Are you doing undergrad work?, do you need a school?, or are you continuing classes 'on-line'?
if you need school, - I would look to Glenwood Springs, Carbondale,
Colorado Mountain College - Outdoor, Arts, Sciences College in the Rocky Mountains
Colorado Mountain College - Roaring Fork Campus, Glenwood Springs, Carbondale
or GJ
Mesa State College
I think you would enjoy living in Carbondale (next door to Glenwood Springs) There are some great inexpensive local ski areas that are not frequented by the Aspen and Snowmass bound crowd. It is really pretty.
It is certainly more expensive than Cheyenne (not much, in the long run... the driving commute to Cheyenne will be 6 hrs ONE WAY minimum, maybe 24+ hrs in rough weather), for Carbondale / Glenwood Springs the proximity to fun and scenery would be worth it. You might need a part-time job. Maybe you could find a job at a resort that would provide lodging (that would be ideal).
Next choice for me would be Montrose (It is cold there!, but not as windy as Cheyenne)
You can pull up some web pic of Cheyenne (prairie) and Carbondale (alpine mtns) GJ (Mesa / high prairie) and make a choice. I would stay as close to GJ as possible, as there are some nice areas nearby. If all fails... off to Utah (EZ'r commute, very low unemployment)