase a home in the communities they serve.
Start with the right program fit
CHFA Schools To Home℠ is intended for eligible full-time employees of qualifying Colorado public schools and related public education employers. The program includes purchase assistance with repayment and shared-appreciation obligations that should be carefully reviewed before proceeding.
Program availability, eligibility, and underwriting requirements apply and may change. We will review your goals and help determine whether this or another home financing option may fit your situation.
What to know
For school employees
Eligibility centers on full-time employment with a qualifying Colorado public education employer.
Purchase support
Assistance may be available for qualified costs associated with buying a primary residence.
Shared appreciation
The assistance includes repayment and shared-appreciation obligations. Required education explains the financial commitment.
How the process works
Talk with us
Share your homebuying goals and financial picture.
Review eligibility
We evaluate applicable program and loan requirements.
Complete education
Finish any CHFA-required homebuyer education.
Move forward
We coordinate with an approved wholesale lender through closing.
CHFA Schools To Home at a glance
Program review updated August 24, 2026. CHFA launched the program July 1, 2026. Current matrices, course materials, income limits, and loan documents control.
Schools To Home vs. standard CHFA assistance
| Feature | Schools To Home | CHFA grant | Standard CHFA DPA second |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who it serves | At least one borrower is a full-time employee of an eligible Colorado public-school employer | Eligible borrowers using an applicable CHFA first mortgage | Eligible borrowers using an applicable CHFA first mortgage |
| Maximum public description | Up to 25% of the first-mortgage amount | Up to the lesser of $25,000 or 3% of the first mortgage | Up to the lesser of $25,000 or 4% of the first mortgage |
| Repayment | Deferred second mortgage plus a shared-appreciation payment | No repayment | Second-mortgage balance is repayable; payment deferred to specified events |
| Education | CHFA homebuyer class plus “Understanding Your Financial Commitment” course and quiz | CHFA-approved homebuyer education | CHFA-approved homebuyer education |
| First mortgage | 30-year fixed Fannie Mae HFA Preferred purchase loan | Depends on the applicable CHFA product | Depends on the applicable CHFA product |
The largest assistance amount is not automatically the best financial choice. Compare near-term affordability with future equity sharing, sale and refinance plans, total payment, and the cost of alternative financing.
Who may qualify and what must be repaid
Current program checkpoints
- At least one borrower is a documented full-time employee of an eligible Colorado public-school employer
- 30-year fixed Fannie Mae HFA Preferred purchase financing
- Income within the current CHFA limit using lender qualifying income
- Minimum 620 decision credit score for scored borrowers
- Owner-occupied primary residence
- CHFA homebuyer education and the program-specific financial-commitment course
- Agency, property, and participating-lender approval
Eligible employment is broader than teaching
CHFA’s definition can include full-time employees of qualifying public schools, districts, charter and institute charter schools, BOCES, and innovation zones. Job title alone is not the test. The participating lender must document the employer and full-time status with items such as a current paystub, written verification of employment, or other acceptable employer-issued records.
| Repayment event | What generally becomes due |
|---|---|
| End of the loan term | The second-mortgage obligation and applicable shared-appreciation payment |
| Sale of the home | The second-mortgage balance plus the applicable share of appreciation under the loan documents |
| Refinance or first-mortgage payoff | The deferred obligation is generally triggered |
| Home is no longer the primary residence | The deferred obligation is generally triggered |
CHFA states that the shared-appreciation percentage is determined under the program documents and may not exceed the percentage of assistance provided. Negative appreciation is treated as zero for the appreciation calculation, but the second-mortgage principal remains repayable.
Local planning for school employees
The program can be relevant to full-time staff working for eligible employers such as Denver Public Schools and qualifying districts, charter schools, BOCES, and innovation zones across the Front Range and statewide. Eligibility is not automatic because a school appears online: the participating lender must verify the exact employer and employment classification. Buyers should also compare commute, property taxes, insurance, HOA dues, and property eligibility in the community where they plan to live.
Hypothetical Denver-area example
A full-time employee of an eligible Denver-area public-school employer considers a $500,000 primary residence. If the approved CHFA first mortgage were $400,000, assistance at the maximum 25 percent of that first mortgage would be $100,000. The borrower would later repay the $100,000 second mortgage plus the shared-appreciation amount required by the signed documents when a repayment event occurs. Actual structure, assistance, cash to close, appreciation, and qualification will differ; this is not a quote or approval.
Advantages, trade-offs, documents, and mistakes
Potential advantages
- Assistance can be substantially larger than standard CHFA options
- No scheduled monthly repayment on the deferred second before a triggering event
- May reduce the first-mortgage amount and upfront cash barrier
- Available to many eligible full-time school employees, not only classroom teachers
- Structured education makes the future obligation explicit
Important trade-offs
- The assistance is not a grant
- Future appreciation is shared under the signed documents
- Sale, refinance, payoff, or moving out can trigger repayment
- Employment, income, credit, property, and education rules all apply
- A different loan with less assistance may preserve more future equity
Documents commonly requested
- Current paystubs
- Written verification of employment when required
- Employer-issued proof of full-time status
- W-2s and other income documents
- Bank and asset statements
- Identification
- Purchase contract
- Homebuyer-education certificate
- Financial-commitment course completion
- Property, insurance, HOA, or condo documents
Common mistakes to avoid
- Assuming only teachers qualify—or that every school-related employer qualifies
- Calling the assistance free money or ignoring shared appreciation
- Using an online calculator instead of the signed note and rider
- Failing to model the effect of a future sale or refinance
- Waiting to verify employment until late in the contract
- Comparing cash to close without comparing long-term equity and total payment
CHFA Schools To Home FAQs
Who counts as a public school employee?
CHFA includes full-time employees of eligible Colorado preK-12 public schools, school districts, charter schools, institute charter schools, boards of cooperative educational services, and innovation zones. Certain school types require additional employer verification.
Do I have to be a teacher?
No. Eligibility is based on full-time employment with an eligible public-school employer, not a specific job title. Support, operations, administrative, and instructional employees may qualify if the employer and employment status meet CHFA rules.
Does every borrower have to work for a school?
No. CHFA requires documentation that at least one borrower is a full-time employee of an eligible employer. All borrowers still must satisfy the mortgage and program requirements.
How much assistance can Schools To Home provide?
The program offers a second mortgage for up to 25 percent of the CHFA first-mortgage amount for eligible down payment, closing costs, and prepaids, subject to current program approval.
Is Schools To Home assistance a grant?
No. The second mortgage must be repaid, and a shared-appreciation payment is also required when a repayment event occurs. Read the note, rider, and required course materials before choosing the program.
When does repayment occur?
Repayment is deferred until the end of the loan term or an earlier event such as payoff of the first mortgage, sale or refinance, or the property no longer being the borrower’s primary residence.
What happens if the home loses value?
CHFA’s consumer example says negative appreciation is treated as zero appreciation. The original second-mortgage balance remains repayable under the loan documents.
What education is required?
Borrowers must complete both a CHFA-approved homebuyer education class and the Schools To Home “Understanding Your Financial Commitment” course and quiz.
Can a Denver Public Schools employee use the program outside Denver?
Potentially. The program is statewide and focuses on eligible Colorado public-school employment and an eligible owner-occupied property. The lender must verify both the employment and the chosen property under current rules.
How does Elite Lending Group provide access?
Elite Lending Group is a mortgage brokerage. We assess the fit and coordinate access through a CHFA-approved wholesale lender that executes and funds an eligible loan.
Read the primary program materials
Reviewed by Dennie Friederichs, Founder and Mortgage Broker, Elite Lending Group, NMLS 2705443.
Elite Lending Group helps verify the program fit and coordinates access through a CHFA-approved wholesale lender. CHFA and the participating lender make the controlling eligibility, documentation, and underwriting decisions.
Let’s explore your path to homeownership
We’ll help verify employer eligibility, explain the required education, and review the program’s repayment and shared-appreciation responsibilities.