Chalkbeat

A new Colorado report is unlikely to quiet renewed national debate about test-optional admissions

2026-08-28T22:00:52+00:00

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Making standardized test scores optional for college admissions in Colorado hasn’t hurt students and may have helped increase applications and admissions, according to a new state report.

In 2020, Colorado lawmakers temporarily allowed four-year institutions to stop using national assessments such as the SAT or ACT to determine eligibility for high school seniors graduating in 2021. A year later, lawmakers made that policy permanent.

The July analysis comes during a renewed national debate over test-optional admissions policies, which became widespread during the pandemic. About 90% of universities nationwide for fall 2027 will maintain a test-optional approach like the policy in Colorado, according to FairTest, a national nonprofit that advocates against the use of tests in admissions.

The report says many of the findings remain inconclusive due to the influence of COVID on students’ college decisions. Some students chose to defer college or skip altogether.

Despite the reliability of the pandemic-era data, the report points to some possible benefits, such as clearing barriers to enrollment, said Carl Einhaus, Colorado Department of Higher Education chief student success and academic affairs officer. First‑time freshman acceptances increased from 101,208 in 2019 to 124,617 in 2021.

And the policy certainly hasn’t harmed students, he said.

“We don’t see anything alarming in terms of a negative impact on retention, enrollment, and so forth,” Einhaus said. “So I think that that is a potential positive.”

Since tests became optional in 2021, freshman acceptance rates increased across racial groups, including among Black and Hispanic students, according to the report.

The report also found that more students returned during their second year among those who did and did not submit test scores. The rate jumped to 72.6% in 2021, up from 45.5% in 2019. Students who submitted scores still had higher retention rates, which increased from 74.8% in 2019 to 78.6% in 2021.

Several universities reported that test-optional policies have prompted a greater reliance on high school grades to determine student college readiness — a point that is central to the national debate about rolling back test-optional admissions policies.

Some Colorado university officials said the test-optional policy didn’t impact their admissions operations. Total applications to Colorado schools increased from 134,748 to 153,441, driven mostly by a 469.4% increase in students who didn’t submit a test. More than 98,482 students didn’t submit.

The University of Colorado Boulder, for example, has maintained a holistic admissions approach, and students can choose whether to submit test scores. The school looks at “the full picture of each applicant and a range of academic and other factors that can help us assess their potential to succeed in our academic environment,” a spokesperson said in a statement.

Colorado Mesa University President John Marshall said that while he agrees that tests don’t determine success, the reliance on grades has created more work for his university as it determines what academic support students need.

“We have some academic preparation holes that often have nothing to do with kids, it’s just where they grew up,” he said. “For whatever shortcomings these tests have, one of the things they do a good job is shining a light on some of those holes.”

Marshall said he’s seen more incoming freshmen who aren’t ready for college since the switch to test-optional admissions. Those students must take a pre-college assessment to determine whether they are prepared for certain courses, he said.

This is a similar argument to faculty in the University of California system, who have said restoring testing requirements would help determine academic readiness and could help identify students who might need additional support.

Some elite institutions reverted to requiring tests after the pandemic, citing research that said test scores can help predict student success in college.

Akil Bello, FairTest’s admissions testing policy expert, said in a Wednesday news release that other studies show “high school GPA is still the best indicator of college success except perhaps at a handful of unique institutions.”

Correction: Aug. 28, 2026: This story has been corrected to clarify that applications and admissions may have increased since Colorado colleges went test optional, not enrollment.

Jason Gonzales is a reporter covering higher education and the Colorado legislature. Chalkbeat Colorado partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage. Contact Jason at jgonzales@chalkbeat.org.

Trump administration higher education letter: Most Colorado universities have yet to decide response

2026-08-25T16:41:43+00:00

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At least one Colorado university says it doesn’t intend to answer a Trump administration questionnaire sent to colleges and universities earlier this month that federal officials said will build trust with the American people.

Other institutions of higher education in the state, including Colorado’s two largest public university systems, said they haven’t decided if they will respond to the questions in the letter from U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon. The letter asks officials about their approach to free speech, research, admissions, campus protests, and more. McMahon also asked them to post their answers prominently on their schools’ websites by the end of the year.

The letter doesn’t include threats regarding investigations or funding, unlike the administration’s previous attempts to exert influence, and overall it strikes a relatively collaborative tone. Yet it represents the latest test for higher education leaders as Trump officials look to shape college campus policy across the country, and at a time when Americans’ confidence in higher education is low.

Many of the questions in the Aug. 3 letter address issues typically decided by individual campuses, their leaders, and faculty.

A Colorado Mesa University spokesperson said the school does not plan to formally respond to the letter.

“The public record of why and how we deliver on our mission already demonstrates our commitment,” a Colorado Mesa University spokesperson said. ”How we serve students every day is the reaffirmation.”

Neither the Colorado State University System nor the University of Colorado System said whether they would formally respond. Together, the systems represent seven universities in the state, including in Fort Collins and Boulder.

A CU System spokesperson said the school is reviewing the letter, as did a CSU System spokesperson.

“Our institutions’ commitments to rigorous teaching, impactful research, and service to Colorado and the nation are longstanding and demonstrated daily,” said Tiana Kennedy, CSU and CSU System associate vice president for communications.

Other universities, including the Colorado School of Mines and Adams State University, also said they were reviewing the letter.

Metropolitan State University of Denver didn’t say whether it was considering the letter, but a spokesperson said that the school has long focused on many of the issues highlighted by McMahon.

“We remain committed to delivering value for students and taxpayers, preparing graduates to succeed in a changing economy and contributing to the communities we serve,” said Tim Carroll, a school spokesperson.

Colorado Western University and Fort Lewis College didn’t respond to a request for comment. The Colorado Community College System didn’t return a request by deadline.

Nationwide, schools in North Carolina and Florida have decided to answer McMahon’s call. And other universities, such as in Iowa, have been pressured by lawmakers to respond. Others haven’t said what their intentions are.

McMahon’s letter was written with input from the American Association of Universities, according to an Inside Higher Ed report. The association represents 71 of the nation’s most influential research universities, including the University of Colorado Boulder. But other groups representing some of the same institutions in Colorado are questioning the letter’s approach.

The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities said land grant universities “already work every day to meet goals outlined in the Department’s letter.” The organization’s members include several Colorado universities, including CSU Fort Collins, CU Boulder, and the Colorado School of Mines.

The Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges also raised concerns, saying the responsibility of university improvements rests with governing boards and institutional leaders.

And the American Association of University Professors, a national faculty union, slammed the letter and said it asks “colleges and universities to align themselves with a far-right agenda at the expense of students’ education and the public’s well-being.”

David Baime, senior vice president for government relations at the American Association of Community Colleges, called the questionnaire confusing.

Baime, whose association says it represents 15 member colleges in Colorado, wrote that much of the letter focused on “elite research institutions” but not others, including community colleges.

How much do students trust higher ed leaders?

2026-08-19T22:43:02+00:00

Higher education has had a public perception problem for years. Annual surveys show that despite a recent rebound, the sector suffers from a general lack of trust.

But a new survey shows students, at least, have more trust in higher education leaders.

New survey data from Lumina Foundation and Gallup finds 55% of students believe their school’s leadership usually makes decisions that are in students’ best interests. The rest expressed reservations, saying they thought leaders acted in their best interest sometimes, rarely, or never. (Lumina is a funder of Chalkbeat. See our funders here, and read our ethics policy here.)

Read the rest of this month’s edition.

As more Colorado students take college-level classes, a report says it’s time to make improvements

2026-08-18T20:42:07+00:00

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About 40% of Colorado’s community college enrollment is made up of high school students earning college credits, part of a nationwide rise in younger students enrolled in college-level courses. But a recent report finds that Colorado and other states still face significant challenges in making sure those students get the most out of the experience.

The report from the Community College Research Center at the Teachers College, Columbia University says growth doesn’t equate to program quality, and states should rethink policies to support high school students who are dual enrolled.

The report’s observations match some of the challenges Colorado has faced with these programs, including the need for more funding and coming up with ways to ensure that the credits students earn put them on a clear college or career path.

Colorado lawmakers created the state’s concurrent enrollment program in 2009 so that high school students can get exposure to college courses and earn credits that transfer to a two- or four-year university, saving them money on tuition. Colorado also offers online options. The number of Colorado students participating has steadily increased in recent years.

About 78,000 students took a college-level course in 2025, according to Colorado Department of Higher Education numbers. And about 40,000 of those Colorado high school students were considered dual-enrolled at a community college in fall 2025, meaning they take one or more classes while in high school, according to Colorado Community College System numbers. That number increased by more than 3,000 students compared to the previous fall.

Some students even finish college while in high school, with a recent report showing about 3.4% of the class of 2022 earning a degree.

But Bobby Pace, Colorado Community College System interim vice Chancellor for academic and student affairs, said there is room for improvement.

“It’s interesting to know that Colorado, we’re not alone in this, and that no state has quite gotten it quite right,” Pace said.

The report offers five areas where states can strengthen dual enrollment for students and includes recommendations related to each.

The five areas include a call for states to improve academic, financial, and career advising support; track student data more comprehensively; and ensure these programs enable students to earn credits that align to their interests.

For example, the authors say many of the programs focus on general college courses instead of career or college pathways, a pattern they describe as “random acts of dual enrollment.”

Pace believes many states, including Colorado, are thinking about how to tailor programs so students aren’t just accumulating credits but graduating with what they need to get ahead in college. This would improve eventual degree attainment that leads to jobs, he said.

“I think that’s that fundamental shift that states are now going to be looking at,” he said.

The Colorado Department of Education has already enacted some of the other recommendations in the report and is working toward getting every high school student enrolled in at least one college class, earning 12 college credits, or enrolling in a work-based learning opportunity before graduation.

A spokesperson said CDE is working to develop additional resources to help schools, counselors, students, and families understand concurrent enrollment and which credits transfer to colleges and universities. The department is also working with the higher education on dual enrollment pathways, according to the spokesperson.

The programs are also mostly low cost for students, but the research center shows that Colorado ranks among states with low funding for dual or concurrent enrollment programs. That means some students must still pay for books and fees.

Pace said that in recent years, racial and socioeconomic disparities have popped up in who is earning credits through dual enrollment. He sees room for the state to improve student support resources within districts and when students matriculate to college.

“No model that we have in the state currently has the wraparound student support that may be necessary,” he said.

This story has been updated to include numbers from the Colorado Department of Higher Education and a response from the Colorado Department of Education.

144,000 Coloradans are in student loan default as repayment struggles increase nationwide

2026-08-12T15:30:00+00:00

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Violet Knowles said her $3,678.69 in student loan debt is haunting her like a specter.

Violet and her husband Stellan Knowles, both 24, said they’ve tried to pay off the debt, which was borrowed by her mom. But they were stymied by technical difficulties in setting up their account with the debt servicer.

“We’d be on hold for hours,” Violet said, “and then eventually the phone line would just click.”

In April, the notice of default came.

Nationwide since 2024, there’s been a surge of borrowers like Violet who have missed nine months of payments, with many more borrowers at risk of ending up in the same spot. The consequences of falling behind can disrupt lives, ruin credit ratings, and mean the debt could be sent to collections.

The number of borrowers whose loans are in default jumped by more than 4.2 million to around 9.5 million from April 2025 to March 2026, according to an Associated Press analysis. The increase includes many borrowers who got off track in 2024, when loan payments started coming due again after a pandemic-era freeze.

In Colorado, the analysis shows 58,000 more Coloradans defaulted on their loans during the same time period, a 67% increase that brought the total number of residents in default to 144,000.

“I am seeing despair and outrage and despondency and just a very wide mix of pretty extreme emotions the likes of which I have not seen before,” said Alan Collinge, the founder of Student Loan Justice, a student loan borrower advocacy organization, and the author of “The Student Loan Scam.”

As a pandemic relief measure, the federal government allowed borrowers to suspend student loan payments until 2023, and President Joe Biden’s administration provided a one-year grace period after that. That ended in fall 2024, allowing loans to enter into default after nine months of missed payments.

Today more than 1 in 5 borrowers are in default, including those whose loans were well past due before the pandemic, according to the AP analysis. The previous record for borrowers in default was 8 million in December 2019.

Federal data shows that many borrowers are struggling to pay their loans but aren’t yet in default. About 870,000 borrowers have loans between 181 and 270 days late — on the edge of default — according to the AP analysis.

For Violet and Stellan Knowles, the debt has added another layer of stress.

The Knowleses moved from Memphis, Tennessee, to Aurora, Colorado, in August 2024. With the shuffle, Violet lost track of when the notices for payment started coming in from attending college in Illinois, which she never finished. Stellan said he believes the letters came just after the pandemic-era freeze on payments.

The Knowleses said that financial challenges have made it difficult to get a handle on the debt.

Stellan said the cost of living is far more expensive in Colorado than in Memphis, and only he can work. Violet, who said she has a disability, needed to take time off from a job. The two have used Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits to help them get by.

“The cost of living has been brutal,” Stellan said. “Everything goes to rent, and there’s pennies to spare to go to all the other expenses.”

Stellan said the lack of access to the student loan account has been the biggest issue. The monthly payment was $250 a month at first. Then the monthly ask started to rise.

“And even though we’ve always had limited income, that was definitely doable, and I was willing to pay that,” he said.

Stellan and Violet said they’re lucky the federal government isn’t garnishing wages right now. They want to consolidate the debt, which will allow them to start payments. Violet will also start a job with AmeriCorps this week, and she plans to use an education stipend to help pay her loans and finish college.

For now, the student loan debt will haunt Violet and Stellan for a while longer.

“I want to pay it off,” she said, “because I want it gone.”

List: See which Colorado colleges offer guaranteed admission to some high school graduates

2026-08-10T21:38:46+00:00

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A growing number of Colorado colleges and universities are making pacts with school districts to offer their high school graduates automatic admission.

At more selective colleges, eligibility is based on high schoolers’ grades. Less selective colleges may send all seniors a letter that says, “Congratulations! You’ve been accepted!”

Direct admissions agreements, as they’re sometimes called, are meant to reduce the stress of applying to college, encourage students to stay in state, and help those who come from low-income families see higher education as an option, national experts say.

Getting into college automatically doesn’t mean tuition is free. But Colorado has lots of programs and scholarships that can reduce the cost of college, sometimes to zero.

The following school districts and colleges have direct admissions agreements. This is a running list and will be updated. Know of a program that’s not on our list? Email co.tips@chalkbeat.org.

Denver Public Schools

University of Colorado Denver

Any DPS student with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 in their junior or senior year is guaranteed admission to the University of Colorado Denver.

Colorado State University

Any DPS student with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 in their senior year is guaranteed admission at Colorado State University in Fort Collins

Colorado State University Global

Any DPS student with a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.3 by the end of their junior year is guaranteed admission to CSU Global’s online bachelor’s degree programs.

Colorado State University Pueblo

Any DPS student with a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.3 by the end of their junior year is guaranteed admission at CSU Pueblo.

Metropolitan State University of Denver

Any DPS student with a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 is guaranteed admission at Metropolitan State University of Denver.

Jeffco Public Schools

University of Colorado Denver

Any Jeffco student with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 in their junior or senior year is guaranteed admission to the University of Colorado Denver.

Colorado School of Mines

Any Jeffco student with an unweighted grade point average of at least 3.8 and a science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) endorsement on their high school diploma is guaranteed admission to the Colorado School of Mines.

Aurora Public Schools

University of Colorado Denver

Any APS student with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 in their junior or senior year is guaranteed admission to the University of Colorado Denver.

Littleton Public Schools

University of Colorado Denver

Any Littleton student with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 in their junior or senior year is guaranteed admission to the University of Colorado Denver.

St. Vrain Valley Schools

University of Colorado Denver

Any St. Vrain student with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 in their junior or senior year is guaranteed admission to the University of Colorado Denver.

DSST Public Schools (charter school network)

Colorado School of Mines

Any DSST student with an unweighted grade point average of at least 3.8 and a science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) endorsement on their high school diploma is guaranteed admission to the Colorado School of Mines.

University of Colorado Denver

Any DSST student with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 in their junior or senior year is guaranteed admission to the University of Colorado Denver.

Rocky Mountain Prep (charter school network)

University of Colorado Denver

Any RMP student with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 in their junior or senior year is guaranteed admission to the University of Colorado Denver.

Harrison School District 2

Colorado State University Pueblo

Any Harrison student with a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.3 by the end of their junior year is guaranteed admission at CSU Pueblo.

Greeley-Evans School District 6

Aims Community College

Any Greeley-Evans student can be automatically admitted to Aims Community College.

San Luis Valley + Adams 14

Adams State University

Any senior in 19 schools and districts, most of them located in the San Luis Valley, can be automatically admitted to Adams State University.

The districts and schools are: Adams 14, Alamosa, Centennial, Center Consolidated, Creede, Crestone Charter School, Huerfano, La Veta, Moffat Consolidated, Monte Vista, Mountain Valley, North Conejos, Rye High School, Sanford, Sangre de Cristo, Sargent, Sierra Grande, South Conejos, and Upper Rio Grande.

All Colorado students + Central High School

Colorado Mesa University

Any student from any school district with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.2 is guaranteed admission and a scholarship at Colorado Mesa University.

Any concurrently enrolled student — meaning the student took college classes at CMU during high school — is also guaranteed admission and does not have to reapply.

Any student at Central High School in Grand Junction with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5 and a science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) endorsement on their high school diploma is guaranteed admission and a scholarship to CMU.

Reporter Jason Gonzales contributed to this report.

Melanie Asmar is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Colorado. Contact Melanie at masmar@chalkbeat.org.

Colorado public colleges and universities try to keep student services safe from budget ‘belt tightening’

2026-08-07T21:27:38+00:00

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Staff reductions at the Colorado School of Mines. About $54 million in cuts at Colorado State University Fort Collins. And tapping endowment funds to sustain scholarships for students with farmer worker or migrant backgrounds at Adams State University.

These decisions reflect a broader reality facing Colorado’s public colleges and universities where campus leaders have needed to turn an eye toward stabilizing finances amid numerous fiscal pressures.

Institutions in Colorado and nationally are confronting projected enrollment declines, the loss of federal grants under the Trump administration, and rising inflation. The state kept its higher education operations budget flat for the 2027 fiscal year, although lawmakers also cut some statewide grant programs used by colleges and universities.

Together, those pressures have prompted what many campus leaders describe as “belt-tightening” measures.

Leaders say they’re trying to preserve key services to students, but pressure on those programs is growing. In addition, this year the state allowed schools to raise tuition by up to 3.5% at four-year universities and 5% at community colleges for this fiscal year. While school leaders have said they want to keep tuition low, a higher tuition burden on students risks pushing them out of state or away from college, even though many never pay full price.

Colorado funds higher education at some of the lowest rates in the country, with students paying more for college tuition and fees than in many other states. But the recent moves by the state’s public colleges and universities are part of a larger pattern.

University of Tennessee Knoxville’s Robert Kelchen, a higher education finance expert, said the combination of factors like enrollment decline and federal uncertainty have caused many college and university leaders to cut personnel to save money. Students, he said, aren’t likely to feel as much of an impact yet, but the fiscal challenges are expected to last for several years.

“In the longer term, that will create concerns about: Can students access certain majors? Will they have academic advising available? And just will they have the resources that they need to succeed?” he said.

Heather Heersink, Adams State University chief financial officer, said Alamosa-area students are incredibly sensitive to tuition increases, and she said school leaders tried to keep costs down by dipping into reserves as rising inflationary pressures have squeezed the school’s budget.

“We haven’t had to do cuts or layoffs, but we’ve been really evaluating every budget decision with a fine-tooth comb,” said Heersink.

For Heersink, one priority is to try to maintain student services whenever possible, she said.

For example, Adams State has used a one-time infusion of foundation funds to prop up College Assistance Migrant Program scholarships. The school recently lost about $475,000 in federal funding for these scholarships, which support first-year students who come from migrant and seasonal farmworker backgrounds.

The school also lost $2.4 million of a $3 million federal five-year Ascender grant, which the school received to improve college preparation, student advising, and cultural understanding, according to a school spokesperson.

Other school leaders have confronted similar issues.

CU Boulder’s largest budget reductions came from a projected decrease of 9%, or about $60.4 million, in research grants due to less federal funding, said Nicole Cousins, a school spokesperson.

She said the school has had 59 research award terminations or stop-work orders since the start of 2025.

Meanwhile, the entire Colorado State University System made cuts. The CSU System cited flat state funding and growing uncertainty around federal research support as key drivers of recent budget decisions.

CSU Fort Collins, the system’s largest university with roughly 34,000 students, made the biggest reductions. The university’s explanation of the budget shows the school faced a budget hole ranging from $38 million to $48 million for the 2026-27 school year.

The school enacted a 3% salary increase, but still cut about $54 million, according to a news release.

The school cut 160 vacant and filled positions, with more than half administrative positions. A school budget presentation from May shows these affected about .5% of the workforce.

In making these decisions, the budget document says that school leaders’ priorities included the raises, as well as “financial aid and student success, retention, and completion.”

Colorado School of Mines officials said in a statement that June cuts, which included a 1% reduction to its 1,600 employees, would generate roughly $17 million in savings over a two-year period. These changes included shuttering the school’s dental clinic which provided services to students, a move that was first reported by 9News.

School representatives said these cuts were driven by factors that include declining enrollment projections and changes to international student visa processing.

Even at schools where cuts weren’t necessary, school leaders say they’re keenly aware of the budget pressures.

Metropolitan State University of Denver has increased student enrollment and raised tuition by 3.5% for the 2026-27 school year and is in a strong financial position, said a spokesperson. But he added that “continued pressure on Colorado’s state budget could create challenges for higher education funding statewide.”

Heersink of Adams State noted that the university’s budget maneuvers this year are only a stopgap.

“We have tapped every pool available to us,” she said.

Correction: Aug. 10, 2026: Colorado State University cut 160 positions that included filled and unfilled positions. The original version said those positions were filled.

Colorado will select training programs for new Pell initiative. But data shows a ‘mixed bag’ in outcomes.

2026-07-31T21:40:59+00:00

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Low-income students in Colorado will soon be eligible for short-term job training through an expansion of Pell Grants, the federal program that provides need-based aid for higher education.

But it’s unclear whether the new Workforce Pell program will deliver quick access to high-wage, high-demand careers, as its supporters envision.

Explore The HEA Group and Open Campus data

An analysis by research firm The HEA Group and Open Campus Media found that earnings outcomes vary dramatically across Colorado’s job certificate programs, with about one-third failing to produce higher wages than a high school diploma alone four years after graduation.

Colorado officials soon will decide which certificate programs will be eligible for Workforce Pell. To be included, programs must be accredited, have a documented history in the state, and students must make a higher income than the basic cost of living plus the tuition they paid.

Michael Itzkowitz of The HEA Group said the data his organization compiled should help state leaders understand that helping students get what they need from these types of programs will require plenty of evaluation.

The data shows most graduates from Colorado’s certificate programs earn more than their peers with just a high school degree. But the geographic region, program size, and school students attend factor into the wages they earn, Itzkowitz said.

“I think it’s a pretty good starting point for folks as the state policymakers are wondering what programs do we make eligible for this new program,” Itzkowitz said.

The state will take applications for eligible state Workforce Pell training programs through Aug. 15. Once programs are selected, Workforce Pell is expected to grant students about $2,200 a year for their education.

Already, Colorado leaders have expressed concerns about different program outcomes for students. A Colorado Department of Higher Education spokesperson said state leaders want programs that “ensure Workforce Pell investments actually provide value for learners and employers.”

The HEA data shows numerous examples of what Itzkowitz described as a “mixed bag” in Colorado, with results varying drastically for students.

In the case of a dental support services certificate, a student graduating from Pueblo Community College in the southern part of the state can earn a median salary of $64,622. Meanwhile, someone with that same certificate from Concorde Career College in Aurora, a private for-profit school in metro Denver, earns a median salary of $36,010.

President of Concorde Colleges Kevin Prehn didn’t address the lower pay of some of the schools’ programs, but said in a statement “an incredible amount of research” goes into selecting its programs, and college leaders seek to prop up programs with high growth and wage potential.

In another example of variability within the state, Pima Medical Institute’s graduates have some of the highest wage potential among all nursing certificate programs. The data shows median earnings of about $73,000 a year. The same program at different schools can show annual median wage disparity as high as $20,000. And it’s unclear why these differences exist.

Itzkowitz said the state can also use this data to articulate what it doesn’t want to see.

Programs like cosmetology are popular with students, but the HEA data shows it’s one of the most likely programs to leave students worse off financially.

Itzkowitz said “some institutions will often offer credentials where there aren’t available jobs or enough available jobs within the geographic region that they’re offering, so they’re just pumping out credentials.”

Colorado Mesa University President John Marshall agreed that the issues Itzkowitz flagged are problems that schools should evaluate.

CMU Tech, a division of the college that offers certificates and associate degrees, has several programs that have done a better job of helping graduates earn some of the highest average earnings in the state, the data shows.

Part of the school’s success has been eliminating programs where there is no longer a need, such as an oil field services certificate program the school stopped offering in recent years, Marshall said.

Marshall said finding dedicated professionals to teach these classes also has to be paramount but can be difficult and will affect program quality.

And Colorado Mesa leaders work to market to students about professions they never knew existed instead of funneling them into programs that don’t improve earnings.

Marshall said some of his top programs for earnings might be harder to explain, like machining, but the school is committed to “helping our kids see what the possibilities are, and how that is translating into marketable skills for them.”

Itzkowitz said the challenges schools face with the programs is why he shares a reserved optimism about what’s possible in training more students through Workforce Pell.

“This isn’t the silver bullet,” he said. “As nothing ever is.”

Almost three-quarters of Colorado’s college students stick with it

2026-07-16T14:49:52+00:00

Good afternoon. Welcome back to Beyond High School.

National data from the 2025 school year showed the rate of students who are sticking with college ticked up.

The National Student Clearinghouse numbers reveal that of the nearly 2.62 million students who entered college in fall 2024 nationwide, 77.1% were still enrolled in fall 2025. That’s a slight increase from 76.8% the year before.

Most students — 69.1% — stayed at the school they entered in the fall. Another 8% of those students stuck with college but transferred to another school.

You can read the rest of this article here.

This college rodeo team is mostly women. Here’s why that matters for rural men.

2026-07-09T22:52:53+00:00

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On the way back from the College National Finals Rodeo, graduate student Justise Jones and her assistant coach discussed a pertinent question: Where have all the cowboys gone?

Of about 30 athletes on the Colorado Mesa University rodeo team, only four are men, even though they have traditionally dominated the sport. The team’s ratio is an extreme example of an underexamined trend: fewer rural men are attending four-year colleges.

Even when men join the team, Jones said, “it’s really tough to get boys to stick around.”

While experts say rural men often don’t need a college degree to make a living in their communities, they also worry the men will miss out on opportunities for increased economic mobility, greater civic engagement, and access to healthcare. Researchers also worry that fewer rural men in college might weaken the health of rural communities by reducing the skilled workforce and decreasing the tax base.

National college data shows rural residents are less likely than urban and suburban residents to earn a bachelor’s degree, and men attend college at lower rates than women.

At Colorado Mesa in Grand Junction, about 54% of students are women. The school tracks the counties and regions students come from but doesn’t specifically classify students as rural. However, many students come from rural areas of Colorado. Nationally, there is a significant lack of data on rural students.

Some Colorado Mesa academic programs are drawing more interest from rural men. They include CMU Tech, the college’s two-year, open-admission school that offers vocational programs such as welding and electric line work.

Research has shown a sense of belonging on campus also helps attract students to college. The rodeo team helps embody that idea. The team was established at CMU as a club in the 1970s before becoming a varsity sport in 2018.

The annual school rodeo has become one of the university’s largest events. The event also features a barbecue competition called the Maverick Meat Up where President John Marshall smokes free food for students and community members.

“Rodeo week is probably the most stressful week,” said Wylee Mitchell, a female rodeo athlete who recently graduated from Colorado Mesa. “But it is the best experience that I had while in college.”

But rodeo coach Branden Edwards said some of the roadblocks to attracting rural men have been financial, and he wants more scholarships to help offset the costs of attending college. He also said he often has to negotiate with rural men about what college can offer them, while recruiting women tends to be easier.

“A lot more of the women that we’re recruiting are wanting to go into business, education, accounting, or nursing,” he said. “So Mesa is the dream come true for them.”

University of Kentucky professor Ty McNamee, who studies rural colleges and students, said the rodeo team’s experience mirrors what he’s seen across the country. McNamee and several colleagues are studying why gender in rural areas factors into the likelihood of going to college.

His research shows that men often feel more pressure to provide for their families, place less value on a college degree, and are less likely to enroll if they come from lower-income households.

The women on Colorado Mesa’s rodeo team back up what Edwards and McNamee have seen in how expectations and culture can shape whether a student goes to college.

For Jones, who is from Canada, college was an expectation. That’s not always the case in families where men are expected to work or help on a farm or ranch.

“That’s just kind of like the way it goes,” Jones said.

For McKenzie Betts, a 20-year-old senior from rural Alaska, going to college wasn’t necessarily about whether she could make a living in a rural area. She saw college as a gateway to create options for herself, no matter where she lives.

“The value of higher education is that it sets you apart when it comes to looking for your job in your career field, and it gives you a head start,” she said.

Edwards, who is from rural Colorado and graduated from CMU, said many rural men can make a living by working hard and having an entrepreneurial mindset.

But he also tries to communicate to prospective student athletes that he’s been afforded many opportunities because of his college education, even if he’s no longer working in the field he studied.

“College is just a great doorway into giving you options and how you want to make a living,” he said. “How you want to affect people and how you want to meet change.”

Colorado receives funding to bring back the FAFSA completion tracker

2026-07-01T20:18:03+00:00

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Six months after state budget cuts left Colorado high school counselors without access to a financial aid application tracking tool, the state is poised to get it back.

Colorado has received a two-year, $177,350 grant from the Statewide Internet Portal Authority to reactivate the Colorado Financial Aid Portal. The tool helps counselors track individual student progress on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. The form opens up free college aid and scholarships to students.

“We saw a need to really address this important step in the process of Colorado students accessing higher education,” said Noah Kaplan, director of the Colorado SIPA GovGrants program.

Lawmakers cut funding for the administrator who oversaw the portal as part of efforts to close a $1.2 billion shortfall in the 2025-26 budget year. The Colorado Department of Higher Education said counselors would lose access to the tool in December due to the cut.

College advisors said losing the portal would quadruple their workload because they would have to return to asking students one by one about their FAFSA progress instead of using data to identify those who needed help.

In the SIPA grant application, groups such as the Denver Scholarship Foundation said losing the tool left educators “scrambling to gather information through time-consuming investigating.”

National College Attainment Network experts, who track and advocate for FAFSA progress and policies, said the statewide tool’s demise was unheard of during a time when states, including Colorado, want to increase financial aid application completion.

The NCAN FAFSA tracker shows a record 58.6% of students completed the form this year. Experts attribute the increase in part to a simplified federal application.

Colorado’s FAFSA completion rate also increased, but the state once again ranked near the bottom of the nation, with only 46.3% of high school seniors filling out the form.

What it means when a Colorado college is designated a Basic Needs Campus or a Thriving Institution

2026-06-30T21:21:01+00:00

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Earlier this month, the Colorado Department of Higher Education announced a newly revamped Basic Needs Campus designation recognizing 17 colleges and universities for supporting students facing challenges such as food insecurity and mental health needs.

The designation is one of four state recognition programs aimed at encouraging public and private colleges and universities to better support students. While the designations don’t come with additional funding, they establish statewide standards for how colleges and universities provide services that help students stay enrolled, graduate, and prepare for careers.

CDHE Chief Educational Equity Officer Gillian McKnight-Tutein said the designations have helped hold schools accountable even without funding. She added they have fostered collaboration among campuses and created a sense of pride as schools share strategies to help students succeed.

“Schools want to send a signal to their students, ‘We got you, we have your back, and we will take care of you when you’re here,’” said McKnight-Tutein, who oversees the state’s designation programs.

The revamped Basic Needs Campus designation combines the former Healthy Minds Campus and Hunger Free Campus recognitions. Here’s a rundown of all of the higher education designations and what they mean.

What are the designations?

Colorado’s higher education designations fall into three broad categories: student success, career preparation, and student well-being. The state has plans to create other designations, McKnight-Tutein said.

The first category, which includes designations created by the state legislature, focuses on student success.

In 2024, Colorado lawmakers created the First-Generation Serving Institution designation to measure how well colleges and universities support students who are the first in their families to attend college. To earn the designation, schools must enroll first-generation students at rates above the statewide average. Twenty-one schools have earned the designation.

Lawmakers also created the Thriving Institutions designation this year. The state expects to begin recognizing campuses this fall and honor colleges and universities based on measures including student retention and graduation rates.

The second type of designation focuses on how well colleges and universities prepare students for jobs.

The Career Connected Campus designation recognizes schools that provide students with work-based learning experiences and prepare them for in-demand, high-wage careers. Twelve schools have earned the designation.

The state also recognizes colleges and universities that participate in a network of schools seeking to expand work-based learning opportunities.

The third category centers on students’ social well-being. That includes the revamped Basic Needs Campus designation, which awards schools “cornerstone” or “comprehensive” status based on the mental health and food support services available to students.

McKnight-Tutein said the designations help signal to students that certain supports should be available no matter where they attend college in Colorado. The department also encourages campuses to test new approaches and share successful practices with one another.

How Western Colorado met the designation’s expectations

Western Colorado University has earned three designations: Basic Needs Campus, First-Generation Serving Institute, and Career Connected Campus.

Holly Hunter, the school’s assistant director of community wellness, said earning those designations requires offering services students might need, such as food pantries, advisors to connect students to government assistance, and on-campus mental health counseling.

Meeting the designation standards also means making sure every staff member knows what resources are available and can connect students with them. Students don’t just get food, Hunter said. They interact with staff who are trained to ask questions and build relationships.

Hunter recalled conversations with a student that revealed a family member had been diagnosed with cancer.

Hunter and other staff quickly connected the student with community groups that helped arrange transportation home. They also worked to make sure the student’s academic needs were addressed, asking questions such as, “How are we making sure that your academics are managed? Who’s the person talking with all of your professors?”

“And I think that’s one of those things where everybody is involved in that student’s success,” Hunter said.

Which campuses have designations

First-Generation Serving campuses

Aims Community College
Arapahoe Community College
Colorado Northwestern Community College
Community College of Aurora
Community College of Denver
Front Range Community College
Lamar Community College
Morgan Community College
Northeastern Junior College
Otero College
Pikes Peak State College
Pueblo Community College
Red Rocks Community College
Trinidad State College
Adams State University
Colorado Mesa University
Colorado State University Pueblo
Fort Lewis College
Metropolitan State University of Denver
University of Colorado Denver
University of Northern Colorado

Six other public and private colleges get recognition for participating in the FirstGen Forward Network. They are:

Colorado State University
Regis University
University of Colorado Boulder
University of Colorado Colorado Springs
University of Denver
Western Colorado University

Career Connected campuses

Colorado College
Colorado School of Mines
Colorado State University Fort Collins
Colorado State University Global
Metropolitan State University of Denver
Regis University
University of Colorado Denver
University of Denver
University of Northern Colorado
Western Colorado University
Community College of Aurora
Pueblo Community College

Basic Needs campuses

Colorado School of Mines
Colorado State University Fort Collins
Colorado State University Pueblo
Fort Lewis College
Metropolitan State University of Denver
University of Colorado Boulder
University of Colorado Colorado Springs
University of Colorado Denver
University of Northern Colorado
Western Colorado University
Aims Community College
Arapahoe Community College
Colorado Mountain College
Community College of Aurora
Front Range Community College
Pikes Peak State College
Red Rocks Community College

Find out how much Colorado college tuition and fees have increased over the years

2026-06-25T19:58:22+00:00

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The cost of tuition and fees at a Colorado public university has increased nearly 125% since the Great Recession, a rate far outpacing inflation since 2009. At the state’s two-year colleges, these prices have almost doubled.

The increases stem from declining federal and state investment in higher education, said University of Denver researcher Cecilia Orphan. And costs will likely continue to rise. Instead of boosting funding for public colleges and universities, Colorado lawmakers have allowed schools to raise tuition, primarily due to budgetary constraints. This fall, four-year universities can increase tuition by 3.5%, and two-year colleges can raise it by 5%.

But Colorado experts say students shouldn’t avoid college because of the rising cost. Families rarely pay the full sticker price, they said, because scholarships and federal and state financial aid help offset tuition costs.

Going to college provides long-term benefits, Orphan said, including better health outcomes, greater civic engagement, and the potential to earn higher wages.

“That’s why it’s important for families to look at their options, because it’s up to the college to make a strong offer in order to really be considered by the student and family,” said Angelica Lopez-Rodriguez, a Denver Scholarship Foundation college advisor who helps students at Bruce Randolph School.

Some low-income students also qualify for federal Pell Grants to pay for college. These federal grants provide free money to students based on financial need. Although the grants have remained fairly stagnant over the years, a Pell can still provide up to $7,395 annually toward tuition, said Denver Scholarship Foundation Chief Impact Officer Nate Cadena.

Colorado also has the Colorado Opportunity Fund, or COF, which has helped lower tuition costs for more than three decades. Last year, COF provided $116 per credit hour to undergraduate students enrolled at a state institution who completed a COF application. Students without legal documentation can qualify by applying for the state’s ASSET program.

For a full-time student at a four-year public university, the state fund saves students about $3,500 per year.

The state also offers a tax credit program that reimburses up to two years of tuition for students from households earning $90,000 or less per year. Colorado also invests in local community programs that help students and families pay for and navigate college.

Families and students interested in understanding how much they might pay at some Colorado colleges can use a school’s price calculator, such as the University of Colorado’s Cost of Education Estimator and Colorado State University’s Net Price Calculator. And experts say parents and families should speak with their school advisers.

Voter guide: Where the 2026 Colorado Republican Party gubernatorial candidates stand on education

2026-06-12T21:44:46+00:00

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Where do Colorado’s gubernatorial candidates stand on education issues?

Chalkbeat Colorado analyzed the education records of the candidates ahead of the primaries on June 30. The field includes two Democrats and three Republicans.

Read about each of the three Republican Party candidates below:

State Rep. Scott Bottoms

What is Bottoms’ record on education?

Bottoms, 55, has served as a Colorado state representative since 2023. The Colorado Springs resident is pastor of the Colorado Springs Church at Briargate and a U.S. Navy veteran.

Bottoms called the state’s education system “broken” in an interview with KUNC.

During his three years as a state representative, Bottoms has sponsored three bills related to transgender youth, including one that would have banned the participation of transgender students in gendered sports unless they were co-ed. All three bills failed.

Voter guide: Where the 2026 Colorado Democratic Party gubernatorial candidates stand on education

In a Colorado Sun questionnaire, Bottoms has said he supports Initiatives 108, 109 and 110.

Initiative 108 would require a person convicted of trafficking a child for sexual servitude to serve life in prison. Initiative 109 would require student athletes to participate on teams that match their sex assigned at birth. And Initiative 110 would prohibit surgeries for children under age 18 that alter their biological sex characteristics.

The Bottoms campaign did not respond to requests for an interview before deadline, or say whether he would enroll Colorado in the new federal education tax-credit program.

What is Bottoms’ platform for education?

Supporting parents’ right to direct their child’s education.
Offering tax incentives for stay-at-home parents and caregivers.
Pushing for curriculum transparency and allowing for school boards to reject “state-imposed ideologies.”
Protecting kids from politicized content, boosting online safety, and ensuring students can only compete in gendered sports based on their sex assigned at birth.
Reforming family courts, education, and healthcare, as well as addressing grandparents’ rights, after-school programs, and parental issues.

State Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer

What is Kirkmeyer’s record on education?

Kirkmeyer, 67, is a Weld County resident who has a bachelor of science in education from the University of Colorado Boulder. She’s spent most of her career working as a dairy farmer and small business owner.

Kirkmeyer’s first year in the Colorado Senate was in 2021, and she has served on the Senate Education Committee. She also spent four years on the powerful Joint Budget Committee, which helps craft the state budget.

Kirkmeyer has been an active member of the state legislature, filing over 300 bills. Many have involved education.

Kirkemeyer sponsored bipartisan laws to create a task force to study the statewide K-12 education accountability system, establish a grant program to help schools affected by the mineral and gas industry create park-like environments at schools, and allow high school students to take four-year university courses off campus.

She’s often talked about the need to protect state education funding through difficult budget cuts, although she’s against tax increases.

This year, she was part of a group of lawmakers that filed the state’s School Finance Act ahead of the state budget. The school funding bill didn’t get considered until after the state budget, but district leaders said the early filing allowed them to provide more feedback on their needs before its passage.

Kirkmeyer has said she will vote yes on Initiatives 108, 109 and 110.

In a Colorado Public Radio interview, Kirkmeyer highlighted that she helped end the budget stabilization factor, which allowed lawmakers to divert money away from education for other priorities. Lawmakers ended the practice in 2024, though Kirkmeyer said the state still underfunds education.

Kirkmeyer’s campaign didn’t respond to requests for an interview before deadline, and didn’t answer a question about her position on the new federal education tax credits.

What is Kirkmeyer’s platform for education?

Requiring at least 65% of state funding to be spent in the classroom.
Ensuring programs are backed by evidence before funding can continue.
Supporting district efforts to ban cellphones in classrooms.
Ensuring every high school has a police officer on site.
Equipping schools with camera systems that have artificial intelligence weapons-detection systems to speed up threat detection and public safety officials’ reaction times.

Victor Marx

What is Marx’s record on education?

Marx, 60, is the founder and CEO of All Things Possible, a nonprofit humanitarian ministry. The Colorado Springs resident is also an author who has written two books about his life.

In interviews, Marx has focused on his leadership experience as a political outsider. He has little documented experience with education issues and hasn’t said much about them in interviews.

In an interview with Colorado Public Radio, Marx said he wants to make it easier for families to pay for childcare. And in campaign videos, Marx has said he wants to help young people stay in Colorado after they’ve gone to college.

Marx said in a Colorado Sun candidate questionnaire that he supports Initiatives 108, 109 and 110.

Marx’s campaign didn’t respond to requests for an interview, and didn’t say what his position is about the new federal tax credits for education.

What is Marx’s education platform?

The one major mention of an education policy on his campaign website calls to direct the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment to expand apprenticeship programs, as well as create workforce pipelines in construction, technology, energy, and other fields.

His website says Marx wants to provide incentives to employers that sponsor apprenticeships through tax benefits and recruitment support. He also wants to guarantee that apprentices have pathways to enter various fields.

Voter guide: Where the 2026 Colorado Democratic Party gubernatorial candidates stand on education

2026-06-12T21:42:10+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat Colorado’s free daily newsletter to get the latest reporting from us, plus curated news from other Colorado outlets, delivered to your inbox.

Where do Colorado’s gubernatorial candidates stand on education issues?

Chalkbeat Colorado analyzed the education records of the candidates ahead of the primaries on June 30. The field includes two Democrats and three Republicans.

Read about each of the Democratic Party candidates below:

U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet

What is Bennet’s record on education?

Bennet, 61, who resides in Denver, has served as a United States senator since 2009. Education has been a pillar of his political career, including during an unsuccessful 2019 presidential campaign.

Bennet’s education experience started in 2005, when he was hired as superintendent of the state’s largest school district, Denver Public Schools.

Under Bennet, Denver Public Schools shut down low-performing and underenrolled schools, expanded school choice, and allowed more charter schools to operate in the district. The changes he made helped improve student academic achievement, but some remain controversial to this day.

Voter guide: Where the 2026 Colorado Republican Party gubernatorial candidates stand on education

Bennet left Denver Public Schools when he was appointed to fill an open U.S. Senate seat in 2009. In Congress, he helped usher in the Every Student Succeeds Act, which succeeded the No Child Left Behind Act and is the primary federal law governing K-12 education.

He serves on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, and notably voted against the appointment of Betsy DeVos to be U.S. education secretary in 2017.

Bennet has said Colorado needs to make childcare more affordable, including by creating a dedicated funding source and using underenrolled schools to house early childhood programs. He also said he believes Gov. Jared Polis’ focus on kindergarten and early childhood has been a success.

Bennet’s campaign said he doesn’t support private school vouchers or public funds going to private or religious schools.

But Bennet believes rejecting a federal program that would provide tax credits for donations to scholarship-granting organizations “could be short sighted and put millions of dollars that could help kids in Colorado at risk.” He believes Colorado should wait until rules for the programs are finalized before making a decision, his campaign said.

What is Bennet’s platform for education?

Raising wages for Colorado educators.
Increasing the number of educator training programs, including apprenticeships.
Improving statewide resources and training for teaching math and reading.
Tackling student mental health challenges, curbing violence in schools, and creating more opportunities for kids to get outdoors.
Making Colorado the first state where every student will earn a living wage after high school by increasing the number of career training and college classes offered in high school, and boosting access to apprenticeships and industry credentials.

Bennet said he wants to be an education governor

In an interview, Bennet said he would be an education governor who understands that school district officials need state funding and support.

He highlighted his record in Denver Public Schools, where he said he helped raise academic achievement, improved graduation rates, and curbed the dropout rate. A 2024 study by the University of Colorado Denver’s Center for Education Policy Analysis backs up some of his claims.

Bennet said he still believes that the state’s education system needs changes.

“I think in Colorado we have the opportunity for the whole country to pursue quality at scale, pursue rigor at scale, and give teachers and school districts the support they need to be able to deliver for our kids,” he said.

Attorney General Phil Weiser

What is Weiser’s record on education?

Weiser, 55, who lives in Denver, has served as the state’s attorney general since 2019. As attorney general, Weiser has focused on school safety and student mental health.

Weiser’s office leads the state’s Safe2Tell program, which allows students to anonymously report violent threats. He’s also helped oversee the program’s expansion.

Weiser issued grants to help curb student cellphone use in schools, even before state lawmakers required districts to create policies about it.

He also oversees the Office of School Safety and the Office of Gun Violence Prevention and sought to provide training to teachers and school administrators as gun laws have evolved.

Weiser recently backed a state law that requires school districts to publicly display how they help at-risk students and issued grants to combat youth vaping.

He’s also said that technical education should expand to more districts. He backed the creation of youth apprenticeship program CareerWise Colorado a decade ago.

Weiser has been active in suing the Trump administration, including several lawsuits related to education and childcare.

And Weiser has said he would not participate in the federal tax credit program if elected. He said he believes it would take money away from public education.

What is Weiser’s platform for education?

Preserving funding for effective prenatal and early childhood programs.
Creating strategies for childhood mental health.
Increasing funding for childcare access to make it more affordable.
Increasing funding for teacher pay.
Expanding apprenticeships, career and technical education, and low-cost job training options.

Weiser wants to support schools and student safety

In an interview, Weiser said the state is not spending enough money to help students.

He said kids are struggling with mental health issues, a lack of access to early childhood education, and scant career and technical educational offerings.

Weiser said he would fund new education programs through changes to the Taxpayer Bill of Rights. These shifts would require taxpayer approval.

As governor, he hopes to also increase the number of mentorship opportunities that benefit kids.

“When I’m governor, I’m going to make a full-throated commitment to invest in our kids’ future from cradle to early childhood education to career workforce skills,” he said.

10 years and 16,800 students short: What went wrong with Colorado’s youth apprenticeship program?

2026-05-27T21:57:25+00:00

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Treyvon Greenwood thought he would go into the trades after graduation. A senior at Aurora’s Smoky Hill High School, he was interested in becoming a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning technician.

His trajectory changed when his English teacher heard Greenwood talk about his passion for tutoring other students. The teacher told his school counselor, who suggested Greenwood try a teaching apprenticeship instead.

At first he was reluctant, but Greenwood has grown to love splitting his time between his classes at Smoky Hill High and apprenticing in a fifth grade classroom at nearby Sunrise Elementary School. The 18-year-old works much like a student teacher would and earns more than $18 an hour.

Fifth grade students at Sunrise Elementary School work with Treyvon Greenwood, a first-year Future Educator Pathway apprentice, on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025.

“I help them with their writing, and I just feel like they trust me,” Greenwood said of the fifth graders. “I think they know that if ‘I’m struggling with something, I can come straight to Mr. Trey.’”

Greenwood’s experience is what state and business leaders had in mind when they launched the CareerWise Colorado youth apprenticeship program in 2016. But it’s also rare: Only 1,200 students statewide have taken part in CareerWise programs, according to its founder, who had envisioned 20,000 students participating in its first decade.

The organization also takes credit for about 2,000 more apprentices who have participated in programs originally started by or inspired by CareerWise. Even including those students, that means CareerWise fell short by about 16,800 apprentices.

There are myriad reasons why: Some businesses have found they’re not well-equipped to work with teenagers and left the program. School officials across the state say they’ve struggled to convince families of the value of apprenticeships, which require students to commit to two to three years of balancing school and work. Apprenticeships also compete for students with an increasing variety of other educational options, from college preparation to internships to less time-intensive career education programs.

Noel Ginsburg, a Colorado businessperson who founded CareerWise, described his original goals for program participation as “well-intentioned and ill-informed.”

Ten years in, CareerWise offers an important case study in the challenges of offering robust on-the-job training for high school students, an idea that has widespread bipartisan support and increasing investment from the public and private sectors but can be difficult to execute on a large scale.

First-year Future Educator Pathway apprentice Amyah Santiago hangs up words inspired by "The Gift of Words" by Peter Reynolds at Sunrise Elementary School. The book was part of a read-aloud project and activity for the school in December.

Youth apprenticeships viewed as an idea that could create its “own natural momentum”

Backed by $9.5 million from JP Morgan Chase and Bloomberg Philanthropies, Ginsburg envisioned students being trained in such fields as healthcare, banking, finance, and the trades. (Bloomberg Philanthropies is a supporter of Chalkbeat.)

Juniors and seniors would earn their high school diploma and job training, plus valuable industry certifications or time spent working toward a two-year college degree. A post-graduation year would be spent getting more work experience and could include college enrollment. CareerWise would help build a trained workforce in Colorado while offering some students a cheaper alternative to a two- or four-year degree. Others, like Greenwood, might spark an interest in a different-than-expected career path that still requires a college degree.

The idea for CareerWise came from Switzerland. There, youth apprenticeships are embedded in the culture. About two out of every three young people participate, and businesses line up to recruit those students into nearly 250 different occupations.

Ginsburg visited Switzerland in 2015 to see this model in action. At the time, he headed Intertech Plastics, a Denver-based plastics manufacturer he founded, and he was struggling to hire skilled mid-level workers.

Ginsburg was so impressed with what he saw that he led a delegation of 50 Colorado business and civic leaders, including then-Gov. John Hickenlooper, to Switzerland the following year. The globe-trot laid the groundwork for the creation of CareerWise.

Youth apprenticeships weren’t new in the United States; Wisconsin’s pioneering program was established in 1991. But by the end of the trip, Hickenlooper said he was convinced that Colorado could take the lead, mainly because of Ginsburg’s dedication and vision.

“If we do this properly, in three years there should be as deep a foundation and rooting of this that it will have its own natural momentum,” Hickenlooper said in a video documenting the trip.

Ginsburg didn’t want CareerWise Colorado, the nonprofit he eventually created, to run the programs. Instead he wanted to connect schools and employers with the know-how to prop up two- to three-year apprenticeship programs and ensure they received crucial but difficult-to-earn federal recognition for program quality.

Students in four school districts — Denver Public Schools, Cherry Creek School District, Jeffco Public Schools, and Mesa County Valley School District 51 — began apprenticing in 2017.

Today, only three of the four districts are still involved with CareerWise, and their success rate varies. District 51 continues to offer youth apprenticeship programs through a partnership with its local chamber but without CareerWise’s support in the last two years. About 65 apprentices have completed Jeffco’s program. Denver has had 272 students complete apprenticeships but is reworking its agreement with CareerWise.

Cherry Creek offers some of the most robust CareerWise options, including in information technology, advanced manufacturing, hospitality, and teaching.

Graham Thatcher worked in Cherry Creek School District's SalesForce apprentice program. After learning on the job for almost three years, she was hired full time in 2025. Thatcher works on her computer on Dec. 16, 2025 at Cherry Creek School District's Instructional Support Facility in Aurora, Colorado.

But getting students interested in apprenticeships is hard, even for a district as successful as Cherry Creek, school counselors said.

“I do think that parents sometimes have reservations, just because they’ve grown up in this: They should go to college,” said Cady Hobbs, a counseling coordinator at Grandview High School.

Some apprenticeships can lead to college, as it has for Greenwood, who plans to attend Metropolitan State University of Denver and participate in a program for Black educators. But that type of path might not be as easily understood by parents.

Meanwhile, districts like Denver and Cherry Creek offer so many career-related opportunities, from career exploration classes to summer internships, that it creates competition with their own apprenticeship programs.

“This landscape is a lot broader than I think anyone may have realized in 2016 or 2017,” said Theress Pidick, the Denver district’s youth career development director.

CareerWise’s revolving door of businesses

Another big hurdle to growing apprenticeships has been the revolving door of businesses that are willing and able to host and train a high schooler.

Ginsburg said in an April roundtable event that getting and keeping businesses engaged has been one of the hardest challenges for CareerWise.

“What we don’t have are the companies that see this as not just an imperative to do the right thing for their community but how important this is to their bottom line,” he said.

CareerWise launched with about 45 employers. By the second year, about 25 returned. The number of employers has ebbed and flowed over the years, with 29 actively working with apprentices. The reasons why they’ve stopped participating vary.

Some, like Mikron Denver, now run their own programs, separate from CareerWise.

Eagle County Paramedic Services tried CareerWise for a year before realizing students needed to have certain certifications that could be only earned when they turned 18. Insurance also wouldn’t cover student ambulance drivers.

“I think we really did go into it with the best intentions, but there’s no way to know everything it’s going to take,” said Katie Coakley, the organization’s marketing and communications specialist.

John Halloran, a regional manager with construction business RA Nelson, said his Eagle County company loved having an apprentice. The student worked full time over the summer, but once the school year got underway it became difficult to balance schoolwork with the constantly evolving schedules of construction.

“The hours and the pace didn’t really align,” Halloran said. “But I’d love to try it again and see if we can make it work.”

Vinz Koller, vice president of the Center for Apprenticeship and Work-Based Learning at Jobs for the Future, a nonprofit focused on expanding economic opportunities, agrees not enough businesses see the importance, unlike in Switzerland.

“The chicken and egg challenge we have is until you have enough opportunities, it’s going to be very hard for the youth and for parents to feel like this is an option,” Koller said.

Amyah Santiago, a first-year apprentice in the Future Educator Pathway, facilitates a lesson on inspiring words based on the book "The Gift of Words" by Peter Reynolds on Thursday, Dec. 18. 2026, at Sunrise Elementary School.

Some places have made it work. In Eagle County, which has participated since 2017, the dedication of a single employee — a former teacher who coordinates business participation through the local chamber of commerce — has made a difference. CareerWise Eagle County and the school district have shortened its program from three years to two so students aren’t choosing between college and an apprenticeship.

Warren Barker, a manager of supply chain logistics at Vail Health Hospital, said he believes his company’s participation in CareerWise represents an investment in Eagle County. Vail Health has employed 27 apprentices to date, though not every student ends up staying.

“The best thing I get to do in my job, by far, is seeing the caliber of students who go through the program,” he said. “And then being able to help get them focused into whatever is next for them, be it with Vail Health, hopefully, or anything else that they want to do.”

CareerWise has changed its apprenticeship programs

In response to the challenges it’s experienced — and in a bid to meet the current demand for more workforce training programs — CareerWise has pivoted.

Instead of focusing just on 16- to 18-year-olds, CareerWise has started pre-apprenticeships that help younger students prepare for an apprenticeship. And it’s also helping grow post-high school apprenticeships for young adults up to age 24, similar to the Switzerland program, Ginsburg said.

Andrew Sutliff hopes to someday get hired on permanently at CoorsTek, but feels his apprenticeship has taught him valuable skills that will transfer elsewhere. Sutliff works on a CNC machine on Dec. 4, 2025 at the factory in Golden, Colorado.

One example is its partnership with CoorsTek, a manufacturing company in Golden that makes ceramic parts used in computers, tanks and armor, and wind turbines, among others. With the help of CareerWise and a $4.58 million state grant, the company is using its CoorsTek Academy, an in-house training program launched in 2021 as a regional training hub, to teach apprentices ages 18-24. The first cohort of five started last year to learn skills to become mid-level Computer Numerical Control, or CNC, operators.

They will graduate able to troubleshoot complex issues, fix the machine when necessary, and program it, which will help them earn higher pay.

Andrew Sutliff, a 19-year-old CoorsTek apprentice who graduated from Cherry Creek’s school district last year, said he’s learning a lot in a short time.

“It feels like they’re cramming a lot that some people who have been here for four years don’t even begin to learn,” he said.

Even if he doesn’t get hired by CoorsTek full time, Sutliff said it’s a good opportunity to make himself more valuable to other companies.

CareerWise has also shifted from trying to grow a big program in Colorado to sprouting a host of smaller programs in other states. Ginsburg has helped prop up apprenticeship programs in New York and Elkhart County, Indiana. And more locations are likely.

With a $12.5 million federal grant, CareerWise launched the Future Ready Apprenticeship Center in 2025. The center provides $200,000 grants to connect other states with the lessons learned here and elsewhere, including program design, policy expertise, and funding.

First-year Future Educator Pathway apprentice Treyvon Greenwood hugs a student on their way back to class on Thursday, Dec. 18. 2025, at Sunrise Elementary School.

In addition to government grants, CareerWise itself is receiving more philanthropic support than ever, including $7 million from MacKenzie Scott’s YieldGiving foundation in 2023.

Even if he didn’t meet his original participation goals, Ginsburg still believes in the potential of widespread apprenticeship offerings for youth in Colorado. He believes the next decade won’t be just about tough lessons but opportunities to grow youth apprenticeships.

However, his expectations about how fast the program can grow have changed.

“We have a long way to go,” he said.

Colorado colleges have made progress re-enrolling students who left without finishing

2026-05-21T15:00:00+00:00

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Fewer Colorado students dropped out of college during the 2023-24 school year and more re-enrolled than in the year before, according to recent statistics. But that bit of good news wasn’t enough to put a dent in the overall number of working-age Coloradans who have some college education but no credential.

More than 623,000 people were in that category in the 2023-24 school year. That’s an increase of 9,300 Coloradans from the prior year, because more students left college without finishing than the number who returned.

The data compiled by the Associated Press from the National Student Clearinghouse provides an important view of these former students, often referred to in the higher education community as “stopouts,” during a time when Colorado universities want to entice more of them to return.

Some Colorado colleges and universities have increased efforts to help attract returning students who typically make less money than their peers who have completed a college education, while also often paying off student loans.

Michael Galchinsky, Colorado State University’s vice provost and dean for undergraduate affairs, said it’s difficult to reconnect with students once they leave college. Students don’t finish college because of numerous reasons, including running out of financial aid.

“Once they leave, they go out and they get immersed in jobs and families and other things that might make it hard for them to return,” he said.

Nationwide, the number of students who never completed college grew to 38 million in the 2023-24 year. However, the national data analysis by The Associated Press also shows an uptick in the number of residents returning.

In Colorado, university leaders partly credit Finish What You Started, a grant program that was propped up with pandemic relief funds and ended this school year, in helping former students return to college.

The $49 million program provided students with financial assistance, scholarships, grants, and other aid to get them back to college. Students also received academic and career advising. From 2022 to 2025, the program helped enroll about 5,000 former students, with about half earning their degree.

Finish What You Started has been more successful in getting students back to college than another ongoing program created at the same time called Colorado Re-Engaged. That program allows universities to grant an associate degree to former students who earned at least 70 college credits before dropping out. Those associate degrees also likely helped slow the growth in the number of Coloradans with some college but no credential.

Metropolitan State University of Denver’s Vaughn Toland, the executive director of admissions and outreach, said financial assistance was effective in getting former students to reenroll. The school has prioritized some scholarship money for returning students now that Finish What You Started has ended.

“Even $1,000 a semester can make a huge difference in terms of a student being able to come back to school or not,” Toland said.

Toland’s office also has been sending out emails to former students who haven’t enrolled for at least a year to encourage them to reapply.

And the school has other longstanding programs it uses to help Coloradans return, including waiving applications if they previously enrolled and helping returning students piece together credits into an individualized degree.

At CSU Fort Collins, Galchinsky said the end of the Finish What You Started program is “a loss of resources, but not a loss in mission.” The university has a new scholarship program called the Green and Gold Completion Award to help students who got close to graduating but dropped out, he said.

“We’re looking to make a home for every kind of Colorado resident here at Colorado State, no matter what your background is,” he said. “We’re going to meet them where they are and try to help elevate their lives.”

MSU Denver leaders hope former Gov. Roy Romer donation connects more of its students to policy and research

2026-05-19T22:34:19+00:00

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Former Colorado Gov. Roy Romer has donated his gubernatorial archives to Metropolitan State University and $2 million to a research institute he has supported that will now be affiliated with the university.

MSU Denver officials expect the move by the 97-year-old former lawmaker will open up research opportunities, as well as public policy and leadership lessons for students from lower-income backgrounds who are less likely to have grown up civically and politically engaged. The commuter campus of about 18,000 students also educates many students of color and is one of the most diverse universities in the state.

Romer has a personal tie to the university. Romer was a state lawmaker from 1958 to 1966 and sponsored legislation in the 1960s to establish MSU Denver. Romer, a Democrat, later served as Colorado governor from 1987 to 1999.

Romer said the papers he’s donating include some of his notable accomplishments such as championing Denver International Airport and vetoeing a ban on same-sex marriage. Romer also intends to donate additional papers from his tenure as superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District from 2000 to 2006, according to a spokesperson.

“I hope in the case studies, they [students] can look at the history that unfolded in that period of time and figure out what made it happen,” Romer said in an interview. “What were the ingredients of leadership?”

The newly renamed Romer Institute of Evidence-based Policy, formerly the Institute of Evidence-based Policy, will operate independently of the school and help bring speakers and ballot measure forums to the campus. The nonprofit says it has a commitment to evidence-based research that helps inform public policy decisions.

MSU Denver’s Matthew Makley, a provost and executive vice president of academic affairs, said the archives will help create internship opportunities for students to digitize the papers and help them write senior papers. And he’s especially excited that the donation will allow students to do more research. The school isn’t a designated research university, even though it does offer some opportunities to master’s and bachelor’s degree-seeking students.

The archives and the partnership with the institute will help students see themselves as the future policymakers, policy advisers, and leaders of Denver and the state, he said.

“This will be an opportunity for us to help students think about carving space in a domain they may not have ever imagined themselves moving in,” Makley said. “And that’s really the beauty of the institution that Governor Romer dreamed of.”

Colorado 2026 legislative roundup: The preschool, K-12, and higher education bills that passed and failed

2026-05-14T20:10:30+00:00

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Colorado lawmakers avoided cuts to the core of public education funding this legislative session despite facing a significant budget shortfall. But with more financial challenges likely in the years ahead, it’s now on voters to decide whether public schools deserve more dollars than the status quo.

A November ballot measure referred by lawmakers in Senate Bill 135 will ask voters if the state can keep part of their tax refund to fund K-12 schools. The state could also spend the extra money on key services such as healthcare and higher education.

Colorado lawmakers avoid big cuts to public education

Lawmakers referred the ballot measure to voters after a second year of needing to cut more than $1.2 billion from the state budget. That made it difficult to approve bills that required state spending. Despite the fiscal constraints, lawmakers did approve numerous education-related bills during the 120 day session. Many bills still require the governor’s signature.

Among them is a new law to allow colleges and K-12 schools to request someone’s guns be temporarily confiscated, a new bilingualism endorsement for high school graduates, and a bill to create a new Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development.

Legislators also approved a bill to allow the Colorado Department of Education to begin hearing 504 plan violations after parents complained that the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights’ process has lagged under the second Trump administration.

Lawmakers also passed another bill regarding the state’s ability to hear civil rights issues in schools, although the bill was significantly scaled back.

House Bill 1141 will expand educational discrimination definitions, such as making pregnancy or being a parent protected statuses. The bill also encourages but doesn’t require the state’s Civil Rights Division to hear school discrimination complaints.

Here’s a roundup of other education bills that passed and failed this legislative session, which ended Wednesday.

The education legislation approved

How do the state’s most effecitve schools help students succeed? That’s the question Senate Bill 170 will require a task force to explore and report back on by next year. The bill was sponsored by Senate President James Coleman after pushback on an “education deserts” bill that would have allowed the state to authorize charter schools in communities with low-performing schools and without local school board agreement.

House and Senate lawmakers approved two somewhat similar bills that would require social media companies to acknowledge a law enforcement warrant and give them a time period to comply. Lawmakers introduced the bills after two students were wounded in a shooting at Evergreen High School in Jefferson County. The shooter, a 16-year-old student who took his own life, had made suspicious social media posts before the shooting.

Senate Bill 11 requires social media companies to acknowledge a warrant within eight hours but gives them 72 hours to comply. The more strict Senate Bill 1255, which Gov. Jared Polis has threatened to veto, also requires social media companies to acknowledge a search warrant within eight hours, but gives an operator only 24 hours to comply under certain conditions.

As part of the budget process, lawmakers filed the state’s School Finance Act in January, which was much earlier than in past years. Senate Bill 23 sets district and state funding levels at $10.2 billion in the 2026-27 school year. Two amendments added to the bill late in the legislative session will dramatically curtail the power of Boards of Cooperative Educational Services, also called BOCES, to authorize bricks and mortar schools or homeschool enrichment programs outside their member school districts.

The powerful Joint Budget Committee also filed House Bill 1428 to require the Colorado Department of Education to provide a variety of information on publicly funded online learning and enrichment programming by Nov. 1.

Due to budgetary constraints, lawmakers decided to phase out a program that extends high school so students can earn college credits toward a teaching degree. House Bill 1357 would allow one more group of high school students to enroll before it ends.

And Colorado lawmakers cut back on how often school districts must administer the state’s Colorado Measures of Academic Success social studies test. Starting next year, only 7th graders will take it, per House Bill 1353.

House Bill 80 creates a Cradle to Career grant program within the Colorado Department of Human Services that would provide educational, extracurricular and social services support to children in poverty. The bill does not provide state funding for the grants. Instead, their availability will depend on charitable contributions from private groups, the federal government, or local governments.

Teachers won’t have to disclose misdemeanor convictions that occurred in the last seven years if they don’t involve a student or at-risk adult under House Bill 1090.

Lawmakers also approved Senate Bill 103 requiring districts to share information on how they help at-risk students in their schools.

Districts will also have an updated process to involve charter schools in local construction ballot measures after the passage of Senate Bill 145.

House Bill 1004 extends an existing tax credit for contributions to child care facilities for 10 more years. The law provides a tax credit of 50% of the value of the donation, up to $100,000.

Municipalities could designate a roadway next to a school as a “school street” that’s closed to traffic or where the speed limit is 10 miles per hour under House Bill 1318, which was inspired by a Littleton middle schooler who was fatally hit by a car while biking to school.

Employees of Colorado’s facility schools, which serve some of the state’s most vulnerable students with the highest needs, will be able to get pension benefits through the state’s Public Employees Retirement Association under House Bill 1146.

Teachers will no longer have to create individualized readiness plans for kindergarten students who score proficiently on readiness tests under House Bill 1050. Instead, the plans will be optional. The bill also requires the state to publicly report kindergarten readiness test scores disaggregated by school district, school, gender, race, and more.

Colorado lawmakers revamped the state’s higher education funding formula in House Bill 1345. The bill received pushback from private colleges after lawmakers cut $14.1 million from private student aid. Private college leaders said the cut, meant to be in effect for just one year, could open the door to a permanent loss of that funding.

Colorado students taking college classes while in high school have only been able to take classes at four-year universities if they take the classes on the college campus. House Bill 1078 would allow high school students to take college-level courses offsite.

Federal cuts have left universities that enroll high percentages of students of color without federal grant funding to support students. House Bill 1006 doesn’t include funding. But lawmakers hope that designating certain colleges as “thriving institutions” will show students of color that those campuses are a welcoming place.

Most Colorado universities will now need to stock abortion medication at on-site health clinics under House Bill 1335, which received final approval on the last day of session.

House Bill 1142 gives civil immunity to board members, staff members, and volunteers at child advocacy groups if these individuals acted reasonably and in good faith in disclosing information about a child or during investigations of child maltreatment.

Education bills that didn’t move forward

Senate Bill 68, designed to study how to reduce CMAS testing time, failed to advance.

After facing concerns from Polis, lawmakers decided to indefinitely postpone House Bill 1292, which would have required Colorado to place nondiscrimination rules on its use of a federal education tax credit program.

Senate Bill 180 would have created a new investment authority that could seek higher returns on certain pots of state money than what state investments typically produce. Tens of millions of dollars from the higher yield investments would have been earmarked to help low-income families pay for childcare. But the bill faced opposition from Colorado’s state treasurer and other groups who said it was risky and possibly violated the state constitution.

Lawmakers decided not to pursue the Building Excellent Teacher and Employee Residences Program in House Bill 139. The $40 million pot of money would have provided financial assistance to districts for workforce housing projects.

Lawmakers rejected a bill that would have raised money for public schools by subjecting microtransactions in online games to a 5% fee. House Bill 1148 was a wide-ranging bill aimed at enhancing data privacy for children on gaming platforms like Roblox and Minecraft. But lawmakers did pass a similar bill, House Bill 1418, that will put the proceeds of the 5% fee toward youth mental health services.

Colorado lawmakers rejected an attempt to change how school board members are elected. Instead of electing school board members at large, Senate Bill 57 would have restricted the pool of voters to those who live in the neighborhoods that the candidate would represent, similar to how Colorado elects its state representatives and congresspeople.

A bill aimed at saving Colorado families money on back-to-school supplies failed to advance. House Bill 1048 would have made children’s clothing and school supplies exempt from the state’s 2.9% sales tax for one weekend in July. A similar bill also failed to advance in 2024.

Lawmakers shelved Senate Bill 166, which would have disqualified candidates from running for school board if they had a recent conviction for certain violent crimes or felony drug offenses.

Colorado lawmakers rejected a bill to cut back on teacher evaluations. House Bill 1291 would have allowed teachers who are rated effective and who have Colorado’s version of tenure to be evaluated every three years instead of annually.

A Denver lawmaker hoped to replicate a city program that gives students a free pass to recreational, museum, and cultural facilities. But House Bill 1055 didn’t advance. The bill, backed by Colorado students, would have allowed for the pilot program to give My Colorado Cards to grades 6-12 students in a limited number of communities.

Melanie Asmar is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Colorado. Contact Melanie at masmar@chalkbeat.org.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

Metropolitan State University of Denver holds its first-ever graduation ceremony for parenting students

2026-05-12T22:14:36+00:00

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Laura Delmonico’s college journey has required constant juggling.

She has worked, interned, and volunteered as treasurer of her Metropolitan State University of Denver student association, and, most importantly to her, raised three children. This meant late nights, early mornings, and balancing college with her children’s schooling and their everyday lives.

Delmonico, 33, was a speaker at MSU Denver’s first-ever graduation on Saturday geared toward students who are also parents. About 30 students and their families attended the ceremony at the commuter college near the heart of downtown Denver.

Laura Delmonico's three children present her with a graduation cord during MSU Denver's parenting student graduation ceremony on Saturday, May 9, 2026 at the Auraria Campus in Denver.

Nationally, one in five college students are parents, but at MSU Denver it’s about 1 in 10. They often feel like outsiders on four-year university campuses.

Since 2024, MSU Denver has participated in a two-year program called FamilyU that’s meant to train campus officials and improve policies, resources, and support for students who are parents.

MSU Denver FamilyU co-chair Kristen Lyons, who is also a psychology professor, said the program has encouraged collaboration between students and school faculty and administrators to make parenting students’ lives easier on campus.

Lyons and others said the program has been especially important because the university estimates about 14% of its incoming fall class are parenting students.

Through the program, the university has asked students to suggest changes to create a more inclusive campus, drafted suggested language for professors if students need to bring kids to class, and helped students access financial support.

The group also has their own Parenting Student Association, which Delmonico participates in as treasurer. She also worked as an MSU Denver FamilyU intern, where she suggested an idea to someday place highchairs in the Tivoli Student Union.

Even the idea to have a cords at the ceremony came from parents.

Student Cherifa Traore, a FamilyU fellow and Parenting Student Association president, said she came up with the idea because she wondered why the school didn’t celebrate the accomplishments of parenting students when they walked during commencement.

“They go through all this, and at the end, they just graduate with everybody else,” Traore said.

The pink and teal cords she helped design were placed around their necks by their kids onstage. And students will wear the cords at commencement this week to distinguish themselves from other graduates.

Graduates receive from their children special graduation ropes in colors representing wisdom, creativity and ambition.

While Delmonico delivered her speech, some kids wandered between round tables and played with Slinkys and Lego blocks near the ceremony stage. But the noise hardly bothered Delmonico, who said during her graduation speech that the hard days and nights will help her children have a better future.

“You’re the reason we were able to keep going. You gave us the strength to push through,” she said. “Everything we did we did with you in our hearts.”

Delmonico graduated with a 4.0 GPA while balancing a schedule she said usually afforded her only a few hours of sleep a night. About half of the students at the graduation were recognized with honors and said they overcame difficult challenges balancing school and family.

Delmonico said she hopes the kids in the room draw inspiration from their parents. Some of the parents said that their younger kids mimicked them by playing “homework” at the dinner table. Older kids would encourage their parents to take care of themselves.

“I knew the way that I handled myself in this situation would influence how they approached different things in their lives,” Delmonico said of her children during her graduation speech. “As student parents, we aren’t just working towards a degree and a better life for our family. We’re also showing our children what it means to persevere.”

Regis University officials sound the alarm on Colorado budget that ‘punishes’ private college students

2026-05-11T23:17:07+00:00

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Colorado lawmakers are pausing $14.1 million in state funding that flows to private colleges and universities through grants, work study, and graduate student aid, affecting about 2,000 students.

The cut is one of many lawmakers made this year to pare back about $1.2 billion from the state’s budget, which faces increasing Medicaid costs and other pressures. While lawmakers aimed to preserve the core of public education funding, they cut some programs like the private college student state aid and an extended high school program for aspiring teachers.

Rep. Rick Taggart, a Grand Junction Republican who sits on the powerful Joint Budget Committee, said the cut to private university and college student aid was one of many difficult decisions lawmakers needed to make to balance the budget. The JBC redirected the money to help fund public universities and colleges.

He added that students who choose a private university still have the ability to access the Colorado Opportunity Fund, which provides a stipend to eligible Colorado undergraduate students to attend public and private colleges.

“It’s not as if the state is leaving our students that have made the decision to go to a private school high and dry,” he said.

However, Colorado private university and college officials worry the one-time cut, which will take effect in the 2027-28 year, will cause students to rethink their decision to attend school this fall. They also fear additional actions by lawmakers last week will open up the possibility of permanent cuts in future years.

Nine Colorado private colleges and universities will be affected. Regis University, a Denver private Jesuit Catholic university, expects the largest cuts with 587 students losing about $5.5 million in state aid.

Kristine Bureau, the school’s vice president of admissions, financial aid, athletics, and university marketing, said in a statement that these are Colorado students whose families are taxpayers in the state. Lower-income students and those who are the first in their family to go to college will be the most affected, Regis officials said.

“Denying them access to aid that their own tax dollars support, aid that every other Colorado student retains, is a policy that punishes students for choosing private higher education,” she said. “Colorado’s workforce and communities will feel that loss.”

Lawmakers also amended a bill last week to revamp the state’s higher education funding formula to reflect the cut made in the 2027-28 budget, a move that Bureau said provides “a gateway for the state to make this permanent.”

Taggart said he understands Regis’ concerns that this could become a permanent cut and cannot guarantee that lawmakers next year will decide to keep the funding in the budget. Lawmakers expect more budget challenges next year.

“We deliberately, as a JBC, did it for one year to enable us to look at our budget for next year and see where we stand,” he said.

Numbers compiled by Regis officials show about 465 students at Colorado Christian University will lose about $3.5 million in grants, work study, and graduate student aid.

Another about 500 University of Denver students will lose about $3.2 million in aid. In a statement, University of Denver spokesperson Jason Gruenauer said the cut negatively affects students’ ability to attend the college of their choice.

And about 120 Colorado College students receiving over $400,000 in aid would be affected by the cut. The college’s leadership said in a statement that this decision hurts students who have the hardest time getting to college and state-based aid shouldn’t steer them toward one type of institution or another.

Regis University officials said they don’t plan any cuts to services, but they will evaluate how to fill the gap in student funding.

Private university endowments might be able to cover student aid for students in the short term, officials said. But that’s not a guarantee.

This story has been updated to include a statement from Colorado College leadership.

Lawmakers extend teacher preparation program amid pleas from parents and students

2026-04-28T21:32:05+00:00

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Colorado lawmakers plan to allow a last batch of high school seniors to take part in a statewide teacher preparation program before it’s eliminated.

The Teacher Recruitment Education and Preparation program, or TREP, allows students to stay enrolled in high school after graduation for up to two years while their school district pays for college classes. Colorado lawmakers on the budget committee decided to eliminate TREP to help balance a 2026-27 state budget that could have a shortfall reaching $1.5 billion.

But amid pleas from parents and students, lawmakers amended House Bill 1357 to allow high school seniors who were set to begin the program this spring to enroll for one year instead of two. The program will end in July 2027.

Parent Stephanie Christian, who rallied a small coalition of parents and students to save the program, thanked state Sens. Janice Marchman, a Loveland Democrat, and Byron Pelton, a Sterling Republican, for the amendment to extend the program.

“While we had hoped for a full pathway allowing these students to complete the program, the one-year extension provides a critical bridge,” Christian said in a text message. “Because of this effort, hundreds of future teachers will still have the opportunity to begin their journey into education, and that impact will be felt in classrooms across Colorado.”

The amendment cleared the House and Senate this week, and the powerful Joint Budget Committee agreed to the plan last week. The bill will now head to the governor’s desk.

The state created TREP in 2021 to help grow the educator workforce. It has a statewide cap of 250 students a year. The program’s elimination will save the state about $3 million a year.

Parents argued that some high school seniors had based many of their financial aid decisions on using the program, which doesn’t allow students to use federal aid. Students also don’t qualify for most scholarships because they’re still considered high school students.

Colorado’s higher education funding formula rewrite takes another shot at putting a focus on students

2026-04-27T23:57:02+00:00

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Five years ago, Colorado lawmakers changed the way the state funds public colleges and universities. Instead of sending money based mostly on enrollment, the plan was to dole out money based on eight metrics that include how well institutions help students stay in school and get to graduation.

But some college leaders say that formula hasn’t worked as intended and instead valued year-over-year funding stability rather than changes that direct money to schools helping more students.

Now, as part of a regular five-year review, state lawmakers are making incremental updates they say will help drive more money to colleges based on how well they educate students. The changes would expand metrics to include whether schools educate more students who enroll part-time or have a greater number of transfers.

Colorado enacted its current iteration of a performance-based funding formula model in the 2021-22 school year. The formula is a set of metrics to direct increases in state funding based on specific, measurable outcomes, including whether a student graduates on time and schools enroll a higher percentage of certain students.

Colorado Commission on Higher Education Chair Jennifer Walmer, whose board crafted recommended updates in House Bill 1345, said she heard many complaints from schools that the formula doesn’t truly reward schools for their student outcomes. But she also said the commission didn’t want to completely reimagine the formula when the state faces budget challenges and the federal government has cut higher education spending.

“I do think that there are mechanisms and flexibilities in the new formula that, with additional resources, could help drive more performance,” Walmer said.

The bill would keep parts of the 2021-22 funding formula intact, including metrics that help determine how much more money schools get for student enrollment, retention, and graduation.

But the proposal would make key additions to the formula in the 2027-28 school year that would better reflect the myriad of ways students interact with schools that weren’t considered in the current funding model.

These include new definitions that better account for transfer students, as well as a provision to ensure part-time students get counted toward funding. Walmer said part-time students make up about half of higher education enrollment statewide.

The proposed formula also creates other levers that lawmakers can use to funnel even more state funding to schools based on their performance on the metrics of student enrollment, retention, and graduation. This means lawmakers would have the ability to reward excellent performance to drive bigger funding changes, Walmer said.

The bill would also alter the name of the formula to “results-informed funding.”

“I do believe that the mechanism changes that we’re making will better serve and better reflect Colorado students,” Walmer said.

The bill has been met with reserved optimism from several higher education leaders.

Colorado Mesa University President John Marshall said he believes the new formula could help solve some of his biggest concerns about how the state distributes money, including how much some schools get in state funding versus others.

Metropolitan State University of Denver President Janine Davidson said the proposed formula updates better account for different types of students, including those that enroll part-time. She said she’s supportive of the changes and hopes lawmakers place a focus on institutions that have been hurt by previous iterations of the funding formula.

She added the state also must boost state funding for higher education institutions. She said a lack of investment in colleges and universities has led to challenges, such as having a group of student advisors at her school that are far smaller than many peer institutions in other states.

“Colorado is not funding higher education,” she said. “And we remain at the bottom.”

House Speaker Julie McCluskie, a Dillon Democrat sponsoring the bill, said during a committee hearing on the bill last week that she believes the proposed funding formula update will better help the state reward schools for helping students.

But she also agrees lawmakers must adequately fund higher education if the formula is to work as intended.

“I do think that we continue to fall short,” she said.

The bill passed its first hearing in a House Education Committee last week and will next be heard on the House floor. If passed, the Senate would need to approve the bill before sending it to Gov. Jared Polis.

Other sponsors include state Senate President James Coleman, Republican Sen. Cleave Simpson of Alamosa, and Democratic Rep. Eliza Hamrick of Centennial.

Colorado’s promising universal FAFSA completion policies

2026-04-15T22:07:43+00:00

Colorado lawmakers used a portion of the state’s pandemic relief funds to pilot federal student aid form completion programs in 11 high schools in six districts. Fund My Future, which has federal funding through June, requires students to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid before graduation with districts’ support.

These pilot programs were designed to inform Colorado policymakers about how well a statewide universal FAFSA completion policy could work, especially because students leave tens of millions of federal money on the table each year to pay for college.

The grants have shown promise, and national advocacy groups have taken notice.

Read the rest of this month’s Beyond High School edition.

Colorado parents and students rally to save teacher preparation program from proposed budget cuts

2026-04-08T00:20:32+00:00

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When Joana Baldermann learned state lawmakers might phase out the statewide Teacher Recruitment Education and Preparation program, the news prompted a scramble.

Baldermann and her daughter Cailyn Baldermann were banking on the TREP program, as it is known, to pay Cailyn’s tuition at Metropolitan State University of Denver next year. Now, the Baldermanns need to figure out new financial aid options after lawmakers placed the program for aspiring educators on the chopping block because of a massive budget shortfall.

Cailyn Baldermann hoped to use the TREP program next year to help pay for college.

“Since my freshman year, I have been planning extensively around the TREP program as a foundational step toward my future as an elementary teacher,” Cailyn, an Eaglecrest High School senior, wrote in a letter to lawmakers on the state’s House Appropriations Committee. “Much of my college planning was built around the understanding that TREP would provide a strong pathway to pursuing my education.”

Lawmakers on the state’s Joint Budget Committee have tried to preserve core K-12 funding, but described the potential end of TREP as part of the painful cuts needed to address a budget shortfall that could be as high as $1.5 billion.

The proposal has left some families in a similar situation as the Baldermanns, having to consider new ways to pay for college near the end of the school year when some scholarship deadlines have already passed.

Lawmakers created TREP in 2021 to help grow the teaching workforce. The initiative, capped at 250 participants statewide, allows students to stay enrolled in high school after graduation for up to two years while their school district pays for them to take college classes. Eligible students must have completed one year of specialized education coursework in high school to be considered for the program.

TREP participants also aren’t eligible for college financial aid or most scholarships, since they’re still considered high school students.

State lawmakers have filed House Bill 1357 to eliminate the TREP program. Doing so would save the state about $1.6 million next year, according to a legislative analysis. The 220 students currently enrolled in TREP would be allowed to finish out their education through the program. The following year, the state would save about $3 million.

The bill also reduces how much the state pays to districts for a student’s college education per year from $10,721 to $7,104.

State Rep. Emily Sirota, chair of the powerful Joint Budget Committee and a Denver Democrat, said on Tuesday during a House Appropriations Committee hearing that the cut relieves pressure on the state’s education savings, leaving more money available to fund core services.

Some school districts want to figure out how to continue a similar program if TREP ends.

CTE Director Madison Tortessi with Cañon City High School said she wishes lawmakers would let a last round of seniors enroll in TREP, because some of her students don’t know what to do next. The district has sought permission from the state to prop up a P-TECH elementary education pathway, but it will be too late for this year’s seniors.

About 22 schools participate in P-TECH across the state. The program allows schools to partner with businesses and colleges to prepare Colorado students for jobs.

“We’re really hoping that we get approved for this,” Tortessi said. “And then we don’t have to tell kids, ‘No, you can’t do TREP.’ We can say, ‘You can do this instead.’”

Parent Stephanie Christian said the statewide change leaves many high school seniors like her daughter without an option. Christian has led the charge to advocate for the program, and her daughter Abby plans to attend the University of Northern Colorado in the fall.

House and Senate lawmakers will spend the next week debating the recently introduced budget proposal and its companion bills, including the one to eliminate TREP. Some lawmakers might file amendments that would alter the proposal.

Christian hopes lawmakers will allow high school seniors who want to use the program a chance to do so.

“None of those kids have any money to go to college now without this,” she said. “You have hundreds of kids that are six weeks away from graduating.”

Colorado lawmakers avoid big cuts to education in 2026-27 budget

2026-04-06T23:50:22+00:00

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Colorado lawmakers avoided major cuts to K-12, early childhood, and higher education funding in next year’s budget proposal despite an overall shortfall of more than $1.2 billion.

Major reductions proposed in the bill introduced Monday focus on Medicaid benefits and health care programs. The bill also cuts into the state’s reserves. Lawmakers are required to pass a balanced budget and the School Finance Act before the end of the session on May 13.

Rep. Emily Sirota, a Denver Democrat and chair of the powerful Joint Budget Committee, said during a news conference late last week that lawmakers wanted to avoid bringing back a maneuver called the Budget Stabilization Factor, which allowed the state to withhold money from constitutionally mandated K-12 funding. Lawmakers also tried to preserve higher education funding but ended up allowing tuition increases that are higher than originally proposed.

Sirota said lawmakers didn’t want to create another education funding hole after they “worked extremely hard over the last many years to dig our way out.”

The Long Bill, as it’s called, proposes that the 2026-27 state budget would grow to $46.8 billion, an increase over this year’s $43.9 billion budget. General fund spending, or the state tax revenue used on the budget, would increase to $17.3 billion, up from $17.1 billion.

Spending on K-12 schools would increase to $10.2 billion statewide, or about $184 million more than this year.

Lawmakers would need to dip into state reserves to fund some of the increase. For example, JBC members propose using the state’s education savings fund to pay for statutorily required increases to funding for special education, English language learners, at-risk students, and others.

Other cuts to K-12 programs

Despite avoiding serious cuts to education, the JBC has proposed smaller reductions.

These include eliminating a statewide program that helps students become teachers, reducing how often certain teachers need to be evaluated, and allowing some students to skip the state’s social studies test. Below are some of the most significant proposals:

Budget lawmakers filed House Bill 1353 to alter the state’s social studies test so it’s administered only to seventh grade public school students. The move would save the state about $303,000 a year.
House Bill 1356 would eliminate a grant program that allows charter schools and districts to create a local accountability system that compliments the state system. The measure would save the state about $507,000.
House Bill 1357 would phase out the state’s Teacher Recruitment Education Program, or TREP, to save about $1.6 million next year and about $3 million in the year after. The idea to eventually eliminate the extended high school program created in 2021 wouldn’t allow schools to designate any new students for the program, meaning many students preparing to use TREP would no longer be eligible.
Colorado lawmakers want to reduce a grant fund to improve state math instruction by about $5.2 million. House Bill 1358 would leave about $3.5 million next year for the program started in 2023 with onetime funding.
Lawmakers proposed halving spending on school bullying prevention grants to $1 million.
The state’s School Counselor Corps Grant Program would also be reduced by $1 million, down to $11 million per year. The grant helps schools hire more counselors and supports training.
The state would reduce adult education and literacy grants by $1 million, bringing that grant fund down to $2 million available through the 2028-29 budget year.
The state would also eliminate the Menstrual Hygiene Grant, or a cut of about $100,000 a year. Budget lawmakers noted that the state requires most schools to provide free menstrual hygiene products for students.

Higher ed and early childhood funding remains stable

JBC members were also able to avoid big cuts to higher education and early childhood funding. Those budgets would only change slightly compared to this year.

JBC lawmakers proposed a slight increase to $6.5 billion in total spending next year on higher education, although a portion of the funding includes programs such as History Colorado.

This means of the total higher education budget, about $1 billion in state support, would go toward colleges and universities. Another $3 billion would come from tuition revenue, according to legislative staff documents.

The state would allow most colleges and universities to increase tuition by 3.5% for resident undergraduate students. The state’s community colleges would be allowed to increase tuition by 5% for residents. And nonresident tuition rates could increase by up to 5%.

The tuition changes would account for $160 million of the $164 million state higher education budget increase.

In-state tuition assistance would remain at $116 per credit hour, or $3,480 per year for a full-time, full-year student.

However, lawmakers did remove about $14 million in state support for residents who attend private colleges and universities.

The state’s early education budget also wouldn’t change significantly. The state proposes to spend about $798 million on those programs, including a $14 million increase for the state’s universal preschool program.

The budget bill took longer this year after lawmakers faced a larger than expected spending shortfall that the state’s budget forecasters have warned could be as high as $1.5 billion. This is the second year that the state has faced a more than $1 billion shortfall, mostly due to increased Medicaid costs. Republican lawmakers have said overspending by Democratic lawmakers is the problem.

The release of the budget now sets up hearings in the House and Senate. Lawmakers will file amendments and debate to finalize the budget. Once both chambers finish their deliberations, the bill will be sent to Gov. Jared Polis to sign into law.

This story has been updated to include the removal of state funding to support Colorado residents who attend private colleges and universities.

Six Colorado nonprofits that mobilize young people are launching a new statewide coalition

2026-03-19T23:31:09+00:00

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Oliver Godoy stood near the steps of Colorado’s Capitol with more than 100 others on Thursday to celebrate the launch of a new coalition meant to amplify the voices of young people like himself.

The Youth Agency Coalition brings together six Colorado nonprofit organizations with the goal of empowering people ages 16 through 34 like Godoy who want to effect change.

Godoy, 26, said he doesn’t have a lot of experience advocating for policy issues and can get nervous about stepping into the political realm. But the fellow advocates he’s met at Young Invincibles and through the new coalition have empowered him to speak out — especially when he feels like older people dismiss his experience.

Metropolitan State University of Denver student and advocate Oliver Godoy, 26, on Thursday, March 19, 2026, outside the Colorado Capitol in Denver.

“I think this coalition gives young people more power in these spaces where it’s not designed for them to be,” said Godoy, who attends Metropolitan State University of Denver.

The six organizations that make up the coalition are Young Invincibles, New Era Colorado, Rocky Mountain Partnership Cradle to Career, Ednium: The Alumni Collective, Mi Familia En Acción, and UpRISE.

Melanie Kesner, Young Invincibles’ Rocky Mountain regional director, said she hopes the coalition shows even more young people that they have a place in shaping state and local policy.

The coalition will allow them to drive conversations about the issues they care about instead of limiting advocacy to just the areas the six nonprofits focus on. The coalition also plans to hold a June gubernatorial forum that youth and young adults will lead.

Ednium’s Executive Director Richard Maez said when he took over as the nonprofit’s leader, he saw a group of organizations that all shared a common goal to get people ages 16 to 34 involved in policy issues. But the nonprofits have a narrow focus on issues compared to the many that affect young people, he said.

For example, Ednium represents Denver Public Schools alumni and trains and mobilizes them to advocate for issues that include K-12, higher education, and economic mobility. Ednium has supported the state’s financial literacy requirement and workforce readiness legislation.

UpRise has advocated for ways to address nicotine use by young people. And Mi Familia En Acción elevates the voices of the state’s Latino community through building political power. This year, the organization has backed House Bill 1272, which would collect data on how extreme temperatures impact workers.

“We’ve proven to other people that we know what we’re doing,” Maez said of the different advocacy organizations “Now it’s time to say, ‘Let’s do it together.’”

All six organizations have organized to bring young people to the Capitol. But the numbers have often been smaller than what the coalition brought on Thursday.

Lawmakers have also given some young people a voice under Colorado’s golden dome. The Colorado Youth Advisory Council, created in 2008, brings together 40 youth ages 14 to 19 to make policy issue recommendations. The group was even given the ability by lawmakers in 2019 to draft bills, but lawmakers took that power away last year.

After the rally, attendees filed into the Capitol to speak with lawmakers.

Sara Navidi, 24, led a group of four who wanted to talk about healthcare bills. Navidi graduated college in 2022 and has taken time off before medical school to get work experience, including in policymaking.

Navidi currently works with Young Invincibles but has also been active with New Era Colorado. She said she’s found the different organizations might advocate for the same issues at times, but do it separately.

“We’re going to be even better when we collaborate together,” Navidi said.

Young Invincibles advocate Sara Navidi speaks with Sen. Kyle Mullica, a Thornton Democrat, about a health care bill she would like to see passed during a youth advocacy day organized by six nonprofits on Thursday, March 19, 2026, at the Colorado Capitol in Denver.

Others in Navidi’s group said they came to the Capitol for the first time.

Noelle Romero, 24, heard about the day’s events from the Colorado School of Public Health, a collaborative that includes the University of Colorado Anschutz, where she attends school. Romero also will get another master’s degree from the University of Denver.

So many organizations coming together to give young people a space to talk with lawmakers made her feel supported, she said.

“I think if I had come here alone, I’d be terrified,” Romero said.

Godoy said strength in numbers is the point of the coalition.

“We’ve grown up in this world where all these decisions have already been made for us without our say,” Godoy said. “So it’s important for us to voice our opinions, for our voices to be heard, and for people to actually understand that we’re not going away.”

Colorado’s FAFSA completion rates are up, but advisers worry about who’s getting left behind

2026-03-10T23:40:16+00:00

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Record numbers of students in Colorado and nationwide are filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid after a revamp of the form made it easier, data shows.

But for immigrant families where one or more members is undocumented, whether students complete the FAFSA depends on if they are willing to take the risk at a time of heightened immigration enforcement, college advocates said. Many worry the government will use their information to track them or their family and deport them.

Jesse Ramirez, founder and executive director of a Colorado nonprofit called INSPiRE, recalled a recent conversation with a mom from the Fort Lupton area who was scared to have her daughter complete the form.

“She said, ‘I came here from Venezuela to escape political violence. So why put myself at risk now? They might send me back or worse,’” said Ramirez, whose nonprofit organization helps advise over 2,000 students in the Denver area on how to get to college.

So far this year, about 46% of high school students nationwide have completed the FAFSA form, according to the National College Attainment Network’s FAFSA tracker.

Bill DeBaun, the organization’s senior director of data and strategic initiatives, said in a news conference last month that the nation might exceed 56% of students completing the form — an “all-time high” since tracking began in 2017. This matters because students who fill out the form are more likely to pursue education opportunities after high school.

In Colorado, just over 37% of seniors completed the form by the end of February, or 28,597 students, according to NCAN. That’s about 5,000 more students than last year during the same time period.

That progress so far places Colorado 42nd this year in how well states get seniors to fill out the form.

Ramirez and others report the rates remain lower because students who have the most challenges still aren’t getting the help they need to complete the form.

At the end of February, only 11% of seniors at Colorado schools with 40% or more Hispanic or Black students had completed the form, NCAN’s FAFSA data shows. And 37% of seniors at schools where at least half of their population comes from lower-income backgrounds have completed the form, compared to 45% at schools whose students come from higher income families.

Studies from 2017 show Colorado had about 130,000 students who have a family member without legal documentation. These students have the option to fill out the FAFSA or the state’s Colorado Application for State Financial Aid. The state created the form for undocumented students and those from mixed-status families who don’t want to share their data to the federal government.

Ramirez said FAFSA opens up the possibility for more grant or scholarship aid than the state’s form, and he frequently explains to students and families why filling out the form can be beneficial. He’s worked with families for years, but the current political environment has made families fearful.

He advises families not to wait out the Trump administration and to continue allowing their kids to pursue their dreams, especially because many undocumented individuals already fill out tax forms. He says in some cases it’s better to send kids to college than “sitting around waiting to see if some policy changes or a new administration comes along and then wasting four or five years.”

These one-on-one conversations take time, he said. And the loss of the statewide data tool that showed individual student progress on the form has made working with students more difficult.

Lawmakers cut the tool within this year’s budget to help fill a more than $1.2 billion budget hole. The loss has hamstrung others across the state. Without the tool, college advisors must connect with each student to check their FAFSA progress, said Tam Doane, Colorado Springs’ Peak Education college and financial aid advisor. The nonprofit works with students to help them pursue college or a career. Doane spends two days a week at Harrison High School and Sierra High School helping students prepare for college.

The loss of the tool, Doane said, is “just slowing everything down because I’m calling students multiple times to say, ‘Show me where you are at.’”

Oftentimes, students will think they’ve completed the FAFSA when the federal government might require an extra step, said Jasmine Rainey, Peak Education’s director of access and success.

“Not having that tool that just creates another obstacle for us in order to help students complete the FAFSA and get to college, or whatever their postsecondary plan might be,” Rainey said.

Ramirez said the challenges are a shame during a year where the application is easier and more user friendly. Students still want to chase their dreams, he said, but many need more support to talk through their options.

He takes the wins where he can.

After a long conversation with the Fort Lupton mom, she made a decision about her daughter’s future. She came to the United States for safety and to create a better life for her family, Ramirez said.

While no one can guarantee she won’t get detained, she made the decision to take a “leap of faith” and fill out the FAFSA to help her child follow her dreams.

Colorado bill would tee up merger of over 100 higher education and workforce programs

2026-03-05T01:59:06+00:00

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A bill introduced Wednesday by a group of Colorado lawmakers would begin the process to unite the state’s higher education department with numerous workforce development and labor programs.

House Bill 1317 has bipartisan support and represents a prominent higher education proposal by lawmakers this session. It’s essentially the legislative vehicle for a major initiative Democratic Gov. Jared Polis introduced last year, and would jumpstart a process that’s expected to end with the next governor in 2027.

In December, Polis announced a plan to form a new Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development after a report he commissioned recommended the merger.

Lawmakers want the new agency to help Coloradans get the education and training needed for good-paying jobs. A news release said the bill would bring together over 100 programs and initiatives focused on higher education, workforce training, and employment.

“For too long, Colorado has had a siloed approach to connecting workers and students with good-paying, in-demand jobs,” said Colorado House Speaker Julie McCluskie, a Dillon Democrat who is a sponsor of the bill, in the news release.

The bill would form a 26-member advisory committee appointed by Polis, McCluskie, and Senate President James Coleman, a Democrat. The bill would require appointees to represent different state geographic regions from various sectors that include leaders in business, higher education, workforce development, and education advocacy.

The committee would begin meeting before July and produce a transition plan in November focused on how to unite the state’s labor, workforce, and higher education programs.

The idea is similar to work undertaken by governors in other states to improve the connections between education and the workforce. For example, Missouri merged its higher education and workforce development offices in 2018 into a Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development.

And President Donald Trump has moved education department functions involving career and technical education and K-12 into the labor department in an attempt to focus more on preparing students for jobs.

The bill has support from various state workforce and higher education leaders and is sponsored by state Rep. Rick Taggart, a Grand Junction Republican, Sen. Jeff Brides, a Greenwood Village Democrat, and Sen. Lisa Frizell, a Castle Rock Republican.

Beyond High School: Should Colorado consolidate its colleges?

2026-03-04T16:26:53+00:00

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Could consolidating Colorado’s public colleges and universities save the state money? A new report from the Common Sense Institute, a nonpartisan research organization that focuses on free market and economic policies, says yes.

The January analysis says Colorado would save about $25 million a year by consolidating some of its public colleges. States such as Utah have realized cost savings by merging schools that offer two- and four-year degrees, the report says. These dual-mission institutions require 30% less taxpayer funding per student, according to the report.

Colorado already has several dual-mission institutions, including Colorado Mountain College, Adams State University, and Colorado Mesa University.

The report says some other colleges that are not dual mission operate near or alongside each other, such as the three colleges on Denver’s Auraria Campus. It identifies the three schools at Auraria and two in Pueblo as potential candidates for consolidation.

The analysis says those five schools spend a total of about $5.3 million on executive salaries. Consolidation into two schools — one in Denver and one in Pueblo — would bring down salary costs by about $1.7 million.

The report arrives at a time when private college mergers are increasing nationwide, and states face mounting financial pressures that could limit investment in public higher education. Although Colorado has increased higher education funding in recent years, it has also faced significant budget challenges.

A separate analysis from the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association suggests mergers can help institutions respond to changing political and economic conditions. While older case studies indicate consolidations can maintain educational quality, the report suggests also considering the impact on students.

“It is important to measure how a college merger might affect college access and success either through the elimination or expansion of academic programs, and through changes to staffing and student support services,” the report says.

Higher ed stories from Chalkbeat

Colorado ballot measure would use Pinnacol Assurance proceeds for workforce training — The idea would provide an alternative to Gov. Jared Polis’ plan to sell the quasi-governmental agency while also boosting a variety of workforce training programs.

Colorado lawmakers want to help parents who feel ‘ghosted’ by the federal Office for Civil Rights — State Reps. Jacque Phillips and Jennifer Bacon want to provide Colorado parents with more ways to report allegations that their child is being harassed or discriminated against at school.

Colorado bill would let schools and colleges seek gun confiscation under ‘red flag’ safety law — Supporters say that by involving the institutions, Senate Bill 4 would help educators who are not familiar with the process file these petitions.

Colorado lawmakers want to create a ‘thriving’ designation for some colleges and universities — Sponsors say their bill would help schools attract students from diverse backgrounds.

115 Colorado students rally to strengthen the state’s ghost gun laws — Students Demand Action rallied to support legislative updates that would place further limitations on ghost guns, which are created through kits or parts manufactured by a 3D printer.

Misdemeanor convictions wouldn’t prevent some Colorado teachers from getting hired if new bill passes — Current law says that teacher licensure applicants must disclose most misdemeanor convictions regardless of the date of the conviction.

What we’re reading

Young adults fight for future as Colorado faces tight budget Colorado Public Radio

University of Denver braces for up to a $30 million budget shortfall next year The Denver Post (Paywall)

Chancellor calls for ‘big, audacious ideas’ to lead CU Boulder’s future Boulder Daily Camera (Paywall)

Epstein’s ties with academics show the seedy side of college fund-raising The New York Times (Paywall)

Affirmative action ended. So why are these Maryland colleges more diverse than ever? Baltimore Banner

Colorado lawmakers want to create a ‘thriving’ designation for some colleges and universities

2026-02-06T00:46:17+00:00

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After federal cuts to colleges and universities that enroll high percentages of students of color, Colorado lawmakers want to create a new state designation that would signal that certain campuses are a welcoming place for those students.

House Bill 6 sponsors state Rep. Elizabeth Velasco, a Glenwood Springs Democrat, and state Rep. Matthew Martinez, a Monte Vista Democrat, said Colorado Mountain College leaders talked to them about the idea after $350 million in federal discretionary grant funding cuts to Minority-Serving Institutions, also known as MSIs. These colleges were allowed to apply for grants because they enrolled a certain percentage of students of color, including Hispanic and Native American students.

The bill would create a Thriving Institution designation that its sponsors say would help schools attract students from diverse backgrounds, including students of color and those from low-income backgrounds. It would require schools to do more than just enroll a high percentage from these backgrounds.

An advisory committee of state, college, and business leaders would establish designation criteria, such as metrics on students’ ability to complete a degree.

The department would annually post which schools in the state earned the designation, according to the bill. Lawmakers would also receive a yearly report on the standards for the thriving institutions, as well as lessons learned by the schools to support students.

Sen. Dylan Roberts, a Frisco Democrat, also is a sponsor. The bill passed on Thursday after its first hearing in the House Education Committee with an 8-4 vote.

If passed, a legislative analysis says the designation would cost the state more than $180,000 a year. However, sponsors amended the bill to change the data the advisory committee would use to bring down the costs. Due to budget challenges, the sponsors want gifts, grants, or donations to fund the work. And there wouldn’t be any monetary assistance for students.

“We don’t have any funding to add to that, but we know that higher ed institutions can utilize that in their marketing and as something to achieve for their schools,” Velasco said.

Colorado Mountain College’s Yesenia Silva Estrada said the college backs the bill because this designation would not just show who the school enrolls, but how well it serves them. The college has worked with higher education institutions across the state on the bill, said Estrada, CMC’s vice president of planning and chief of staff.

“We believe that this is a bill that can really help the state redefine what it means to serve students well,” she said.

Colorado lawmakers have supported a similar effort in recent years to create a First-Generation Serving designation to help students who are the first to go to college in their family see the efforts in place at schools.

Before the federal cuts, the Trump administration expressed criticism of the MSI designations because it contended they’re “discriminatory and create racial quotas.”

Statewide, federal cuts most affected two-year colleges and schools that enroll more students from rural communities. The Trump administration redirected the money to Historically Black Colleges and Universities and tribal colleges, which the federal government defines based on the history of the institution or who controls them.

The new designation would tell families and students that Colorado and higher education institutions still care about their success after federal cuts, Martinez said.

“We still want to honor these institutions that are doing the good work and supporting minority students and really putting in the work to prioritize them,” he said.

Beyond High School: Colorado’s higher ed enrollment trends

2026-01-30T15:36:38+00:00

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In November, I reported that the Colorado Community College System continued to increase the number of students enrolled at its schools. College officials were especially pleased that more older adult students enrolled this fall.

But how do the enrollment trends in Colorado compare with the rest of the nation — not just at two-year institutions, but also at four-year universities? Data released this month by the National Student Clearinghouse provide some context.

Enrollment at Colorado’s community colleges grew by 2,500 students, or 3.9%. That’s a higher rate than the national average of 3%.

Meanwhile, enrollment at the state’s four-year public universities dropped by about 1,000 students, just a half-percent decline. Enrollment also dipped at Colorado’s four-year private universities by 8.7%, or about 2,500 students.

Nationwide, enrollment at four-year public universities rose, while enrollment at four-year private universities fell. Colorado is following the second trend but diverging from the first.

While the drop at Colorado’s four-year public institutions is statistically small, it’s worth noting that sustaining enrollment will only get more difficult for them. Due to declining birth rates, fewer high school students will graduate in the coming years, and that’s expected to create more competition among colleges to attract students.

The Clearinghouse data also shows universities are enrolling fewer international students this year after the Trump administration’s broader campaign to curtail immigration and student visas.

Higher ed stories from Chalkbeat

Gov. Jared Polis reflects on his education legacy in his final State of the State address — Polis heads into his last year in office having implemented full-day kindergarten, created a universal preschool program, restored school funding to state constitutionally mandated levels, and focused on workforce training.

2026 Colorado General Assembly: The people’s guide to following education issues — Want to follow along with K-12 and higher education issues in the legislature? Here’s what you need to know.

As another budget shortfall looms, Colorado lawmakers aim to preserve K-12 education funding — During Chalkbeat Colorado’s Legislative Preview event, lawmakers on the Senate and House education committees fielded questions on K-12 and higher education issues.

7 Colorado education issues we’re watching in 2026 — Will the so-called student enrollment cliff affect Colorado higher education institutions this year?

What we’re reading

Colorado Department of Higher Education’s new leader starts during a time of transition The Denver Post (Paywall)

Colorado State University Chancellor Tony Frank announces retirement Fort Collins Coloradoan (Paywall)

Trump’s admissions data collection strains college administrators The Hechinger Report

Investigations and a billion-dollar ‘shakedown’: How Trump targeted higher education The New York Times (Paywall)

How Trump’s second term has changed higher education WBUR

Colorado ballot measure would use Pinnacol Assurance proceeds for workforce training

2026-01-23T00:15:00+00:00

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A coalition of education-minded business leaders is proposing a Colorado ballot measure that calls for fully privatizing a state-run insurance provider and using the proceeds to help residents access workforce training.

Pinnacol Assurance, which provides workers compensation insurance, operates like a private mutual insurance company but, as a state political subdivision, gets certain state and federal tax exemptions. Its future has been a matter of political debate for years, especially because the company’s leaders have wanted to sell insurance out of state, but can’t because of its state ties.

The proposed ballot measure puts pressure on state lawmakers to figure out how to separate Pinnacol from the state government or risk letting voters decide its fate.

Colorado is facing an $850 million budget hole for the next fiscal year. Gov. Jared Polis’ 2026-27 budget proposal called for Pinnacol to pay the state $400 million for the right to convert to a private company. Polis proposed using that money to pay for priorities such as K-12 education and health care. The company’s leaders called Polis’ proposal a step forward but expressed reservations about how much money should go back to the state.

The proposed ballot measure was filed last week by Colorado Succeeds, which aims to draw on business leaders to help solve education problems in the state. The initiative needs about 124,000 signatures to make the November ballot.

The measure would provide an alternative to Polis’ plan while also boosting a variety of workforce training programs. These include apprenticeships, as well as programs that were propped up by one-time federal pandemic relief funds that offered free training opportunities in fields like teaching, healthcare, and skilled trades.

Polis spokesperson Shelby Wieman said on Wednesday that Polis still backs his budget proposal and thinks state lawmakers should figure out how to proceed with Pinnacol, rather than leaving it up to voters.

“The ballot proposal would convert Pinnacol but lacks robust feedback from workers and employers alike and significantly undervalues Pinnacol as a state asset,” Wieman said.

The ballot measure would generate less than Polis’ proposed $400 million. It would use $150 million from a Pinnacol trust established in 2002 when the company partially separated from the state to create a so-called Skilled Workers and Trades Fund. The measure would generate an additional $10 million per year for the fund from ending Pinnacol’s state tax subsidies.

Scott Laband, president of Colorado Succeeds, said he expects the fund to provide scholarships of up to $3,000 per year for eligible Coloradans and support workforce training for about 5,000 Coloradans a year.

The measure would allow Pinnacol to become fully private by 2027.

“Pinnacol was created to serve Colorado’s workforce,” Laband said. “So this is a direct connection to continuing that mission by investing in the workforce skills that are needed to be successful in Colorado’s labor market and economy.”

Laband said he views the ballot measure as a win for Pinnacol, lawmakers, and students. The state has pieced together funding for some workforce training programs through one-time funding and grants, he said, while this measure represents an opportunity to invest in training that will benefit the industries Pinnacol has supported for years. The organization’s measure would provide sustained funding and evolve with the workforce needs of Colorado, he said.

Polis’ Pinnacol proposal, by contrast, is a short-term solution that would provide one-time funding to cover a state budget deficit, Laband said.

“It makes more sense to make this a legacy asset so residents can get good paying jobs and become contributors to the state economy,” Laband said.

A Pinnacol Assurance spokesperson said in a statement that the company’s board hasn’t yet taken a position on the ballot measure or the governor’s budget proposal. The company’s priorities are to “represent the best interests of our members and workers, paying an appropriate price for a full separation, and maintaining the capital to support workers across the state,” the statement reads.

The statement added company leaders are encouraged by the ballot measure’s focus on long-term workforce development and skills training.

“Through Pinnacol’s own leadership in this space, we have seen firsthand how training and vocational support can transform the lives of Colorado workers,” the statement says. “Expanding this commitment through additional investment in skills training also supports the needs of our economy, helps prevent future workplace injuries, and ultimately lowers costs for employers.”

Democratic House and Senate leaders didn’t commit to the measure as they mull how to approach the Pinnacol situation and the state’s budget hole.

Colorado House Speaker Julie McCluskie said in a statement on Thursday that Pinnacol will be a big topic this legislative session that has generated a lot of different ideas for its future.

“I look forward to reviewing the ballot measure in more detail and talking with stakeholders who are engaging in the Pinnacol conversion conversation,” she said.

Senate President James Coleman said in a statement that he’s committed to looking at all options to address this year’s budget shortfall. The proposed ballot measure wouldn’t allow lawmakers to have a say over the funds, he said.

“Any decision would benefit from deliberation and oversight from the (Joint Budget Committee) and legislature as a part of the holistic budget picture,” he said.

As another budget shortfall looms, Colorado lawmakers aim to preserve K-12 education funding

2026-01-09T22:41:46+00:00

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Colorado lawmakers will need to focus heavily on how to further education priorities in another difficult budget year, five members of the state House and Senate education committees said during Chalkbeat Colorado’s annual Legislative Preview event Thursday.

State Sen. Janice Marchman, a Loveland Democrat who is vice chair of the Senate Education Committee, said lawmakers won’t be able to put much money toward new policies during the 2026 legislative session, which starts on Wednesday.

“We have a budget shortfall again,” Marchman said. “A big push this year is going to be keeping our education funding for K-12 as solid as it can be.”

Gov. Jared Polis has proposed a 5.2% increase in the state’s 2026-27 budget, including a $276 million increase for education that would bring total statewide K-12 spending to about $10.3 billion. Although the proposed $47.9 billion budget is higher than last year, rising state costs, especially to maintain Medicaid spending, have outpaced state revenue.

Lawmakers will need to cut about $800 million to balance the budget. At the same time, lawmakers are working through uncertainty about federal funding after the Trump administration froze money for safety nets and other programs.

Colorado also faced a deficit last year that forced lawmakers to cut more than $1 billion in spending. The state’s education budget increased, but lawmakers reworked the state funding formula to help balance the budget.

Rep. Matthew Martinez, a Monte Vista Democrat who serves on the House Education Committee, said preserving K-12 education funding is near the top of his list this year.

He said maintaining the education budget “is paramount, especially in this tight budget year. We want to be able to make sure that we are delivering for our students, our faculty, and our school districts.”

Along with Marchman and Martinez, three other state lawmakers joined Chalkbeat Colorado for the event. They were:

Sen. Scott Bright, a Platteville Republican
Rep. Meghan Lukens, a Steamboat Springs Democrat
Rep. Lori Garcia Sander, an Eaton Republican

The event was moderated by Chalkbeat reporter Jason Gonzales and Efren Garcia, a first-generation doctoral student at the Colorado School of Public Health who is studying environmental-occupational health. He is active with Young Invincibles, an organization that amplifies the voices of young adults, and works as a policy analyst at the Bell Policy Center.

Here are several excerpts from the discussion, which have been edited for length and clarity.

A Board of Cooperative Education Services, or BOCES, authorized what its leaders have called Colorado’s “first public Christian school,” surprising state education officials and members of the public. Are you concerned about this development, and if so, what do you think should be done about it?

Bright: It’s interesting when folks … are trying to test that line and see where Colorado really sits with regard to its separation of church and state. I’m anxious to see how it goes. Quite honestly, I am not partial one way or the other, but I’m anxious to see what happens and what Colorado thinks.

Lukens: I was a social studies teacher. I have taught AP Government. I know that our country was founded on the separation of church and state, and public schools are funded by taxpayers. And when we are a government entity, it is important that we have separation of church and state … So I will certainly be tracking this situation.

Polis has said Colorado will opt into a new federal tax credit scholarship program, which would provide tax credits for donations supporting private school students. Do you support this decision, and do you believe the legislature should have a role in approving or shaping how this program is implemented in Colorado?

Marchman: I’ve understood that the governor is saying, “Hey, if there’s money on the table for Colorado, let’s bring it.” But we have seen time and again, when states try to implement vouchers, they are not successful. They end up not helping any of our students or any of our staff. I don’t support it. One thing I’ve been doing is talking to the gubernatorial candidates to see where they stand on this, because ultimately it will be their decision.

Garcia Sander: I am a supporter of school choice. We have declining birth rates. We are more at risk of regular public schools closing. Parents are also more savvy consumers, and they’re shopping, and they want the best education for their kids. I think a lot of people would love to see more options on where they can direct their tax dollars. There’s lots of different tax credits that we offer, and this is just another way to offer parents choice.

Federal student protections are shifting and the Office for Civil Rights is facing a significant backlog of discrimination complaints. Should lawmakers create more options for families to report issues of discrimination they’re facing in K-12 and higher education settings?

Martinez: There are legislators that are actively working to codify protections into state law, so that families and students have a clear state-level avenue for relief in the absence of reliable federal pathways. Colorado already has a strong foundation. It’s our responsibility as the state, as state lawmakers, to pick up where the federal government has left off. We expect to introduce a bill this year that does exactly that and protects Coloradans.

The Colorado Child Care Assistance Program, or CCCAP, is a subsidy that helps low-income Colorado parents pay for child care. In many Colorado counties, there are waitlists or freezes in place, and thousands of families are waiting to receive these subsidies. At the same time, the Trump administration has put a freeze on federal funding that supports this program. How will you address this?

Bright: I own rural childcare centers, and our CCCAP families rely on our services for a safe place for them to place their kids while they’re going to work.

I convened a meeting earlier this week with legislators, the Department of Early Childhood, the governor’s office, and many counties to try to solve this very thing. We came up with 12 different options. Some of them are more or less likely to happen, but we’re definitely going to walk down that path and try to get some of these freezes unthawed.

I can tell you that I have looked at this firsthand, and I believe the State of Colorado, the Department of Early Childhood, has done an over the top great job of making sure that there isn’t fraud in our system. I can tell you, from the provider perspective, we have to go through so many checks to make sure that our folks are legitimate, that they’re real, and that they have all the documentation that they need.

So it’s just a matter of laying that out and showing that we are completely compliant.

Colorado has seen more school violence, including a school shooting at Evergreen High School, where the SRO was called off campus before the shooting. What would further legislative action or solutions look like, if any?

Garcia Sander: We’ve got a lot of rural schools that are sitting ducks, and we need to make sure that the staff there have the tools that they need and the training that they need to keep their students safe. Not everybody’s in a metro area where there might be a law enforcement officer down the city street. I think we need to look at lots of different answers that work best for communities.

Join Chalkbeat Colorado for our annual education-focused legislative preview

2026-01-06T23:45:48+00:00

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How will another year of Colorado budget shortfalls affect education spending? What actions will lawmakers take in response to Trump administration policies? And how will state lawmakers react to the creation of a public religious school?

We will focus on these issues and more during our annual discussion of key education topics likely to surface during the upcoming Colorado legislative session.

You can join Chalkbeat Colorado’s 2026 Legislative Preview virtually on Zoom from noon to 1:30 p.m. MT on Thursday. To register, visit our Eventbrite page. This is a ticketed event with a suggested donation of $25.

Last year’s conversation with lawmakers focused on the state’s budget challenges and the impact of the Trump administration on Colorado schools, as well as how to keep educators in the teaching profession.

This year, we also expect to ask lawmakers about early education, workforce development, and school safety issues. We will be joined by:

Sen. Janice Marchman, a Loveland Democrat
Sen. Scott Bright, a Platteville Republican
Rep. Meghan Lukens, a Steamboat Springs Democrat
Rep. Matthew Martinez, a Monte Vista Democrat
Rep. Lori Garcia Sander, an Eaton Republican

The event is sponsored by the Colorado Education Association and co-moderated by Young Invincibles.

While this is a ticketed event, we don’t want price to be a barrier. You can give just $1. Or if you are able, you can donate more than the suggested amount to support our work. Chalkbeat Colorado is a nonprofit organization, and we rely on public support to provide essential and independent education coverage.

7 Colorado education issues we’re watching in 2026

2025-12-22T22:16:11+00:00

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How will Colorado lawmakers prioritize education during another tough budget year? What’s the fate of the state’s first “public Christian school?” And what will new cellphone policies look like in districts statewide?

These are just a few of the Colorado education issues that we’ll be watching in the new year. Find out below about these issues and others worth watching in 2026.

Colorado’s budget woes

Colorado lawmakers face another budget shortfall in the 2026-27 fiscal year, possibly upwards of $850 million. This comes a year after lawmakers wrangled a $1 billion spending deficit in the 2025-26 budget.

The good news: Unlike last year, Gov. Jared Polis has proposed fulfilling K-12 funding promises by fully funding schools and sticking with a plan to phase-in a new funding formula. The bad news: There might be little else available for other K-12 and higher education expenses.

With the budget at the forefront, we’ll also be watching how Polis’ budget sets up arguments on how to balance Medicaid expenses with future education funding.

More Colorado student population declines

Birth rates have been on the decline since 2008, and student enrollment fell slightly in Colorado schools in the last year.

This is an issue school districts are already trying to address, with some closing or merging schools in response.

But birth rates won’t be the only driving factor in statewide enrollment changes. Federal immigration crackdowns will also likely play a role.

Recently, Denver Public Schools announced a 1,200 student population decline this year after a pronounced drop in the number of immigrant students enrolling in the district.

We’ll also be watching how colleges and universities respond to student population declines.

Higher education institutions here and nationwide are bracing for an “enrollment cliff,” or fewer high school-age students graduating due to those declining birth rates. These enrollment declines are expected to begin next year.

Deciding the fate of Colorado’s first “public Christian school”

In 2026, Colorado education officials could start the lengthy process of determining whether a Pueblo County school billed by its authorizer as the state’s first “public Christian school” is eligible for public funding.

The Colorado Department of Education warned in October that it could withhold funding from the school, Riverstone Academy, because Colorado’s Constitution bans religious public schools. But the audit process that would lead to a final decision won’t start until January and likely wouldn’t conclude till early 2027, state officials said this month.

Riverstone, which launched quietly in August with about 30 students, was authorized by a public education cooperative called Education reEnvisioned BOCES and was initially funded by a private loan. This winter, the school could receive some state funding while the audit process unfolds. If the state eventually rules that the school doesn’t qualify for public dollars, the money would have to be returned, state officials said.

Riverstone, which describes itself as offering a Christian foundation and using a Christian curriculum, was created to spur a lawsuit over the question of whether public money can fund religious schools, emails obtained by Chalkbeat suggest. The U.S. Supreme Court deadlocked on the issue in April.

Supreme Court could weigh in on preschool lawsuit

The U.S. Supreme Court will likely decide in early 2026 whether to hear a Colorado case that pits religious liberty against LGBTQ rights.

The Denver-area Catholic preschools at the center of the case have argued that if they join Colorado’s state-funded preschool program, they should be allowed to keep out LGBTQ children or children with LGBTQ parents. The state rejected this argument and so have two lower courts.

If the Supreme Court agrees to hear the case, it could answer a key question that’s also percolating through lower courts in other parts of the country: Can religious schools that accept public money get exemptions from non-discrimination rules?

If the high court declines to hear the case, it would signal that states can require schools to comply with discrimination protections for LGBTQ people if they want to join state-funded education programs.

A new higher education and workforce department

In December, Polis announced a plan to shut down the Colorado Department of Higher Education in its current form and create a brand new department.

This proposed Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development would create one unified agency that houses programs such as higher education, adult education, apprenticeships, and the state workforce development program.

Ahead of the announcement, the Department of Higher Education’s executive director said she would be leaving to take another job for personal reasons. Polis has since appointed JB Holston as executive director to help lead the department’s transition.

The new department is far from a done deal. Lawmakers will need to file legislation next year to merge these state functions. And Polis has said the final say will rest with a new governor in 2027 after Polis finishes his second term in 2026.

Elizabeth book removal lawsuit could be decided

A jury could decide in 2026 whether the school board in a small conservative-leaning Colorado community wrongly removed 19 titles from school libraries in 2024 because of content board members deemed inappropriate, overly graphic, and in some cases “disgusting.”

The American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado sued the 2,700-student Elizabeth School District over the book removals in Dec. 2024 on behalf of two district students, a chapter of the NAACP, and an authors group. The lawsuit argues that the book removals violate federal and state free speech protections. No trial date has been set yet.

The books at issue in the case are primarily by or about LGBTQ people, people of color, or both. They include “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison, “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hossein, "The Hate U Give,” by Angie Thomas, and “It’s Your World — If You Don’t Like It, Change It” by Mikki Halpin.

The ACLU lawsuit is one of two related to the 19 library books. In November, a former middle school dean sued the district, alleging she was fired shortly after objecting to the removal of the books.

New cellphone policies

Colorado lawmakers passed House Bill 1135 during the 2025 legislative session to curb cellphone use in schools.

The law requires districts to adopt policies to limit smartphone and smartwatch use in classrooms. The law also requires school boards to spell out exceptions, such as for health emergencies or to report a safety concern.

Lawmakers passed the bill to help address what experts have called a mental health crisis and to promote better learning in the classroom.

While lawmakers passed the bill this past spring, the bill won’t take effect until July 1, 2026. At that time, every school district in the state will need to adopt a policy.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

Beyond High School: The end of SAVE

2025-12-19T17:41:28+00:00

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Last week, the U.S. Department of Education reached a proposed settlement in a lawsuit brought by Republican state attorneys general to end the Saving on a Valuable Education student loan repayment plan.

The plan, better known as SAVE, offered a flexible, income-driven repayment plan and quicker loan forgiveness. Some of the about 7.6 million borrowers enrolled paid as little as $0 a month.

Republican state attorneys general argued that the plan would saddle taxpayers with borrowers’ obligations. The federal government backs student loans with the expectation that it will recoup a portion of the money plus interest from borrowers. The Trump administration has also repeatedly questioned the SAVE plan’s legality.

As part of the settlement, the Trump administration said it will stop enrolling new borrowers in the plan, deny any pending applications, and move all SAVE borrowers into different repayment plans.

For those borrowers, this means the Education Department will begin sending notifications in the coming weeks. Officials also said borrowers will have a limited time to choose a new repayment plan.

Those options include fixed repayment plans that calculate how much a borrower owes, their interest rate, and repayment timeline, as well as income-based repayment plans that calculate how much borrowers earn and can afford to pay each month.

The settlement is just one of several steps the Trump administration and Congress have taken to reshape federal student loan programs. Before the settlement, lawmakers planned to phase out the SAVE plan.

Other changes include the creation of the new Repayment Assistance Plan, or RAP, which would extend the timeline to get student loan forgiveness up to 30 years. National advocacy groups have panned the plan as potentially more expensive for some borrowers.

If you have a question, comment, or tip, reach me at jgonzales@chalkbeat.org.

Higher ed stories from Chalkbeat

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis wants merger of higher education and labor departments — Polis backed a merger of certain functions from seven different state agencies to form a new Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development.

Colorado faculty councils call on university leaders to oppose Trump on higher education — Colorado university and college faculty bodies have joined others nationwide to push Colorado university leaders to defend against the Trump administration.

Colorado higher ed department chief to leave post in January — Colorado Department of Higher Education Executive Director Angie Paccione said she will leave for the private sector due to personal reasons.

Gov. Polis selects new leader of Colorado’s higher education department — JB Holston will shadow Paccione for a month before taking over in January.

Recent high school graduates and older students are enrolling at Colorado’s community colleges at higher rates — This year, the Colorado Community College System reported an enrollment of more than 94,000 students.

Donations help Colorado rural colleges expand student access to work-based learning — Donations are fueling a new initiative that will seek to expand learning opportunities in rural communities that connect to the workforce.

What we’re reading

Despite funding woes, Colorado’s first Latina chancellor sees bright future for community colleges Colorado Sun

‘The raw voices of the people’: CNCC launches community-driven strategic planning effort to align college’s future with Moffat County needs Craig Press

Here’s how much more income a college degree gets you in Colorado Fort Collins Coloradoan

Sole finalist for new president named for Colorado State University Pueblo Colorado Public Radio

“Buckle up”: Trump official pledges to fix accreditation Inside Higher Ed

Gov. Jared Polis selects new leader of Colorado’s higher education department

2025-12-16T00:30:49+00:00

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Colorado entrepreneur and consultant JB Holston will take over as the state higher education department’s new executive director starting in January, according to a Monday announcement from Gov. Jared Polis’ office.

Holston, who joined the Colorado Department of Higher Education on Monday, will shadow exiting Executive Director Angie Paccione until Jan. 9, when he will assume leadership of a department that’s expected to undergo plenty of change in the next year.

JB Holston will shadow the Colorado Department of Higher Education's current executive director before assuming the role in January.

Last week, Polis said he wants to end Colorado’s higher education department in its current form and create a new agency that would merge the functions of the state’s higher education, labor, and other departments in a bid to strengthen training for jobs.

In an interview Monday, Holston said he was a senior advisor on a report that recommended the creation of the Colorado Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development.

The higher education department supports students and creates statewide policy. It doesn’t have a governing role over the state’s colleges and universities. The department collects data and oversees programs that support the workforce, decrease student debt, and help more Coloradans get a college certificate, credential, or degree.

Paccione announced her resignation at the beginning of December to enter the private sector for personal reasons.

Polis’ second term will end in 2026, and the next governor will choose to keep or hire new department leaders. Holston said he will focus on continuing the work the higher education department performs and its transition, and not on who the new governor will keep in his cabinet.

“We really want to move this along so that it’s extremely easy for the next governor to accept and accelerate,” Holston said. “The next governor will decide whom he or she wants doing what, and we’re trying to get this work done really quite independent of that particular aspect.”

Polis has said lawmakers will need to file legislation to create the new department and the process will finish with the next governor in 2027.

Holston received a bachelor’s degree and an MBA from Stanford University. His resume includes leadership roles at media companies NBCUniversal and Ziff Davis, Inc. Holston was the dean of the University of Denver’s School of Engineering and Computer Science for five years.

He has spent the last several years working as a consultant advising civic organizations, higher education institutions, governments, and industries on strategy and workforce and economic development efforts.

Holston has also helped co-found numerous civic initiatives, including the Colorado Media Project, which is a Chalkbeat funder. See our funders here, and read our ethics policy here.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis wants merger of higher education and labor departments

2025-12-10T21:41:43+00:00

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A plan from Colorado’s governor would end Colorado’s higher education department in its current form and create a new agency that would merge the functions of the state’s higher education, labor, and other departments in a bid to strengthen workforce development.

A report commissioned by Democratic Gov. Jared Polis and released Wednesday recommends that Colorado create a new Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development. The department would take over certain programs and responsibilities from seven different state departments with the goal to boost economic development and education beyond high school.

The merger is similar to what several Republican governors have done in their states. The new department would include the higher education department, the state’s workforce development council, the state apprenticeship agency, and adult education. At the federal level, President Donald Trump has moved some functions of the U.S. Department of Education dealing with career and technical education and K-12 to the U.S. Department of Labor.

The announcement, marked by a press event at the Colorado State University Spur, comes a week after Colorado Department of Higher Education Executive Director Angie Paccione said she was leaving her post after seven years. Paccione, who attended the event, said family matters contributed to her decision to leave the position in January.

Polis, whose term as governor will end next year, said he wants lawmakers to file a bill in the upcoming legislative session to begin a process that he said will likely finish with the state’s next governor in 2027. Lawmakers will need to approve moving programs under the consolidated department’s purview.

“This kind of consolidation drives better efficiency, better results, and is more consumer friendly to learners,” Polis said Wednesday.

Colorado House Speaker Julie McCluskie, a Dillon Democrat, said lawmakers will focus on how to build this new department.

“We want to make sure the folks that are the experts in running these programs and services, and certainly the leaders of these departments, have an opportunity to weigh in and how we move different pieces to a brand new department,” McCluskie said.

Polis signed an executive order in May tasking various state agencies, including the higher education, education, labor, and economic development departments, with producing the report that analyzes the current system of talent development and to find ways to improve Coloradans’ access to employment, education, and training opportunities.

Polis has pushed to improve workforce education years, and state lawmakers have commissioned other reports that say the state can do more to help residents get an education and then into the workforce.

Polis said the proposal crosses political boundaries and would help propel Colorado to the top in terms of economic competitiveness.

“I think that it’s an idea that good governors from either side of the aisle can get behind working with their legislature,” he said. “It’s fundamentally about streamlining. It’s about more efficiency. It’s about driving better results for learners.”

Several other states have taken similar approaches.

For example, South Carolina passed a state law in 2023 to develop a statewide plan to get industry and education partners working under one set of standards to improve the educational and workforce connections in the state.

And Virginia created an Office of Education Economics in 2021 that seeks to use data to help improve educational programming, policy, and workforce partnerships.

However, the Colorado report’s recommendations are very similar to what’s been done in Missouri, which began to merge its higher education and workforce development offices in 2018 into a Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development.

The Missouri department’s Commissioner Bennett Boggs said the change helped employers and colleges and universities work together in a more comprehensive way. But it also came with challenges, he said. State leaders have needed to think through how to adjust traditional structures, like semester schedules, to be more flexible to employers’ demands, he said.

“It’s a healthier conversation in terms of economic development, workforce development, and helping Missourians,” said Boggs, who previously worked as the higher education department’s deputy executive director in Colorado. “Our mission is putting Missourians on a pathway to learn, work, and prosper.”

The report Polis released Wednesday says too few Coloradans are getting the education they need to get higher-paying jobs.

Currently, only half of all Colorado high school graduates make it to college, the report says. Even fewer graduate college or get the training they need for higher skilled jobs. Older adults also have needed more help navigating training or retraining options.

The report says automation and artificial intelligence has driven the need for employees to gain new skills, and the state’s workforce has started to age. These realities mean Colorado will need even more trained workers to fill key jobs. Over 73% of jobs require education after high school, and the report says Colorado is highly educated due to in-migration, but “can no longer rely on importing talent from other states.”

The report says Colorado’s education and workforce system lacks coordination, shared data, and clear accountability. State agencies also have varying grants and inconsistent policies and procedures, the report says, which can create inefficiencies and confusion for administrators.

Educational options beyond just a high school diploma are plentiful across the state, the report says. Coloradans can choose between over 300 apprenticeships and 4,500 training programs, as well as over 10,000 degree options.

However, residents have difficulty understanding which programs might fit their goals because of the complexity of the system. Business leaders run into similar issues when trying to navigate the system, the report says.

Polis said the confusing system was created over numerous years as the result of “inertia” as economic development offices, state agencies, universities, and colleges have reacted to workforce trends. The new department would unify programs to also make the system easier for residents to understand, he said.

Correction: Dec. 10, 2025: Colorado’s higher education department will end in its current form, not close.

Beyond High School: The West’s FAFSA dilemma

2025-12-04T18:14:27+00:00

Beyond High School is our free monthly newsletter covering higher education policy and practices in Colorado. Sign up to get it delivered to your inbox early.

If you look at the bottom 10 states in the country with the lowest number of high school seniors completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, nine are in western states. In the West, only California ranks within the top 25 states.

National College Attainment Network’s Bill DeBaun, the organization’s senior director of data and strategic initiatives, said the West’s FAFSA completion dilemma has been ongoing for years and on his mind for just as long. He likes to say “once you see the problem, you can’t unsee it.”

“Politically, geographically, the western states are not monolithic,” DeBaun said. “And yet they are getting kind of monolithic FAFSA completion outcomes, right?”

DeBaun’s organization aims to influence systems, practices, and policies to help increase college access and graduation rates across the country. The nonprofit annually displays FAFSA completion rates and where states rank. This year’s results aren’t available yet.

DeBaun said he doesn’t have answers as to why this has continued to happen. These states, which include Colorado, Wyoming, and Washington, are more than 10 points behind the national average of 61% of high school seniors completing the FAFSA.

Washington has a robust set of policies that aim to help students finish the FAFSA, DeBaun said. So the problem isn’t necessarily the practices that states have in place, he said.

DeBaun does have a few theories, including college-going attitudes and perceptions in rural areas. The sheer size of Western states might also be an issue, he said. Students in western states don’t have the same proximity to colleges as those on the East Coast, DeBaun said.

“We know that students tend to matriculate to a college within 50 miles of home,” he said. “If you don’t have an institution within 50 miles of home, is it out of sight and out of mind?”

Let us know what you think. What are your theories about what’s going on with FAFSA in western states? Reach me at jgonzales@chalkbeat.org.

Higher ed stories from Chalkbeat

Colorado counselors set to lose valuable FAFSA student data after state budget cuts — State budget cuts are the reason high school counselors won’t have access to a tool that helped them see which students were running into issues filling out the form.

As University of Colorado students plan TEDx event, political violence weighs on their decisions — The TEDxCU student club wanted to invite a speaker who might be seen as controversial. They changed plans after the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

Gov. Jared Polis’ budget proposal keeps K-12 funding promises, allows for college tuition increases — Polis wants to include $14.2 million in the budget for colleges and universities to support salary increases and help keep in-state tuition increases equal to inflation.

What we’re reading

How Colorado’s public colleges are being hobbled by a long-ago tax revolt The Chronicle of Higher Education

Children of Colorado’s farmworker families lose critical college support program Colorado Public Radio

University of Colorado professor works with Northern Arapaho to revitalize and teach the language CBS Colorado

Community colleges face new challenges as Trump battles with higher education PBS News Hour

Community College leaders ask Carnegie to pull its new classification Inside Higher Ed

Colorado higher ed department chief to leave post in January

2025-12-03T00:36:59+00:00

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Colorado higher ed chief Angie Paccione will step down Jan. 9 to return to the private sector as a corporate leadership trainer.

Paccione has led the Colorado Department of Higher Education as its executive director since 2019, when Gov. Jared Polis took office. Colorado’s higher education department provides support to campuses and develops statewide policies.

Paccione departs as the second-longest-serving executive director in the department’s history, according to a Tuesday news release from the governor’s office.

“It’s been an honor and delight to do this work,” said Paccione in an interview after the announcement. “I really hope people have felt seen and heard and supported.”

Paccione said she’s contemplated next steps since her mother died earlier this year. She will leave after the department’s annual presentation to the Joint Budget Committee, a six-member group of lawmakers that helps set the budget.

The Polis administration plans to select a successor before she leaves, the news release said.

“Angie’s hard work and dedication has created a foundation that we will continue building on for learners and workers at all levels,” Polis said.

Paccione said she’s most proud of policies that help students who were in foster care and experiencing homelessness get to college. She tried to meet monthly with higher education leaders and held meetings with private institutions to involve them more in statewide policy, she said.

She helped the state and higher education navigate pandemic disruptions and oversaw the doling out of recovery dollars that helped fuel the creation of programs like Colorado Re-Engaged, which awards certain students who dropped out of a four-year institution an associate degree.

Paccione received her doctorate in education and human resource studies from Colorado State University. She has often discussed her higher education experience as the first in her family to graduate college. She attended undergraduate at Stanford University as one of the first women on a full-ride athletic scholarship.

Recent high school graduates and older students are enrolling at Colorado’s community colleges at higher rates

2025-11-26T16:00:00+00:00

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Colorado’s community college total enrollment ticked up this year by about 6.3% over last fall, continuing a state and national trend of two-year public colleges recording strong enrollment gains since pandemic lows.

This year, the Colorado Community College System reported a total enrollment of 94,303 students, up 5,555 students over last fall. About 24,000 students are enrolled full-time, defined as a student taking at least 12 credit hours.

While the state’s community college rebound has been marked by more high school students taking college-level courses, this fall’s increases show gains with older students and recent high school grads. Those students have been less likely to enroll in community college since the pandemic.

The bulk of Colorado community college enrollment growth still continues to be concentrated among students under the age of 17 who attend high school and dual enroll in college-level courses. The state’s community colleges added another 3,400 students 17 and under this fall, up to 40,321 students.

Community colleges also added 2,214 more students aged 18 to 49. Students 50 and older dipped slightly, by 31 students. The changes bring the total enrollment of students 18 and older to 53,978.

Among all students, campuses enrolled 1,658 more students who are the first in their family to attend college, or an increase of 4.72% over last year’s 38,833 students. First-time college student enrollment also grew by 701 students, up to 11,924.

Of the state’s 13 community colleges, only Colorado Northwestern Community College and Trinidad State Community College reported enrollment decreases.

Community colleges were some of the hardest hit by enrollment dips following COVID shutdowns, and national numbers show two-year college enrollment hasn’t fully bounced back.

However, Colorado’s two-year colleges have fared much better than some in other states.

Sarah Heath, Colorado Community College System vice chancellor for academic and student affairs, says the state’s two-year public college system is focusing more on connecting students to the workforce, and that has led to an increase in older students.

Shorter-term industry credentials and programs that connect to employability have taken off in recent years.

“What I’ve seen is that the more aligned industry and workforce-driven things are what’s growing in a lot of community college spaces here,” Heath said.

Colleges have worked to create workforce opportunities while students are enrolled, including apprenticeship and internship programs. Colorado higher education leaders want to increase work-based learning opportunities, especially in rural areas.

More colleges also want employers to help connect programs to jobs, Heath said. And the state increased marketing toward students who want to get a short-term certificate or credential, she said.

Donations help Colorado rural colleges expand student access to work-based learning

2025-11-21T23:23:39+00:00

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Thanks to $5.6 million in donations, Colorado will launch a new initiative to help rural college students get an education that connects to the workforce, according to a Friday news release.

State officials will use the money to create a statewide consortium focused on expanding rural work-based learning opportunities, such as internships, apprenticeships, clinical experiences, or project-based learning. The state will also use the money to help cover credit-bearing work experiences and address disparities in internship access. Additionally, the state plans to measure the impact of this type of education.

Lawmakers approved the three-year pilot program within House Bill 1186 during this year’s legislative session to help rural colleges, but did not provide state funding. Instead, lawmakers asked state officials to collect at least $2 million in grants, gifts, or donations. The move helped make the bill more palatable in a year when lawmakers needed to wrangle a $1.2 billion budget shortfall.

“This significant investment represents a major step forward in ensuring that every Colorado student has access to quality educational opportunities,” said Gov. Jared Polis in a Friday news release. “This legislation recognizes that our rural communities and the institutions that serve them are vital to Colorado’s future, and this funding helps us turn that vision into reality.”

Colorado Department of Higher Education Executive Director Angie Paccione said during legislative testimony in March that the bill would ensure more rural students can apply their college education to the real-world workforce. About 76% of degree programs in the state require some form of work-based learning opportunity, she said.

Yet there’s a larger gap in the work-based learning opportunities rural colleges can offer, said bill sponsor state Rep. Matthew Martinez, a Democrat who represents rural Monte Vista and previously worked in higher education.

“I want to narrow the gap between a student getting to graduation and getting in the job field,” he said in March.

Democratic state Rep. Meghan Lukens, Republican state Sen. Janice Rich, and Democratic Sen. Dafna Michaelson Jenet also sponsored the bill.

The state received $5.5 million over three years from Ascendium Education Group, a nonprofit whose mission includes helping students from low-income backgrounds connect to education and career training. Nonprofit Strada Education Foundation, which focuses on making it easier for students to get from college to a career, also donated $100,000.

The grants will be managed by the higher education department’s Office of Educational Equity, Workforce, and Social Mobility, according to the news release.

“This funding will support talented students statewide in pursuing their education and career goals side by side — because they shouldn’t have to choose one over the other,” said Gillian McKnight-Tutein, the higher education department’s chief educational impact officer, in the release.

Colorado faculty councils call on university leaders to oppose Trump on higher education

2025-11-21T02:19:37+00:00

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A growing number of Colorado university faculty bodies have adopted resolutions asking school leaders to consider pooling resources to oppose the Trump administration’s unprecedented push to reshape colleges nationwide.

On Thursday, the University of Colorado System Faculty Council became the latest in Colorado to pass such a resolution, known as a “mutual academic defense compact.” Sixty-one percent of faculty voted in favor.

The defense compacts, which are also being considered by other faculty assemblies nationally and have been modified slightly by each school, urge Colorado university leaders to work together to defend against what they say are Trump administration attacks on academic freedom, free speech, independent governance, and research in higher education. Any compact would likely need to be approved by university leaders and boards.

American Association of University Professors Colorado Conference co-president Aaron Schneider said although the resolutions are mostly symbolic, they bring together faculty voices to hopefully “provide some backbone to our administrations.”

“It’s a call for solidarity,” he said. “It’s based on the idea that universities understand each other, that we share a mission of knowledge, of teaching, of creating an autonomous civic space for debate and democracy, and that that needs to be preserved.”

In response to the Trump administration’s actions, some Colorado university leaders have changed website wording, revised free speech policies, and dismantled campus initiatives, such as diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.

Universities have lost research grants under administration changes. The Trump administration also asked universities to sign a “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education” that would commit schools to align with its agenda. Trump’s compact outlines provisions schools must agree to, including changes to campus free speech policies, transgender student and athlete policies, and admissions requirements.

University of Colorado System President Todd Saliman said in a Thursday statement after the faculty passed the resolution that university leadership at every level are committed to academic freedom as a foundational tenets.

A university spokesperson said CU is already part of a collective of 23 public institutions in Colorado who are represented by the Colorado Attorney General Office. CU provides funding as part of the collaboration.

“To protect academic freedom and our ability to carry out our mission, we have been laser focused on engaging in ways that are the most effective in advancing our mission,” Saliman said. “That emphasis will continue.”

The defense compact resolutions originated in March at New Jersey’s Rutgers University, where faculty encouraged Big Ten Conference school leaders to present a united front against the Trump administration.

Along with the CU System, faculty bodies approving such a resolution or something similar include Fort Lewis College; Colorado State University Fort Collins; the University of Denver; Western Colorado University; and the University of Colorado Boulder, Schneider said.

Faculty at Front Range Community College, the University of Northern Colorado, and the University of Colorado Colorado Springs also could consider a resolution, he said.

Colorado State University professor and faculty council member Mary Van Buren, whose council was one of the first to pass the resolution in May, said she understands school leaders are trying to preserve the institution amid threats against federal financial support.

“But where do you draw the line if you’re constantly being encroached on?” Van Buren said. “If you’re constantly making small capitulations to the administration, at what point are you just hollowing out the very core of university values?”

A Western Colorado spokesperson said the school “will not waver in upholding our commitment to academic freedom, integrity of research, and freedom of inquiry, with or without a declared compact.” A University of Denver spokesperson said “the administration is reviewing the resolution and determining the appropriate next steps.” Fort Lewis and CSU Fort Collins representatives had not issued a statement by deadline Thursday.

Faculty want universities to ‘fight against’ Trump policies

University of Colorado Boulder education school professor Deb Palmer, a Boulder Faculty Assembly member and Boulder AAUP co-president, said it’s important that university presidents know how faculty members feel about changes they’ve seen on campus in reaction to the Trump administration’s guidelines. Some are small, like a change to CU Boulder signage from all-gender restrooms to just toilets, she said.

“The main message here is that faculty would like to see the universities fight against the White House’s push to destroy our institutions, rather than just negotiate with the attackers,” she said.

Other changes have been much bigger, such as at the University of Denver. University officials ended policies aimed at helping students of color, as well as LGBTQ and low-income students, after a U.S. Department of Justice memo in July. University leaders feared that the private school could lose federal funding.

“I hope it [the resolution] communicates our deep concern for and resistance to federal interference with the autonomy of higher education institutions, and our continued investment in effective support for all students, staff, and faculty, particularly those who are most impacted by the current federal and sociopolitical landscape” said psychology professor Sarah Enos Watamura, DU’s Faculty Senate president.

These resolutions ask school leaders to go further than past statements and actions. Faculty have also said they want school leaders to not rely solely on the state Attorney General Phil Weiser to defend Colorado higher education.

In April, several Colorado school leaders signed on to an American Association of Colleges & Universities letter calling for constructive engagement with the administration. The AAC&U is a membership organization dedicated to advancing the democratic purposes of higher education.

The letter — which gained almost 500 school leaders’ signatures — said administrators are open to constructive reform from the administration, but “must oppose undue government intrusion in the lives of those who learn, live, and work on our campuses.”

School leaders that signed the letter include officials at DU, MSU Denver, CSU Fort Collins, and Colorado College.

A similar group of Colorado school leaders also signed onto an AAC&U letter against the Trump compact. The letter said the Trump administration’s compact represents coercion, not constructive engagement.

Van Buren said she’s seen school leadership be more receptive to the concerns of students and faculty since the faculty passed the defense compact in May. However, students and faculty have still needed to resist changes enacted by leaders in response to Trump, she said.

In August, CSU leaders revised free speech policies on campus and limited chalking, or writing messages in chalk on sidewalks. After student and faculty pushback, the administration rescinded the policy revisions, she said.

“I think that faculty councils, AAUP chapters, and student organizations across the state are going to continue to act in concert to communicate and oppose these changes,” Van Buren said. “But it’s up to the [university] administrations to really make this effective.”

Colorado counselors set to lose valuable FAFSA student data after state budget cuts

2025-11-18T19:46:57+00:00

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At a time when Colorado lawmakers want to boost the number of students filling out college financial aid forms, high school counselors are set to lose access to a state data tool that experts say is key to accomplishing that goal.

The tool shows counselors each student’s progress toward completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Counselors use it to figure out if students are running into issues during the process so they can then get those students help.

The Colorado Department of Higher Education hired a temporary, full-time coordinator to manage the tool in 2023 as part of a push to increase FAFSA outreach. But state lawmakers cut the $61,000 position this past spring due to a budget shortfall. State budget writers thought it wouldn’t be needed because there’s already federal and state support for students to fill out the revamped FAFSA.

Although the so-called Better FAFSA has improved the process after a rocky rollout, national experts say state-run data tools such as this one remain one of the more effective ways to raise FAFSA completion rates — short of mandating that high school students complete the FAFSA to graduate, a policy Colorado has not adopted.

The loss of the coordinator means the state will stop providing student-level data starting in 2026.

Gabriel Guindon, Denver Scholarship Foundation’s director of college access, said his team was shocked when they heard about the cut in September. Guindon said it will be more difficult for his organization, which focuses on supporting Denver students going to college, to pinpoint students who haven’t completed a financial aid form.

“It is the one reliable, accurate source that summarizes where all students in a school building stand in terms of financial aid completion,” he said. “It will remove any ability for us to have an accurate list.”

The FAFSA opens up the possibility of federal money and other grants and scholarships to pay for college. State lawmakers have wanted to increase FAFSA support because students who complete it are more likely to immediately enroll in college. Many of Colorado’s highest paying jobs with opportunity for growth require schooling beyond high school.

Colorado has also ranked near the bottom in FAFSA completion for years. This last year, Colorado ranked 44th in the nation in getting 2025 high school seniors to complete the FAFSA. About 49% of its seniors finished the form. Data for the 2026 school year hasn’t been released yet.

In 2022, a state working group released a report commissioned by lawmakers that outlined ideas to help move Colorado into the top 10% of FAFSA completion by 2026 or get 80% of seniors filling out the form.

The report included recommendations to increase staff to help students, improve data resources, and create a statewide FAFSA requirement. Lawmakers have provided some money for the work, and the state has added multiple positions to its outreach team.

Lawmakers also haven’t fully funded recommendations in part due to budget concerns and to give the federal government time to fix problems with the new FAFSA application, which launched in late 2023. Lawmakers have also expressed concerns that a graduation requirement would place more work on schools.

Without the data tool, Guindon said his staff at the Denver Scholarship Foundation will have to reach out directly to every student to understand their progress.

“This is probably going to quadruple the amount of time, and probably even more, that (my) team members will have to focus on reaching out to students about their financial aid progress,” said Guindon.

The Colorado Department of Higher Education asked lawmakers in its budget request to continue funding the position. Joint Budget Committee staff recommended in March its elimination because “significant federal and local systems and structures provide robust support for FAFSA application completion to both individuals, families, and schools.”

Budget lawmakers did provide permanent funding at the request of the department for a Colorado Application for State Financial Aid coordinator, which the department created at about the same time as the coordinator who managed FAFSA data.

CASFA helps determine financial need for students who can’t fill out the FAFSA, such as students without legal documentation. Budget writers included $88,000 a year for the CASFA coordinator because they determined there’s less support for these students.

Without the FAFSA coordinator, the department will only be able to show district-level FAFSA completion data through the tool.

“I don’t know if we made a strong enough case, because I was surprised that they [the Joint Budget Committee] would cut it,” Colorado Higher Education Department Executive Director Angie Paccione said. “I’ll take that. I’ll own it.”

Bill DeBaun, senior director of data and strategic initiatives with the National College Attainment Network, said he’s never heard of a state removing access to a data tool due to how important the information can be to educators.

“There’s nothing I’m aware of inherent in the new FAFSA that would obviate the need for the kinds of state to local data sharing that have been successful across the country,” he said.

In 2019, Colorado had 15 FAFSA coordinators funded by a grant who worked in regions across the state, Paccione said. Since the grant expired, the team has gotten smaller, she said.

After the most recent cut, Colorado has eight staff members who work on FAFSA outreach but that’s only a very small portion of their job, a spokesperson said. The team has fewer staff members than in smaller states like Kentucky, North Carolina, and Georgia, DeBaun said.

The data coordinator potentially had the most widespread impact, DeBaun said.

“If you told me that I could have a coordinator who was either doing statewide programming or who could focus on the data sharing,” he said, “I would want to keep that data sharing piece because that is something that potentially touches every single school and school counselor in a state.”

As University of Colorado students plan TEDx event, political violence weighs on their decisions

2025-11-13T15:00:00+00:00

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Soon after the September assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Utah, student leaders at the University of Colorado Boulder knew they needed to make a decision.

The student-run TEDxCU club had invited liberal political commentator Dean Withers to speak about young people, the news, and social media at its April 4, 2026 event. The 21-year-old Withers, who grew up in Grand Junction and has 4.7 million followers on TikTok, is similar to Kirk in that he hosts live debates with everyday people on the opposite end of the political spectrum. In Withers’ case, he tries to change the minds of Trump supporters, sometimes using divisive rhetoric.

The TEDx club leaders feared that after Kirk’s assassination, Withers might put their event at risk of violence. They discussed in an iMessage group chat their shock about Kirk and agreed to reevaluate inviting Withers to campus. They decided to no longer pursue the liberal commentator, who calls Trump “the orange tyrant,” and instead extend invites to other speakers.

“We just couldn’t justify it,” said senior Kalen Sieja, 21, a co-curator of the student group. “It just wasn’t worth the safety risk.”

The TEDxCU club’s decision highlights how students are trying to balance the desire to promote free speech with potential safety concerns. The recent assassination of the conservative political activist, last year’s assassination attempt of President Donald Trump when he was the Republican nominee, and a political climate defined by polarization make that job difficult and delicate.

“I feel as if we don’t have the same freedom as we could in choosing someone or creating conversations that could spark a little controversy,” said junior Lina Meddah, 21, a TEDxCU student lead. “Sparking that controversy isn’t safe anymore with what happened.”

Junior Kira Warren, 20, a co-curator of the TEDx group, said she has second-guessed the Withers decision, even though she’s happy with the new speakers the club might bring in. She said in hindsight, she feels Withers would have been the right person to speak on politics, social media, and the news.

“There are very important things to be discussing right now, and it kind of feels like it’s getting a little bit bland, like we’re scaling back,” she said. “Everything political that’s going on is so overwhelming that it feels like we should be talking about it.”

CU Boulder’s event is one of the largest university TEDx events in the nation, according to its faculty adviser. The spring 2025 event hosted over 1,000 participants.

Student organizers chose the theme “On the Contrary” before Kirk’s assassination. They want people to view opposite opinions as a connection, not as a conflict, according to the TEDxCU website.

Students started a conversation with Withers’ team on Instagram before the formal September email invite. They wanted him to speak about how young people engage with politics and news on social media platforms and not about his politics. They also knew that no matter what Withers talked about, his appearance could be seen as political.

Withers is a progressive who advocates for LGBTQ rights, abortion rights, and health care reform. He was outspoken about his support for Kamala Harris in the 2024 election and had been seen as a rival to Kirk’s conservative takes.

Withers also is known for his aggressive debate style, sometimes belittling participants on his show. On a recent podcast he called one debate participant “ignorant” and a “loser.” He’s also faced controversies such as using slurs as recently as 2022. He has since issued an apology.

The 60-person TEDx student group fiercely debated inviting Withers to the 2026 event, Warren said.

Some of the club’s members worried the invite would give Withers a platform for his debate techniques, she said. Students also worried his TEDx speech could become a political endorsement. TEDx rules prohibit partisan politics and inflammatory rhetoric, although speakers can talk about politics or policies.

They also worried about bringing attention to CU Boulder if the Trump administration decided to target Withers.

“No one wanted to be the reason CU came under extra scrutiny,” Warren said.

Others felt he could shed light on how political news gets shared in the social media age and how younger people can be included in discussions about politics, Warren said.

A Withers representative did not respond to an email from Chalkbeat about whether he would have accepted the invitation.

The students have brought in speakers that could be seen as controversial.

Last year’s TEDxCU event featured a talk from Denver-based drag performer Felony Misdemeanor. Drag shows and LGBTQ rights have become more political in recent years, and the students felt the need to take extra safety precautions.

For the first time, the club paid $3,500 for police officers, security guards, and metal detectors for the event, which cost about $35,000 to put on.

Kirk’s shooting at Utah Valley University, a public four-year school near Provo, reinforced the club’s desire to take precautions. It will pay for security at next year’s event, especially as many students have reported feeling unsafe on campus this year.

Gathered in a small circle on a recent Tuesday in October in a large classroom within CU Boulder’s College of Communication, Media, Design and Information, the organization’s 14 leaders said recent major events have taken a toll on their mental health and sense of physical safety.

CU Boulder students dealt with an August shooting hoax. In September, the campus faced a bomb threat. Those incidents factored into the Withers decision.

Absent Withers, the speaker list has started to take shape, including possibly bringing in a Denver Chinese restaurant owner who has talked about the misconceptions behind cultural food practices, such as the safety of MSG. Other speakers they’ve discussed include a veteran who is an emergency room trauma doctor, and an advocate for those who stutter.

“We have to be careful from this point on to protect TED the brand,” Meddah said. “But we also want the people that we bring to be safe. I would prefer to not have it happen rather than put someone in danger during a time that’s really sensitive.”

Sieja, who is studying political science, said he’s sad about having to make the decision because he believes in open discussion and debate.

“The point of TED is to platform ideas worth spreading,” he said, “and I think that’s the point of college in general is to create space for that discourse to happen.”

Federal SNAP-Ed program cuts mean less nutrition education for Colorado students and families

2025-10-17T22:50:57+00:00

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Southern Colorado’s Center school district used to offer young children fruits and vegetables to try that they might not have previously eaten at home, like kiwi and jicama.

The federally-backed program that helped provide these foods also assisted educators in teaching preschool and elementary students’ families why fruits and vegetables are good for their health. With kiwi, for example, the district would send home recipes for a salad that could be made by parents, said Janet Sanchez, Center Consolidated School District 26JT’s director of preschool.

The program in Center and others like it across the state received support through the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education, or SNAP-Ed, which ended on Sept. 30 as part of federal budget cuts passed by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump.

The federal government provided Colorado more than $6 million annually to use on educational programs like the one offered in the 600-student school district located in the San Luis Valley.

These programs were meant to reinforce healthy behaviors and show families that even on a shoestring budget, healthy eating could be in reach. Improving eating habits, in turn, can help improve health outcomes, experts say.

“We serve poverty-level families. This gave children an opportunity to try new foods and try new physical activities,” said Sanchez, who works in a district where 90% of the students qualify for free or reduced price meals.

Administrators and advocates say that without the funding, schools and communities have lost a program that taught children and families healthy habits, including lessons on nutrition and cooking from scratch.

Sanchez said the Center school district can’t replicate these types of programs on its own, especially because teachers aren’t experts on nutrition.

“With our budget constraints,” Sanchez said, “we just can’t continue the teachings.”

Nationwide, the federal government spent about $536 million annually for the SNAP-Ed program. Congress also cut the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program by $186 billion through 2034 and has put more of the cost burden on states. The cuts come during a time when food insecurity is on the rise.

While the SNAP program ensures families get fed, the education component was created to teach healthier habits. States used SNAP-Ed in different ways to educate families and students.

The Colorado Department of Human Services distributed the $6 million in federal funding for SNAP-Ed programs to the Colorado School of Public Health and Nourish Colorado.

The Colorado School of Public Health, a collective of three universities that partner on health research and education, primarily operated its programs in preschools and elementary schools, including ones in the Center district.

Associate professor Jini Puma said the programs promoted wellness in schools and created lifelong skills and habits to prevent serious diseases like obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and cancer.

The SNAP-Ed cuts forced the Colorado School of Public Health to lay off 25 employees who supported school gardens where students learned to grow and taste their own food, developed classroom lessons for teachers, and advised cafeterias on healthier meal options, she said.

Colorado School of Public Health officials would also put together the recipes that were sent home with students, created newsletters about nutrition, and promoted classroom activities that helped keep kids active.

They even reinforced lessons in Center such as proper handwashing techniques and how to stay healthy during the flu season, Sanchez said.

The school of public health’s programs operated in over 140 preschool and 56 elementary schools and taught about 19,000 children, teachers, and caregivers in 19 counties, Puma said.

“We really could change the trajectory for those children so that we can prevent later chronic diseases,” Puma said.

Sanchez said the program greatly contributed to the health of her community. The program not only provided the food for students to try, but also made it easy on teachers to teach about nutrition.

Many of the parents in Center work long hours, she said. The program offered easy activities and meals to try with kids, she said.

“And the program also showed parents that they need to take care of themselves,” Sanchez said.

Nourish Colorado, a nonprofit focused on advocating for accessible, nutritious foods, also was granted the federal funds from the state and delivered nutrition education services in 56 of the state’s 64 counties to help reach almost 400,000 Coloradans. The community-based nutrition education programs worked primarily with adults.

Nourish’s Executive Director Wendy Peters Moschetti said the cuts are bad for everyone, especially because the program has proven to improve the health of communities.

U.S. Department of Agriculture research shows that every $1 spent on SNAP-Ed saves up to $10.64 in health care costs by teaching students and families about nutrition and health.

Colorado lawmakers have asked voters for more money for school meals and food programs such as SNAP-Ed on the state’s Nov. 4 ballot.

She said there’s likely to be significant discussion about how the state would use new revenue if Proposition MM passes. She plans to advocate for the SNAP-Ed programs

“We will be at that table,” Peters Moschetti said. “And that is our best bet right now to continue to fund public, community-based nutrition education.”

Beyond High School: Higher ed’s image problem

2025-10-16T17:39:23+00:00

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A new Pew Research Center poll released on Wednesday finds that Americans continue to have negative views of higher education.

More than three-quarters of Republicans and about two-thirds of Democrats say colleges and universities are on the wrong track. What’s especially troubling for higher education is that these views have gone up among both parties by at least 10 percentage points since 2020. The gap between Democrats and Republicans with this opinion has also narrowed.

While these concerns aren’t new, they come at a particularly turbulent time for colleges and universities, which have been working to communicate the value of a degree and to rebuild public trust. Institutions are also contending with a Trump administration that seeks to exert greater control over higher education.

“Amid rising costs and ongoing debates about the role of colleges and universities in the U.S., Americans have grown more negative about the state of higher education,” said Kim Parker, Pew’s director of social and demographic trends research, in a news release from the nonpartisan research center. “Seven-in-ten now say it’s headed in the wrong direction, and the public gives colleges and universities low marks in several key areas.”

About half of respondents rated higher education institutions as doing only a fair or poor job preparing students for well-paying jobs, offering sufficient financial aid, and developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Seventy-nine percent of respondents said colleges and universities aren’t keeping tuition affordable.

The poll highlighted one bright spot: About 1 in 4 respondents said institutions are doing an excellent or very good job at advancing research and innovation. This is important given cuts by the Trump administration to research grants and funding.

The poll gives college and university leaders plenty to consider as they respond to Trump and the negative ratings.

Higher ed stories from Chalkbeat

Two Colorado students want to make it easier to get admitted to a state university — Two teenagers have pitched a ballot measure that could alleviate student stress by making the college admissions process easier.

CU Denver and Aurora partnership highlights growing statewide trend to make admissions easier — Only about half of Colorado high school graduates go to college, and many question the cost and whether college is right for them.

Colorado colleges serving students of color will lose millions from Trump cuts — The cuts will affect two-year colleges and schools that enroll more students from rural communities the most.

What we’re reading

Mesa president on the next 100 years, skepticism of higher ed and why he’s glad he’s not at Harvard Colorado Public Radio

Colorado’s oldest college was founded before it became a state. Do you know what it is? Fort Collins Coloradoan

CU Boulder makes top 100 “Best Colleges” Axios Boulder

Already battered by cuts, researchers and colleges face federal shutdown impacts Inside Higher Ed

CU Denver and Aurora partnership highlights growing statewide trend to make admissions easier

2025-10-10T23:31:59+00:00

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Surrounded by a half-circle of 20 students from Aurora Central High School, Becky Palacios Romero fielded questions on Thursday afternoon about her time at the University of Colorado Denver.

The sophomore, an international business major, focused on her experience rather than convincing the students at her former high school that they should apply during the week’s final statewide free application day. That’s because every Aurora Public Schools student is now guaranteed acceptance and application fees waived if they meet certain GPA requirements.

Palacios Romero, knowing the group has the option to attend if they want, touched on a few of the more important campus issues: “The food in the dining hall is so good. Last semester, they even had sushi.”

The stress of the college application and financial aid process can dash college dreams, but CU Denver school leaders said they want the agreement signed on Thursday to show Aurora students the university has a place for them — and university officials are willing to help them get to campus. Only about half of Colorado high school graduates go to college and many question the overall cost and whether college is right for them.

This pact highlights a growing Colorado trend in recent months and in the last few years to simplify the four-year university application process. University leaders hope easier admissions policies will help students see themselves on campus and focus conversations on financial aid.

CU Denver announced a similar agreement in September with Denver Public Schools to take the guesswork out of whether students get accepted. Colorado State University Pueblo expanded its direct admissions program on Oct. 3 to include Denver. DPS students will get a letter notifying them they’re accepted before they apply.

Schools such as Metropolitan State University of Denver and the Colorado School of Mines established similar admissions guarantees as CU Denver in recent years. School leaders at Adams State University started the first direct admissions program in 2024. They also send acceptance letters to San Luis Valley students before they apply.

Senior Kimberly Villalobos, 17, didn’t initially have CU Denver in her list of top schools. The guaranteed admissions announcement, coupled with Palacios Romero’s visit, helped her see CU Denver as a campus that might be for her.

Villalobos was one of the first to raise her hand to ask Palacios Romero a question. She wanted to know whether the school would help her even if she’s unsure of her major.

Palacios Romero told her it’s OK to explore her options and try different classes.

“You can mix it up a bit,” Palacios Romero said. “Those credits will help lead on to the major you choose.”

Palacios Romero said after she talked to students that she wished the admission guarantee existed when she attended Aurora Central. She recalled opening her first admission letter and for a moment believed her dreams would be crushed.

The guarantee ensures college dreams stay alive, she said, and might even create a similar dream in others.

“I feel so much joy for them,” Palacios Romero said.

Easier admissions don’t just benefit the students. The agreements help districts create opportunities for students.

Aurora Public Schools Superintendent Michael Giles, Jr. and University of Colorado Denver Chancellor Ken Christensen sign a guaranteed admissions agreement at Aurora Central High School on Thurs., Oct. 09, 2025 in Aurora, Colorado.

Aurora Public Schools’ Zach Rahn said the district has tried to make the college application season simpler by using a system that tracks college, financial aid, and scholarship applications.

About 900 district seniors this year meet the CU Denver guaranteed admissions criteria of having a weighted or unweighted GPA of 3.0, Rahn said.

District officials want students to have a greater understanding and voice in the college-going process, said Rahn, who is the district’s executive director of curriculum and instruction. School leaders also want to reduce student stress.

“And at least in this one circumstance, that barrier has been taken down,” Rahn said. “Students know, ‘There’s a place that I can go to continue my education.’ ”

Easier admissions policies also benefit universities, which compete for students. High school student populations are expected to decline, meaning a smaller student population from which to recruit.

Crysta Diaz, director of undergraduate recruitment and admissions systems operations at CU Denver, hopes the guaranteed admissions agreement can help even more Aurora students see themselves on campus. About 500 Aurora schools alumni attend CU Denver, said school officials.

She’s excited to focus more on the financial aid aspect of admissions — an issue that often creates stress for students. Aurora students will also be eligible for merit-based scholarships and financial aid advising, she said.

“A partnership like this just shows them college is for them, and we’re here to help them, support them and open doors for them,” Diaz said. “It’s a huge access win for both us and the students.”

The afternoon gave Villalobos a lot to think about. She said she’s felt anxious about applying to schools, the financial aid process, and not knowing her major yet.

She liked what she heard from Romero Palacios. She now sees CU Denver as a community that understands her culturally, has attentive professors, and will help her figure out the financial aid process.

Plus, she knows she will get in if she wants to go.

“It makes me feel more at home,” she said.

Colorado colleges serving students of color will lose millions from Trump cuts

2025-09-26T21:37:40+00:00

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Colorado universities enrolling the highest percentages of students of color will lose millions of dollars after a recent decision by the Trump administration.

The U.S. Department of Education announced on Sept. 10 that it will end $350 million in discretionary funding for Minority-Serving Institutions, known as MSIs. These colleges are federally designated as MSIs because they serve a greater percentage of students of color, including Native American and Hispanic students.

The Trump administration plans to redirect the funding to Historically Black Colleges and Universities and tribal colleges, which are different from the MSI designations because they’re identified based on the history of the institution or who controls them.

Colorado does not have any HBCUs or tribal colleges. It has 15 public MSIs, six of which receive federal grant funding. The decision means schools won’t get the money promised to them starting in October.

Statewide, the cuts will most affect two-year colleges and schools that enroll more students from rural communities. School leaders say they’re still evaluating how the cuts will affect student services.

For instance, the Colorado Community College System will lose about $5.1 million at three of its seven colleges designated as HSIs, according to school officials.

Morgan Community College, Lamar Community College, and Pueblo Community College use the money for programs that include student retention and student support efforts, said Fiona Lytle, system spokesperson.

The Education Department news release said federal officials believe the grant programs discriminate by benefitting schools that meet racial or ethnic quotas.

“To further our commitment to ending discrimination in all forms across federally supported programs, the Department will no longer award Minority-Serving Institution grants that discriminate by restricting eligibility to institutions that meet government-mandated racial quotas,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon.

Congress created different MSI designations over several decades. For example, the Hispanic-Serving Institution designation, created in 1992, is given to schools that enroll at least 25% Hispanic students.

Advocates say the federal grants help students of color and students from lower-income families who are less likely to go to college. They also argue the money benefits all students, including rural and white students, at many schools that enroll almost every student that applies.

The Trump administration and conservative activists have wanted to end these programs. The grant programs already face cuts in the 2026 fiscal year budget. And a lawsuit by a conservative group argues Hispanic-Serving Institution funding is discriminatory.

Colorado has five universities that are designated HSIs — the University of Northern Colorado, Metropolitan State University of Denver, Colorado State University Pueblo, Adams State University, and the University of Colorado Denver. Fort Lewis College is the state’s only Native American-Serving Nontribal Institution.

Of those four-year schools, Adams State, CSU Pueblo, and Fort Lewis College receive federal funds.

Adams State, the state’s oldest HSI, was recently awarded a $3 million grant over five years in 2024 to improve college preparation, student advising, and cultural understanding.

University officials plan to seek additional support from private and individual donors, as well as other financial sources.

“This challenge only strengthens our resolve,” said Linda Relyea, an Adams State University spokesperson.

CSU Pueblo became a Hispanic-Serving Institution in 2007 and has three active grants that will be discontinued. The school will lose $3.6 million over the next three years.

The school can use 2024 money to continue providing student services into fall 2026, but spokesperson Gena Alfonso said in an email that “the remaining resources are not sufficient to continue programs at their current level.”

“We are in the process of identifying the most critical student support services, such as advising, tutoring, and other programs that support student retention and graduation,” she said.

Fort Lewis College received its designation in 2008. School spokesperson Nardy Bickel said the federal money supports Southwest Colorado’s Four Corners region and Indigenous students.

The school won’t be able to spend $2.27 million in the final two years of a five-year grant.

The money supports the entire campus, including a summer and first-year support program that helps students get acclimated to college, she said. The money also helps keep students on track to graduating.

“For many of these students, FLC provides a crucial path to an affordable four-year college degree while remaining close to their families and communities,” Bickel said. “We are disappointed about the decision to cut funding to this program, which will be felt deeply across our campus.”

And Colorado Mountain College, which offers two- and four-year degree programs, doesn’t receive federal money as a designated HSI, but did submit a $5 million grant proposal this year. A school spokesperson said he does not expect the application will be considered.

Correction: Oct. 1, 2025: The original story omitted Metropolitan State University of Denver from the list of public MSIs in the state. There are 15 public MSIs in the state.

Sept. 26, 2025: A previous version of this story incorrectly identified Arapahoe Community College as an HSI. The story also has been updated to reflect that the Colorado Community College System’s HSIs will lose $5.1 million, not $5.6 million.

Two Colorado students want to make it easier to get admitted to a state university

2025-09-24T22:27:49+00:00

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Cherry Creek High School seniors Kiran Herz and Jaiden Hwang have spent hundreds of hours filling out college applications and writing admissions essays.

Hwang estimates he wrote 30 essays just over the summer. Herz, seeing the stress that fellow students face when applying to college, wanted to find a solution to make college admissions easier.

His research led to a 1997 Texas law that guarantees in-state students who graduate in the top 10% of their high school class receive automatic admission to every public state university. The two Colorado friends hope they can get voters to pass a similar law here during the November 2026 election.

“It’s so incredibly difficult to get into some of these universities,” Hwang said. “There’s so much ambiguity and stress involved.”

In proposing the ballot measure, the two teenagers could initiate a broader statewide discussion about how to get more students to college and alleviate admissions process stress.

National advocates for easier admissions say statewide initiatives take the guesswork out of applying to a university. They say these policies reduce stress, encourage students to stay in state, and help students who come from low-income families or would be the first in their family to attend college see higher education as an option.

The students’ proposal would ask voters to require state-funded universities guarantee admissions to students with a GPA in the top 10% of their high school’s graduating class. Eligible students would need to apply for admittance within two years of graduating. The proposal would limit the number of students admitted to 75% of the school’s freshman enrollment.

To get their proposal on the November 2026 ballot, the students need over 124,000 voter signatures by December. They want voters to know that the stress of applying to college can be unbearable, and they’ve seen peers decide against college altogether.

“The admissions process is incredibly more complicated than it needs to be,” said the Lumina Foundation’s Melanie Heath, who advocates for and has studied easier admissions policies nationally. “And we’ve seen a movement across many states to do some type of simplified admissions process.”

The Lumina Foundation is a nonprofit philanthropy that supports greater access to opportunities beyond high school. (Lumina is a Chalkbeat funder. See our funders here, and read our ethics policy here.)

Nationwide, about a dozen states have guaranteed admissions policies that set a bar at state universities. All students who meet that criteria are admitted. Guaranteed admissions are seen as a way to attract higher-achieving groups of students to apply to state schools.

Another dozen states have direct admissions policies, wherein state colleges notify high school seniors that they’ve been accepted without the students ever needing to apply. Direct admissions programs primarily help students who might not think college is for them.

So far, Colorado state leaders and higher education officials haven’t coalesced around a single strategy. Instead, universities have taken different approaches.

Metropolitan State University of Denver and the Colorado School of Mines have guaranteed admission for students from select school districts. CU Denver recently announced a new program for Denver Public Schools students.

Five Colorado colleges, including Colorado State University Pueblo and Adams State University, have direct admissions.

Colorado doesn’t have cascading admissions, which is when university systems notify students they’ve been accepted at other schools if they’re not admitted to their first choice.

“Maybe even more than the complexity, these policies take the stress out of applying,” Heath said.

In 2022, David Tandberg, during his first year as Adams State University’s president, asked school administrators to create a direct admissions system for San Luis Valley students.

The idea was new to Colorado, but not Tandberg, who previously worked at the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association. There, he was involved in helping other states replicate Idaho’s pioneering Idaho Campus Choice, a statewide direct admissions program.

“We in the Valley have the lowest educational attainment rates in the state,” Tandberg said, referring to Alamosa and the San Luis Valley. “And for most students, if they have a high school diploma or GED, we admit them. So why not do direct admissions here?”

Heath said direct admissions policies don’t cost much, and Idaho spends about $30,000 a year sending out letters. The small investment has yielded a big return, she said, with an increase in enrollment by 4% to 8% at open-access institutions. The program has also kept about 8% to 15% more Idaho students in state.

Adams State officials found they only needed to invest time in creating the first direct admission program in the state. University officials drafted letters for families and students and created a system to share student information between school districts and the university.

“I’ve had parents and grandparents stop me in the street and say, ‘You have no idea how much that meant to our kid and to us,’” Tandberg said. “The real delta is with those students that check themselves out, that thought higher ed didn’t want them.”

Fort Lewis College nursing students want to improve rural health care

2025-09-15T20:26:12+00:00

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Ryan Jim wants to become a nurse because he understands health care challenges in rural, Native communities.

Growing up, the 20-year-old Fort Lewis College student would help take care of grandparents and regularly drive them to doctor appointments near his home in Fort Defiance, Arizona on the Navajo Nation reservation. He noticed many of the medical professionals would frequently come and go since they worked on part-time contracts.

“The nurses that travel through do care to learn about the culture, but they are just temporary,” Jim said. “I feel like my people want more of their own community members to provide them care, someone that understands the troubles and hardships that the Native reservation has encountered and still is going through.”

This semester, Jim began his journey to care for his community as one of 22 Fort Lewis students in the inaugural cohort in the Durango school’s new Nursing Hall bachelor’s degree program.

The college’s program launched this fall with the goal of keeping aspiring health care professionals like Jim in the Four Corners region, a rural area where the borders of Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah meet.

The program is the only bachelor’s degree-level nursing program in the region. It fulfills a vital need to combat a nationwide nursing shortage that’s more pronounced in rural areas, said Maggie LaRose, Fort Lewis College’s director of nursing.

Nationwide, about 80% of counties are considered health care deserts, with access to services much more difficult in rural areas, according to a national study by GoodRx Research, a prescription and health care comparison website. For example, some counties in the Four Corners region have inadequate access to prescription drugs or primary care providers.

“It’s not uncommon for a patient to travel an hour for the closest medical provider,” LaRose said. “They come in for an appointment, then tomorrow they’re supposed to come in for a scan, and then the next day they’re supposed to do blood work. That just becomes a really difficult thing.”

The program, which has been several years in the making, partners with the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, 350 miles northeast from Fort Lewis College in Durango. Leaders at Fort Lewis have built a new nursing facility paid through philanthropy and government funding, including $1.3 million in congressionally directed spending championed by U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper, both Colorado Democrats.

Faculty from CU will help teach students about medical practices and procedures, and classes will also include teachings focused on rural health and Indigenous cultures.

Students like Jim first have to complete general courses before they apply to the nursing program. Already, the school has 89 pre-nursing students who want to apply, LaRose said.

“I really do think it’s going to make a difference and have an impact on the health of our region,” LaRose said.

Chaelyn Ziegler, 21, said she appreciates the new program because it keeps her close to home, is less expensive, and away from bigger cities. Ziegler attended school in San Diego before moving back to Durango.

As a student in the first class of the Fort Lewis program, she enjoys being some of the only students in the new building and learning about human bodies and diseases. She’s not sure if she will stay in the Durango area after she graduates, but she wants to remain in a more-rural setting.

“A small town is kind of where I want to end up,” she said. “I don’t really want to go back to the city.”

Jim shares Ziegler’s excitement of being part of the first class in a new program. He originally thought he would have to go to school in Grand Rapids, Michigan to get his degree. But he enrolled at Fort Lewis College because the school promised it would start the new bachelor’s degree program and would keep him closer to his home.

The nursing program has focused on the health of the region, equipping him with the knowledge he’s desired so he can someday advocate for better health in his community — just like he has done for his family. He said his peers share the same passion.

“We all want to make an impact on our communities and where we all come from,” Jim said. “And I think that’s pretty cool.”

Beyond High School: The impact of research grant cuts

2025-08-22T20:53:27+00:00

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Federally funded research grants have paved the way to life-saving treatments and contribute millions to local economies.

But, according to a new study, the 2026 Trump administration budget cuts could halt that research, result in job losses, and hurt the economy in every U.S. congressional district.

These estimates from the Science and Community Impacts Mapping Project say slashing National Institutes of Health grants, which are just 1% of the federal budget, by $18 billion within Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” would result in $46 billion in lost economic revenue and over 200,000 jobs lost nationwide.

The mapping project researchers compared active grants within the 2020-24 budget years to the projected 2026 budget changes.

A map from the Science and Community Impacts Mapping Project (SCIMaP) showing the projected economic impact of NIH budget cuts in 2026 across the United States.

In Colorado, budget cuts are estimated to amount to $657 million in economic losses and 2,800 jobs in the state’s eight congressional districts. Much of this research is conducted by universities across the state, with the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus expected to lose the most funding.

Advocates for the grants have said that federally funded scientific and medical research improves public health, helps spur innovation, creates jobs, and boosts the economy.

The report says the White House budget cuts research to life-saving diagnostics, therapeutics, and potential cures. That includes a 39% cut to the National Cancer Institute, a 38% cut to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and a 42% cut to the National Institute on Aging.

The report adds that NIH grants “contributed to more than 99% of the 300-plus drugs approved by the FDA from 2010-2019, including drugs to treat metastatic breast cancer, reduce birth defects caused by viruses, and novel antibiotics to treat multidrug resistant ‘superbugs.’”

Higher ed stories from Chalkbeat

Colorado created two programs to get adults back to college. One worked far better than the other. — A Colorado program gives former college students recognition for their time and money. But, so far, students aren’t returning to finish a four-year degree.

Colorado attorney general committed to defending in-state tuition program for undocumented students — Colorado public officials said its in-state tuition program for undocumented students is on firm legal ground.

What to know about the Trump budget bill’s impact on schools that serve students of color — The Trump budget and lawsuits are causing uncertainty for schools that serve a higher percentage of students of color.

Fewer Colorado students are graduating with debt, new report shows — The annual report seeks to show the value of a college education in Colorado.

More out-of-state CSU Pueblo students will pay the same as Colorado graduates starting this fall — The school joins a growing number of regional universities wanting to become more competitive in enrolling out-of-state students.

Jared Polis and governors association release plan to improve education and workforce outcomes — Gov. Jared Polis and the National Governors Association released a blueprint they hope will help state leaders strengthen student learning and the economy.

What we’re reading

What’s Working: Adams State University and its offspring fuel the San Luis Valley Colorado Sun

CU’s chancellor says ‘lots of little things’ keep students coming to Boulder CPR

Trump wants universities to show him the money, or no deal New York Times

Chipotle launches rewards program for college students. Here’s what you can get. USA Today

El nuevo programa de formación de profesores de Colorado ofrece otra vía para acceder a las aulas

2025-08-18T19:20:56+00:00

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Chalkbeat Colorado es un noticiero local sin fines de lucro que informa sobre las escuelas públicas.

Sergio De La Rosa recuerda el momento en que supo que quería ser profesor.

Dirigía un Boys & Girls Club en Fort Morgan, donde ofrecía servicios de cuidado después de la escuela, durante el verano y los sábados a los estudiantes del distrito escolar de cuatro días. Aunque Fort Morgan es una comunidad diversa, De La Rosa dijo que vio cómo algunas familias hispanohablantes se sentían excluidas, y cómo los programas del club estaban marcando la diferencia.

“Los niños y las familias se me acercaban y me decían: ‘Sr. Sergio, le echamos de menos’”, cuenta De La Rosa, que creció en Colorado hablando español en casa. “Ese fue el momento decisivo en el que me di cuenta de que me gustaría trabajar con niños de forma más directa”.

Un nuevo programa le está ayudando a hacer realidad su sueño de enseñar antes de lo que creía posible. De La Rosa, que anteriormente trabajó como organizador comunitario y funcionario de prisiones juveniles, es uno de los aproximadamente 100 aprendices inscritos en el nuevo Programa de Aprendizaje para la Obtención del Título de Maestro del estado.

Creado por una ley estatal de 2023, el programa combina clases universitarias con formación en el puesto de trabajo para ofrecer a los adultos sin título universitario una vía para convertirse en profesores titulados. El programa se pondrá en marcha oficialmente este otoño, tras haber sido probado el año pasado.

Se trata de una solución creativa a un problema recurrente. Colorado tenía alrededor de 2800 puestos docentes vacantes al comienzo del último año escolar, según datos del Departamento de Educación de Colorado.

Aunque muchos puestos fueron cubiertos por sustitutos a largo plazo, educadores jubilados y profesores con licencias alternativas, que ya tienen una licenciatura en algo distinto a la educación, casi 600 puestos quedaron sin cubrir durante todo el año.

Cada vez más estados están adoptando programas de aprendizaje para ayudar a cubrir esta carencia, y algunos distritos escolares locales, como Cherry Creek, han puesto en marcha sus propios programas de aprendizaje. Además de formar a más profesores, los programas de aprendizaje tienden a atraer a más candidatos de color, más candidatos bilingües y más candidatos que viven en la comunidad, lo que ofrece soluciones a algunos de los mayores retos de contratación de la profesión.

Liz Qualman, directora de formación docente del Colorado Mountain College, que ofrece cursos universitarios para el programa de aprendizaje del estado, dijo que hay más hombres en el grupo que aspiran a convertirse en maestros de primaria que los que jamás haya visto en el programa tradicional de preparación docente de la universidad.

“Estos niños lo necesitan”, dijo Qualman refiriéndose a los alumnos de primaria. “Necesitan ver a Sergio delante de ellos todos los días y pensar: ‘Quiero ser profesor como el Sr. De La Rosa’”.

Poco después de ese momento decisivo, De La Rosa contó que el director de la escuela primaria Baker de Fort Morgan, donde se encontraba el Boys & Girls Club, se le acercó para ofrecerle un puesto de profesor para alumnos que aprendían inglés como segunda lengua.

Pero De La Rosa tuvo que decir que no. No reunía los requisitos para obtener una licencia de profesor alternativa porque no había terminado la universidad, un hito que pensó que tendría que esperar hasta que sus tres hijos pequeños fueran mayores y tuviera más dinero ahorrado. Unos días más tarde, cuando el director le dijo a De La Rosa que Colorado iba a poner en marcha un programa de aprendizaje, el joven de 32 años dijo que eso le cambió la vida.

“Nunca es demasiado tarde para descubrir dónde encajas de verdad”, dijo De La Rosa.

Los aprendices “ganan mientras aprenden”

Para convertirse en aprendiz, el candidato debe ser contratado primero por un distrito escolar como sustituto a largo plazo o como profesor con una nueva credencial de aprendizaje.

En la actualidad, cinco distritos escolares de Colorado participan en el programa de aprendizaje: Fort Morgan Re-3, Bayfield, Garfield 16, Garfield Re-2 y Harrison 2, según Mary Bivens, directora ejecutiva de la unidad de desarrollo de la fuerza laboral educativa del Departamento de Educación de Colorado. Un sexto distrito está en proceso de ser aprobado, dijo.

La mayoría de los aprendices actuales ya trabajaban para los distritos en puestos no docentes, dijo Qualman. Muchos eran auxiliares docentes que ayudaban a los profesores en las aulas. Uno era guardia de seguridad de un instituto. Otro trabajaba en la oficina principal de una escuela. Los aprendices tienen entre 22 y 60 años, con una media de edad de 35 años, dijo.

Los aprendices se encargan de sus propias aulas bajo la supervisión de un profesor mentor y un supervisor de campo, dijo Qualman. Los aprendices también cursan estudios universitarios para obtener una licenciatura en educación. El programa tiene una duración de entre dos y cuatro años, dependiendo de si los aprendices tienen créditos universitarios previos, dijo.

Los cursos son flexibles y totalmente virtuales. Algunos cursos también se basan en las competencias, lo que significa que los aprendices demuestran que comprenden el material aplicándolo en sus aulas, dijo Bivens. A medida que los aprendices demuestran más competencias, obtienen un aumento de su salario, que es determinado por sus distritos, dijo.

“Pueden ganar dinero mientras aprenden”, dijo Bivens.

Aunque no hay financiación estatal específica para el programa de aprendizaje, Qualman dijo que el objetivo es que los aprendices se gradúen sin deudas gracias a una combinación de subvenciones federales y becas locales. Los aprendices también pueden solicitar el Programa de Asistencia Financiera para la Contratación y Retención de Educadores del estado, que ofrece becas de hasta 10 000 dólares.

De La Rosa, que comenzó su aprendizaje el año pasado, se quedaba después de clase los jueves para hacer cuatro horas seguidas de cursos universitarios. Luego aplicaba esos conocimientos en su aula con 45 alumnos multilingües procedentes de países como México, Venezuela y Somalia.

Recordó cómo una lección sobre los diferentes estilos de aprendizaje de los alumnos, como el cinestésico, el visual y el auditivo, le ayudó con sus alumnos de primer y segundo grado.

Estaba enseñando palabras con consonante-vocal-consonante, como “bat” y “hat”, pero le costaba mantener a sus alumnos concentrados. Así que los dividió en tres grupos. Los alumnos que necesitaban moverse escribían las palabras en el aire con los dedos. Los alumnos visuales deletreaban las palabras con letras recortadas. Y los alumnos auditivos cantaban las letras con una canción que encontró en Internet.

“De repente, el 90 % de los niños estaban haciendo el trabajo el 90 % del tiempo”, dijo De La Rosa.

“Me cuesta pensar en hacerlo de la manera tradicional porque hay muchos matices y cosas que no sabes hasta que te pones manos a la obra”, dijo. “Si hubiera hecho esto cuando tenía 18 años, probablemente ya habría olvidado la mitad”.

“Yo puedo ser esa persona”

Flor Vargas es aprendiz en el Distrito Escolar 16 del Condado de Garfield, en la vertiente occidental de Colorado. Esta mujer de 40 años comenzó a trabajar como asistente docente en la Escuela Secundaria Grand Valley hace seis años. Sin embargo, afirma que desde que tiene uso de razón ha querido ser profesora.

Vargas, que creció en México como la segunda de seis hermanos, recuerda sentar a sus hermanos menores y vecinos en sillas y darles instrucciones. Pero después de emigrar a Estados Unidos, Vargas quedó embarazada a los 15 años y abandonó la escuela secundaria.

Pasó años como ama de casa, criando a sus tres hijos. Aún apasionada por la educación, Vargas se convirtió en una voluntaria dedicada y diaria en las escuelas de sus hijos.

“Salía de casa con ellos y volvía con ellos”, dijo.

Cuando el director de la escuela secundaria le ofreció a Vargas un trabajo como asistente para estudiantes que aprenden inglés como segundo idioma, dijo que aprovechó la oportunidad. Y cuando su supervisor la animó a volver al colegio, siguió su consejo.

Vargas estaba tomando cursos universitarios presenciales en el Colorado Mountain College cuando comenzó el programa de aprendizaje. Se cambió al programa y su distrito escolar la contrató como sustituta a largo plazo mientras termina su carrera.

“Nunca pensé en ser profesora de inglés como segunda lengua, pero es algo realmente maravilloso porque puedo identificarme con ellos”, dijo Vargas sobre sus 64 alumnos. «Les digo a los recién llegados... ‘Sabéis, está bien sentirse raro porque estáis en un entorno diferente’”.

“Cuando llegué, tenía 8 años y no tenía un profesor que me dijera: ‘No pasa nada. Todo va a salir bien’”, dijo. “Por eso me encanta mi trabajo, porque puedo ser esa persona”.

Melanie Asmar es la jefa de la oficina de Chalkbeat Colorado.

Traducido por Juan Carlos Uribe para The Weekly Issue/El Semanario

Fewer Colorado students are graduating with debt, new report shows

2025-08-15T22:36:38+00:00

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A new report shows fewer Colorado college students are graduating with debt — and the debt they do have on average is thousands less than 10 years ago.

The numbers compiled within the state’s seventh Return on Investment report released on Thursday also highlights that a college education continues to help residents stay employed and get jobs with higher wages.

Overall, the report provides a data trove that seeks to show college is worth the time and money. The report breaks down numerous facts and figures that include college enrollment, how many years it takes students to complete a postsecondary education, college costs, and debt figures.

In a letter included within the report, Colorado Department of Higher Education Executive Director Angie Paccione said residents face a big decision in going to college, but it’s worth the investment.

“Postsecondary education continues to help people earn more money and support families and communities across the state,” Pacciones writes in the letter.

The report, compiled with the most recent data from the 2022-23 school year, is released annually to help lawmakers and families understand the value of a college education. In recent years, public skepticism over whether college is necessary has persisted despite data showing there’s a clear return.

This year’s report shows that about 43% of undergraduates, or students earning an associate or bachelor’s degree, left college with debt in the 2022-23 school year. That’s down from 61% of graduates in the 2013-14 school year.

On average, those students with debt who earned a bachelor’s degree graduated with about $24,700 in loans. Meanwhile, students who completed an associate degree left with about $13,100 in loans.

The total debt that graduates statewide hold has also decreased to $241.6 million, compared to $434.4 million in the 2013-14 year.

Still, the report highlights there’s room for improvement, with students taking too much time to complete a degree or leaving with more credits than what’s needed to graduate.

The report also backs up federal data that shows a bachelor’s degree provides higher wages. Bachelor’s degree holders also have the most financial growth over a 10-year span, or a 50% increase in earnings from graduation.

And residents with a four-year degree are also less likely to be unemployed. Just 2.8% of residents with a bachelor’s degree were unemployed in 2024, compared to 7.9% for those without a diploma.

More out-of-state CSU Pueblo students will pay the same as Colorado graduates starting this fall

2025-08-14T21:20:09+00:00

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This fall, students from 10 neighboring states will pay in-state tuition rates at Colorado State University Pueblo.

The decision made late last year to extend in-state tuition rates to more students is part of a broader strategy to attract students as the number of high school graduates nationwide declines. At the same time, more Colorado students are heading out of state.

The school joins a growing number of regional universities wanting to become more competitive in enrolling out-of-state students through so-called tuition reciprocity agreements.

CSU Pueblo’s Kristyn White Davis, who helps oversee enrollment, said many students find Colorado to be a desirable place to attend college, and school officials want Pueblo to become a destination. The school has lower tuition and fees on average than larger universities such as CSU Fort Collins and the University of Colorado Boulder.

“Tuition continues to increase,” said White Davis, who is CSU Pueblo’s vice president for enrollment management and extended studies. “This is a way to sort of reach out to students who might not be able to afford higher priced institutions and sort of meet them where they are — create a reason for them to be able to come here.”

Reports show high school enrollment is expected to decline by about half a million students by 2041, including several thousand Colorado graduates a year starting in 2025. The share of Colorado high school graduates heading to other states for college has also increased in recent years to almost a third.

Like many regional universities, CSU Pueblo relies mainly on enrolling local students — a group that represents a limited pool. About 50% of the nearly 4,000 students attending CSU Pueblo come from the southern Colorado region.

By offering a tuition discount to students in other states through the school’s Regional In-State Equivalent, or RISE, Tuition Program, school officials hope out-of-state students take notice.

The school previously offered in-state equivalent tuition discounts to a limited number of New Mexico students. Now, the school will expand that to 10 states: Arizona, California, Kansas, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. The program also allows in-state tuition for international students from China, Italy, Mexico, Slovenia, and South Korea.

On average, out-of-state students pay $23,099 to attend CSU Pueblo full time. The RISE tuition discount drops tuition by over $7,000, to $15,940.

The idea to offer these types of so-called tuition reciprocity agreements has been around for years. For example, the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, or WICHE, has several programs that help out-of-state students in western states secure lower tuition rates.

One such WICHE program started in 1988 and has grown to over 170 schools, including CSU Pueblo, that offer out-of-state students 150% of the base in-state tuition rate.

Colorado also has 17 tuition programs for certain out-of-state students built into statute, according to Colorado Department of Higher Education officials. Those laws include a tuition reciprocity agreement with New Mexico and in-state tuition for students returning from the Peace Corps, regardless of where they previously lived.

About 17% of CSU Pueblo’s students are from out of state, and White Davis said the school chose the 10 states based on where the majority of out-of-state students come from. In the first year, White Davis said the goal is to increase out-of-state enrollment by a modest 25 students.

She hopes the RISE program will grow as more out-of-state students see the value of a CSU Pueblo education, she said. Graduates have high economic and social mobility and are competitive in the job market, she said.

“The idea is to really highlight opportunities for students,” she said. “CSU Pueblo is a great place to go to college and have a really wonderful experience.”

Colorado created two programs to get adults back to college. One worked far better than the other.

2025-08-11T18:52:45+00:00

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One of the highlights of Lisa Johnson’s life came when she walked across the stage at Metropolitan State University of Denver last year after earning an associate degree.

The 60-year-old was the first of her siblings to earn a college degree, an achievement she feared would never happen.

“I was over the moon,” Johnson said.

But a busy life filled with a job and kids, a reluctance to amass debt, and health issues have kept Johnson from taking the next step: reenrolling in college to complete her bachelor’s degree.

Going on to get a bachelor’s degree was a goal state lawmakers had in mind in 2021 when they launched a $1 million program, called Colorado Re-Engaged, which allowed Johnson to get an Associate of General Studies. The program gave universities the ability to grant the degree to about 25,000 adults who had previously dropped out of college after having earned enough credits for an associate. They hoped those adults would then be positioned to complete a four-year program for a bachelor’s degree, a credential that leads to far greater financial growth than a high school diploma or associate degree.

While the program has given former students recognition for their time and money, students aren’t returning to finish a four-year degree. That’s partly because the program doesn’t help students with their second attempt — unlike a similar program called Finish What You Started, which was launched by lawmakers at the same time and has had greater success at attracting former students back to college.

Of the more than 1,500 Coloradans who have been awarded an associate degree through Re-Engaged, only about 40, or 3%, have reenrolled to finish their bachelor’s degree, according to data obtained by Chalkbeat Colorado through open records requests.

Meanwhile, a recent state report shows Finish What You Started, created through the same legislation, prompted about 4,700 Colorado adults with some college credits but no degree to reenroll to finish either their associate or bachelor’s degree. Of that number, about 2,000 returned to four-year universities, and about 600 students have successfully completed a four-year program so far, according to a state report.

The biggest difference between the two programs has been funding.

Finish What You Started was created with $49 million in federal pandemic relief dollars to provide direct and indirect support for students, such as financial aid and career and academic advising. That’s compared to Colorado Re-Engaged, launched with $1 million in federal pandemic money but without that type of support.

Making matters more complicated, students who received a Re-Engaged associate degree couldn’t get financial aid through Finish What You Started support because the law excluded students who already held a degree from the more supportive program.

“The legislation even in its name — the Re-Engaged initiative — is an assumption that people as individual operators in the world are going to want to reengage with higher education,” said Shaun Schafer, associate vice president of curriculum, academic effectiveness, and policy development at Metropolitan State University of Denver. “Surely, you don’t need anything to make that happen. They’ll just want it.”

“And that’s a wonderful theory, but I think we’ve got proof that’s not exactly how people act.”

A goal to get more former college students back on track

Dropping out of college is a common experience.

According to National Student Clearinghouse numbers, 757,000 Coloradans, including 620,000 residents under the age of 65 in Colorado, or about 13% of the state’s population, have some college but no degree.

Lawmakers hoped federal pandemic relief money could help lower that percentage and also prop up colleges and universities, improve education outcomes, and strengthen the workforce. They wanted the Re-Engaged program to reach about 25,000 adults who had earned at least 70 college credits, or the equivalent of an associate degree, before dropping out.

Finish What You Started was intended to serve adults who might have fewer college credits — at least 36 — and leverage federal, state, and local resources to help them reenroll to get either an associate or a bachelor’s degree.

Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers show having an associate degree only yields about $70 more per week in wages when compared to having some college and no degree. Associate degree holders are also slightly less likely to be unemployed.

A bachelor’s degree provides a big benefit. Someone with a bachelor’s degree earns almost $450 more a week on average than someone with an associate degree, according to Labor Statistics numbers.

Peter Fritz, who oversees the Re-Engaged program at the Colorado Department of Higher Education, said earning an associate degree has provided Re-Engaged recipients with a sense of personal accomplishment. The program also helped the state receive national recognition for getting associate degrees into the hands of those students.

“It’s not a huge advantage economically for them to have an associate degree,” Fritz said. “But I hear a lot of stuff about personal satisfaction and personal accomplishment.”

However, getting adults reenrolled for their bachelor’s degree through the Re-Engaged program has been a major challenge.

“It’s the ‘re’ in Re-Engaged, in getting those students to feel comfortable and like it’s worthwhile for them to reenroll and finish out the bachelor’s degree, that’s the next big challenge,” he said.

National Student Clearinghouse numbers show just 2.3% of Colorado students who previously dropped out of college returned last year, even as the Re-Engaged and Finish What You Started programs have started to boost those numbers. That’s lower than the national average of 2.7%.

The challenges and successes of Colorado Re-Engaged

The MSU Denver ceremony where Johnson received her associate degree might have been a highlight of her life, but she still holds greater aspirations. When she thinks about reenrolling in college, she said the process feels overwhelming.

Many students share Johnson’s experience, university officials said. The main reason most don’t return is financial, they said.

These adults have households and families to support, jobs and other responsibilities like kids to juggle, and many also need help to afford tuition or books. Without it, going back to college is difficult — a reality reflected in the different success rates of Colorado Re-Engaged and Finish What You Started.

The eight universities participating in Colorado Re-Engaged were given $40,000 each to start the program at their campuses. Schools could use the money for marketing and outreach materials.

Collectively, university records show they have reached out to over 7,500 former students through letters, emails, and phone calls.

But although state lawmakers set aside $1 million for the program, only about half of that was spent, according to a state report. For example, Fort Lewis College sent back $16,625 of the $40,000 because the school needed far less to start the program and begin outreach to students. Other schools reported the same.

Meanwhile, the 30 universities participating in Finish What You Started were given several hundred thousands or even millions of dollars to support students. In addition to marketing and personnel, colleges and universities could use the money to help returning students pay their tuition and advise them on which courses to take to advance their careers.

A state report shows of the $49 million set aside for the program, schools spent about $27 million from 2022 to 2024.

The legislation creating Finish What You Started says students who already have a degree or certificate with 30 or more credits are not eligible for those resources.

Universities advised some adults to opt out of getting their associate degree so they could reenroll as a Finish What You Started student, Fritz said.

Despite the financial challenges, Re-Engaged has helped university leaders better understand what older adults need and new ways to serve this population.

For example, MSU Denver has started to provide general studies evening classes from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in a bid to help adults work around their schedules and make it easier for them to return, he said. The change is a direct result of learning from Re-Engaged, Schafer said. The school will also keep its financial aid offices open later to help students who work.

The lessons learned are important because of the two programs, Colorado Re-Engaged is the one that will last, with the participating universities planning to continue to award associate degrees. The more expensive program, Finish What You Started, will end in May 2026 because the federal pandemic money has expired.

Lisa Johnson wants to continue her education and become a lawyer.

Johnson said when she thinks about how she got her associate degree, she feels motivated. She wants the same feeling of joy and accomplishment as when she walked across the stage at MSU Denver.

Her goal is to get her bachelor’s degree then go to law school to become a lawyer.

Last month, Johnson said she’d hesitated to reenroll because of recent health complications and worries about college costs. She wished university officials would have reached out to see if she needed help with the process.

But last week, when Chalkbeat asked if she enrolled, she said she felt inspired. She registered on Wednesday at the University of Denver and plans to attend school there in the fall. She said she told herself, “Just go for it.

“And that’s exactly what I am going to do.”

‘Never too late’: Colorado’s new teacher apprenticeship program offers another path to the classroom

2025-08-05T00:20:09+00:00

Leer en español.

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Sergio De La Rosa remembers the moment he knew he wanted to be a teacher.

He was running a Boys & Girls Club in Fort Morgan, providing after-school, summer, and fifth-day care to students in the four-day school district. Although Fort Morgan is diverse, De La Rosa said he saw how some Spanish-speaking families felt left out — and how the club’s programming was making a difference.

“I’d have kids and families come up to me and say, ‘Mr. Sergio, we miss you,’” said De La Rosa, who grew up in Colorado speaking Spanish at home. “That was the pivotal moment for me where I realized I’d like to be working with kids more directly.”

A new program is helping him realize his dream of teaching sooner than he thought possible. De La Rosa, who previously worked as a community organizer and youth corrections officer, is one of about 100 apprentices enrolled in the state’s new Teacher Degree Apprenticeship Program.

Created by a 2023 state law, the program combines college classes with on-the-job training to provide adults without a bachelor’s degree a pathway to becoming a licensed teacher. The program is officially launching this fall after being piloted last year.

It’s a creative solution to a perennial problem. Colorado had about 2,800 vacant teaching positions at the start of the last school year, according to data from the Colorado Department of Education.

While many positions were filled by long-term substitutes, retired educators, and teachers with alternative licenses, who already have a bachelor’s degree in something other than education, nearly 600 positions went unfilled all year long.

More states are adopting apprenticeship programs to help fill the gap, and some local school districts, including Cherry Creek, have started apprenticeship programs of their own. In addition to minting more teachers, apprenticeships tend to attract more candidates of color, more bilingual candidates, and more candidates who live in the community, offering solutions to some of the profession’s biggest hiring challenges.

Liz Qualman, the director of teacher education at Colorado Mountain College, which provides college courses for the state’s apprenticeship program, said there are more men in the cohort working toward becoming elementary school teachers than she’s ever seen in the college’s traditional teacher preparation program.

“These kids need it,” Qualman said of the elementary school students. “They need to see Sergio in front of them everyday and be like, ‘I want to be a teacher just like Mr. De La Rosa.’”

Shortly after his pivotal moment, De La Rosa said the principal of Fort Morgan’s Baker Elementary School, where the Boys & Girls Club was housed, approached him about an open teaching position for students learning English as a second language.

But De La Rosa had to say no. He didn’t qualify for an alternative teacher license because he hadn’t finished college, a milestone he figured would have to wait until his three young children were older and he had more money saved up. A few days later, when the principal told De La Rosa that Colorado was starting an apprenticeship program, the 32-year-old said it was life-changing.

“It’s never too late to find out where you truly belong,” De La Rosa said.

Apprentices are ‘earning while they’re learning’

To become an apprentice, a candidate must first be hired by a school district as either a long-term substitute or as a teacher under a brand-new apprenticeship credential.

As of now, five Colorado school districts are participating in the apprenticeship program: Fort Morgan Re-3, Bayfield, Garfield 16, Garfield Re-2, and Harrison 2, said Mary Bivens, the executive director of the educator workforce development unit at the Colorado Department of Education. A sixth district is in the process of getting approved, she said.

Most of the current apprentices already worked for districts in non-teaching roles, Qualman said. Many were paraprofessionals who helped teachers in classrooms. One was a high school security guard. Another worked in the front office of a school. The apprentices range in age from 22 to 60, with an average age of 35, she said.

Apprentices are in charge of their own classrooms under the supervision of a mentor teacher and a field supervisor, Qualman said. The apprentices also take college courses toward a bachelor’s degree in education. The program should take two to four years to complete, depending on whether apprentices have prior college credits, she said.

The courses are flexible and fully virtual. Some courses are also competency-based, meaning the apprentices show that they understand the material by applying it in their classrooms, Bivens said. As the apprentices demonstrate more competencies, they get a bump in their salary, which is determined by their districts, she said.

“They can be earning while they’re learning,” Bivens said.

While there is no dedicated state funding for the apprenticeship program, Qualman said the goal is for the apprentices to graduate debt-free through a combination of federal grants and local scholarships. Apprentices can also apply for the state’s Educator Recruitment and Retention Financial Assistance Program, which provides stipends of up to $10,000.

De La Rosa, who began his apprenticeship last year, would stay after school on Thursdays to do four hours of college courses back-to-back. He’d then apply that knowledge in his classroom of 45 multilingual learners from countries such as Mexico, Venezuela, and Somalia.

He recalled how one lesson on students’ different learning styles, such as kinesthetic, visual, and auditory, helped him with his first- and second-graders.

He was teaching consonant-vowel-consonant words like bat and hat but struggling to keep his students on task. So he split them into three groups. The students who craved movement wrote the words in the air with their fingers. The visual learners spelled the words with cutout letters. And the auditory learners sang the spellings with a song he found online.

“All of a sudden I had 90% of the kids doing the work 90% of the time,” De La Rosa said.

“It’s hard for me to think about going about it the traditional way because there’s so much nuance and things you don’t know until you have your feet on the ground,” he said. “If I was doing this when I was 18 years old, I probably would have forgotten half of this by now.”

‘I can be that person’

Flor Vargas is an apprentice in Garfield County School District 16 on Colorado’s western slope. The 40-year-old began working as a paraprofessional at Grand Valley Middle School six years ago. But she said she’s wanted to be a teacher for as long as she can remember.

Growing up in Mexico as the second-oldest of six kids, Vargas said she remembers sitting her younger siblings and neighbors in chairs and giving them instructions. But after emigrating to the United States, Vargas became pregnant at 15 and dropped out of high school.

She spent years as a stay-at-home mom, raising her three children. Still passionate about education, Vargas became a dedicated, daily volunteer in her children’s schools.

“I left the house with them and came back with them,” she said.

When the middle school principal offered Vargas a job as a paraprofessional for students learning English as a second language, she said she jumped at the chance. And when her supervisor encouraged her to go back to school, she took his advice.

Vargas was taking in-person college courses at Colorado Mountain College when the apprenticeship program began. She switched into the program, and her school district hired her as a long-term substitute while she works to complete her degree.

“I never thought to be an (English language learner) teacher, but that is something really awesome because I can relate to them,” Vargas said of her 64 students. “I tell my newcomers … ‘You know, it’s okay to feel weird because you’re in a different environment.’

“When I came, I was 8 years old and I didn’t have a teacher to say, ‘You’re okay. Everything is going to be okay,’” she said. “That’s why I love my job because I can be that person.”

Melanie Asmar is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Colorado. Contact Melanie at masmar@chalkbeat.org.

Jared Polis and governors association release plan to improve education and workforce outcomes

2025-07-30T20:05:21+00:00

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Governors should expand their approach to education by preparing students not just for work, but civic life and personal well-being too. And they should track and publish people’s progress towards key education-related goals.

These are a few of the recommendations identified by Gov. Jared Polis and the National Governors Association to help state leaders strengthen education, student learning, and the economy. The recommendations are part of Polis’ time as the NGA’s 2024-25 chair — each chair focuses on solutions to a nationwide problem. Polis’ term concluded earlier this month.

After a year of studying the topic, Polis’ and the NGA’s Let’s Get Ready Initiative says that for too long, states have focused on only math and reading proficiency, but it takes more than just those skills to succeed in the workforce.

Polis said in a letter about the initiative that there’s a mismatch between the skills states are tracking and the preparation students need to succeed once they leave school. He added that states don’t have a clear way to monitor how or whether students succeed over the long term while building resilience and competitiveness for social and economic change.

“The Let’s Get Ready! Initiative is a call for governors to demand better,” Polis said. “We have a responsibility to drive innovation within our systems, bolster our capacity to measure what works and what doesn’t, and most importantly, to prepare our students for workforce readiness, civic engagement, and well-being.”

The organization’s news release about the blueprint, published this week, said it worked to get feedback from educators, parents and families, students, researchers, and community and business leaders about the topic.

Here are the five recommendations from Polis and the NGA:

Governors should set clear goals for education, including early childhood to career outcomes, as well as short-term and long-term goals for residents participating in the economy. State leaders should then develop strategies to meet those goals and track progress.
Governors should also find ways for state agencies, which often work in silos, to communicate and coordinate in an effort to improve educational and career outcomes.
States can keep track of outcomes and goals by building a long-term outlook, or longitudinal data systems, that tracks the progress of students from early childhood to the workforce.
Governors then can display the data they’ve collected for public consumption in a user-friendly format. This data can help researchers and the public evaluate progress and recommend when to make adjustments.
Despite federal uncertainty, state leaders should continue to advocate for federal partnerships, or create state consortiums, that assess student performance, identify the students who need the most help and direct funding toward them, and contribute to national research.

Beyond High School: Student loan caps

2025-07-24T18:27:08+00:00

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For the first time ever, the federal government has placed a cap on student loan borrowing. Borrowers will now have a lifetime limit of $257,500 for all federal student loans.

Congress approved the changes in President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” passed earlier this month. And there’s plenty more borrowers should know:

First, unsubsidized student loans will be capped at $20,500 a year. Graduate students will have a lifetime limit of $100,000 for those loans.
Aspiring doctors and lawyers will also be limited in their borrowing. They’ll now only be able to borrow $50,000 a year, with a $200,000 lifetime limit.
Parents paying for their children’s education won’t be able to borrow as much. They previously were able to borrow up to an amount equal to the cost of their child’s full college education. Parent PLUS loans, as they are known, will now be capped at $20,000 per year per child. Parents will also have a $65,000 lifetime limit per child.

The changes highlight the Trump administration’s desire to pull back from the student loan borrowing business.

Experts worry the changes will just drive borrowers to more costly private student loans. Or they fear students just won’t go to college at all. Others are concerned that the bill will exacerbate doctor shortages nationwide.

Groups like the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators issued a statement just before Trump signed the bill on July 4 about its concerns.

NASFAA President & CEO Melanie Storey said in a July 3 statement the bill could limit access to college for low-income students. Storey, whose nonprofit association represents financial aid professionals, said she has multiple concerns about the bill, including the new limits imposed on the Parent PLUS loan programs.

This “may drive borrowers to riskier private loans, which are not available to all borrowers,” she said.

Higher ed stories from Chalkbeat

Colorado students, education leaders try to help TRIO college-access program avoid Trump cuts — College administrators said Trump cuts to TRIO hurt the about 17,500 students who benefit from the program in Colorado.

Broken car? Late rent? Community College of Aurora gives students help with life emergencies — The Community College of Aurora received a grant to provide students money when they’re facing life emergencies. They hope the emergency aid keeps students in school.

What we’re reading

What a smaller Education Department is doing under Trump The New York Times

The Trump administration wants to eradicate DEI in higher education. These Black scholars still plan to thrive. The Denver Post

A Colorado trucking school is trying to train drivers to handle the unique challenges of mountain driving The Colorado Sun

Successful program for migrant students is on Trump’s chopping block Inside Higher Ed

Colorado attorney general committed to defending in-state tuition program for undocumented students

2025-07-23T00:24:21+00:00

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After a court order ended Texas’ in-state college tuition program for undocumented students last month, advocates are warning that the Trump administration may mount legal battles in other states with similar programs.

Since its win in Texas, the Trump administration has pursued legal challenges to programs in Kentucky and Minnesota. However, no legal challenge or Department of Justice inquiry has been made so far in Colorado, according to Attorney General Phil Weiser’s office.

The Trump executive order says that allowing in-state students who aren’t citizens to pay less college tuition than out-of-state students who are citizens is discriminatory.

Colorado public officials said the state’s program is on firm legal ground, with Weiser’s office saying he’s committed to defending Colorado’s 2013 in-state tuition law, which allows undocumented students to pay in-state tuition rates.

The Colorado state law is not a residency requirement, but instead says students must have attended a Colorado high school or been physically present in the state for at least one year, a Weiser spokesperson said in a Tuesday email statement.

“(It) does not favor undocumented residents over out-of-state American citizens,” the spokesperson said. “Colorado law, therefore, does not violate federal law.”

Colorado is one of 23 states and Washington, D.C. that still have a program in place. Colorado officials have said they do not share how many students have qualified for in-state tuition due to privacy concerns.

Texas, one of the first to create such a program and the first the Trump administration sued, ended its program just six hours into the lawsuit after state officials including Attorney General Ken Paxton agreed it was discriminatory.

Krystal Gómez, who is the managing attorney with the Texas Immigration Law Council, said during a Tuesday news conference that groups like hers are seeking to slow the unraveling of the Texas program and set a precedent on how to fight this type of legal challenge.

“The question before us isn’t just about tuition rates,” Gómez said. “It’s about whether we’re going to allow fear and confusion to replace clear law and basic fairness.”

These lawsuits stem from an April 28 presidential executive order that called to punish states with so-called sanctuary policies as well as pursue legal action against states with programs for undocumented students.

In a Tuesday statement, a Gov. Jared Polis spokesperson said states have the right to determine in-state tuition laws. The spokesperson said the governor is committed to expanding access to higher education.

“Dismantling or micro-managing in-state tuition across the country is absurd and will only close off opportunity and make pursuing higher education more difficult and expensive,” the spokesperson said in the statement.

In Colorado, colleges, universities, and state officials evaluated the impact of the order before the Colorado Department of Higher Education sent a letter in May saying they believe the state’s program is rooted in state and federal law.

“Under federal law, states have the authority to offer certain types of assistance to individuals regardless of immigration status,” the letter reads. “We want to make clear that while federal executive orders shape federal enforcement priorities, they do not create new laws, nor do they override existing federal statutes.”

About 408,000 undocumented students enroll in higher education each year, including about 6,800 in Colorado, according to the Higher Ed Immigration Portal.

Undocumented students in states without these laws must pay full out-of-state tuition or attend schools with programs that provide in-state tuition opportunities. That drives up the cost of tuition to levels many students could never afford, especially because they are not eligible for federal financial aid, advocates said.

In Texas, local and national advocacy groups, such as the ACLU of Texas, the Texas Civil Rights Project, Democracy Forward, and The National Immigration Law Center, have filed a motion to intervene in the lawsuit that ended the program.

ACLU of Texas legal assistant Valerie Alvarado highlighted that Texas lawmakers have failed to repeal the program for years, and the Trump administration’s actions go against the will of the people.

“What happened here clearly exploits the litigation process and disrespects the legislative system we have here in Texas,” she said.

Advocates argue that these programs help students who have been in the United States since they were young get jobs and participate in the economy. Without these programs, there will be fewer opportunities for them to get good paying jobs, they said.

In Texas, the nearly 20,000 students who have benefited from the Texas DREAM Act earn more than $430 million annually thanks to the education the state afforded them, said Juan Martinez Guevara, Texas advocacy manager for United We Dream, an immigrant-led youth advocacy organization. That’s money that adds to the state’s tax base and helps the state and local economy, he said.

What to know about the Trump budget bill’s impact on schools that serve students of color

2025-07-17T15:00:00+00:00

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Colleges and universities with a high percentage of students of color have been underfunded for decades by the federal government. But since President Donald Trump took office, they’re facing new challenges that will likely further impact their finances and ability to educate students.

These schools will receive less funding in Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” which he signed into law on July 4. At the same time, another pool of funding for schools that largely or historically serve students of color was left untouched within the budget but faces a legal challenge.

Together, the Trump administration’s budgetary cuts and the pending lawsuit could cause the schools to reduce services for students, hike tuition, and even close their doors, according to higher education experts. This could mean students of color or from lower-income families will be less likely to go to college. But it will also impact all students — including rural and predominantly white students — and the communities where the schools are located.

The schools impacted by the Trump budget include Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and Minority-Serving Institutions. Some schools will be more impacted than others.

While Trump has signed executive orders, including one in April, that have made statements supporting Historically Black Colleges and Universities, known as HBCUs, Trump’s budget bill makes a 14.4% cut to Title III funding that includes HBCU support.

Tribal Colleges and Universities, which are tribally controlled colleges with a mission to serve Native American students, also will be impacted by that cut, but stand to lose even more due to cuts to the federal Department of Interior’s Bureau of Indian Education, one of three major funding sources for TCUs. Support for these 37 colleges within the department will drop to $22 million — down from $127 million.

Some Minority-Serving Institutions also will lose funding. MSIs receive that designation for serving a certain percentage of students of color. For example, a Hispanic-Serving Institution must enroll at least 25% Hispanic students.

Additionally, Hispanic-Serving Institutions specifically face a lawsuit filed by the state of Tennessee and Students for Fair Admissions, run by conservative activist Edward Blum, that argues a pot of federal grant funding for HSIs is based on race and is discriminatory.

If successful, the lawsuit threatens to cut funding not just for HSIs but possibly all MSIs that rely on similar grant funding, according to Boston College associate professor and higher education expert Andrés Castro Samayoa.

What do the school designations mean?

Over the years, Congress has enshrined into law federal support for these different types of colleges and universities.

Marybeth Gasman, the executive director of the Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions, said the designations are different because they were approved by Congress over several decades.

For instance, Congress passed higher education laws in 1965 to strengthen Historically Black Colleges and Universities, which include about 100 colleges and universities founded before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to provide Black students college opportunities during racial segregation.

Congress federally recognized the 37 Tribal Colleges and Universities in 1978.

Lawmakers also created Minority-Serving Institution designations for schools. While HBCUs and TCUs received their designation because of their history or who controls the operations, Minority-Serving Institutions get their names based on the types of students they enroll.

The Hispanic-Serving Institution designation was recognized by Congress in 1992. In the last two decades, it created other MSI designations such as Predominantly Black Institutions and Native American-Serving, Non-Tribal Institutions.

Colorado has 14 public Hispanic-Serving Institutions in the state, according to the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities. Fort Lewis College is a Native American-Serving, Non-Tribal Institution; the state does not have an HBCU or TCU.

Why does this matter to students?

Most, if not all, of these schools are underfunded compared to schools without a designation and educate students using far less money, according to Castro Samayao.

For example, HSIs get approximately 68 cents per every federal dollar non-Hispanic serving schools receive, according to a Third Way study. Tribal colleges also have been underfunded for decades, according to a ProPublica investigation.

The 2026 federal budget includes the planned 14.4% reduction, down to $667 million, in Title III funding meant to support schools in improving educational quality, management, and financial stability.

Castro Samayoa said federal cuts and a ruling in the lawsuit against HSIs would mean universities have less overall support for students academically and financially. Most of these institutions won’t be able to recoup federal funding losses which could also mean higher tuition costs.

Students of color in Colorado and elsewhere could be less likely to go to college because colleges and universities might have less financial support for them or because of increases to tuition, he said. These are groups that don’t go to school at the same rate as their white peers.

Castro Samayoa said simply doing away with funding sources “is not doing anyone any favors.”

How does this impact communities?

American Indian College Fund Executive Director Cheryl Crazy Bull said she worries some tribal colleges will close. The Denver-based fund provides scholarships and other support for Native American students.

She said while the tribal colleges have a focus on Native American communities, the schools also serve rural and white communities. They’re often economic engines, employ members of the community, and help with local problems, like solutions in the fishing industry, she said.

“One of the underrecognized and underadvocated aspects of the tribal colleges is the way that they bring races together,” Crazy Bull said.

Gasman said people don’t realize that the designations are signals of representation, meaning these schools are defined more by being open to any student, she said. They often are more representative of their communities than other schools and have larger numbers of students from low-income families and those who are the first in their families to go to college.

Less federal funding, she said, means all communities lose out.

Broken car? Late rent? Community College of Aurora gives students help with life emergencies

2025-07-01T22:01:11+00:00

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A broken down car. Medical bills. Or not enough money for rent.

Many of the Community College of Aurora’s 8,500 students routinely face these types of emergencies.

The challenges are often big enough to cause them to drop out.

To prevent that, the Community College of Aurora is part of the growing number of colleges and universities that provide students with a small amount of emergency financial assistance to help keep them in school.

Last school year, CCA gave over 30 students one-time grants of up to $500 each.

“It is a low amount, right?” said Reyna Anaya, CCA vice president of student success. “But the impact may prevent a student from stopping out.”

In total, CCA spent $16,000 on the emergency-aid program in the 2024-25 school year. The college will increase that amount by more than a third next year thanks to a $10,000 grant from national nonprofit NASPA - Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. CCA was one of five colleges out of a nationwide pool of 300 applicants to receive the $10,000 grant to support students.

Still, CCA administrators worry the funding won’t be enough to keep up with the need, especially if the Trump administration follows through on threatened cuts to federal safety net programs.

“The need is very high,” Anaya said. “And as we are seeing funding cuts and resources being pulled back, we recognize the need is going to be higher and we’ll be serving more students.”

The CCA aid program is a sign of how more colleges and universities, in Colorado and across the country, are following the lead of K-12 schools in offering students support with basic needs.

CCA school leaders have long known that students needed help with more than just academics, but saw the demand for this help grow during the pandemic. Many Aurora community college students are from lower-income backgrounds and face more personal and financial challenges in finishing school.

Most students are also enrolled part-time, meaning they have less financial aid and are likely working to support themselves through college.

CCA first surveyed students in 2023 about what they needed to succeed, and based on the feedback, it invested heavily in food resources. Since then, it has also slowly built out its emergency-aid program to help students when life issues arise.

CCA students don’t have to ask for the money themselves; they can be referred by a professor or an administrator, said Andrea Rascón, CCA project coordinator for student success.

The $10,000 NASPA grant will help the school invest more in the program. The grant is part of the organization’s national effort to strengthen college retention by addressing non-academic barriers that disproportionately affect students who are from low-income backgrounds and those who are the first to go college in their family.

However, giving students money alone hasn’t correlated to students completing college, according to a Temple University HOPE Center study. Other studies, including one that reviewed Georgia State University’s pioneering program, show emergency grants can help students graduate.

CCA leaders said they aim to increase the effectiveness of the grants by providing coaches who work one on one with students facing an emergency. Coaches then can understand the challenges the student is facing and connect them to other community resources or academic services.

The program has grown in popularity in the last year, and many students spread information by word of mouth, Rascón said. School officials plan to begin tracking how many students stay in school next year to make a stronger case for expanding the program.

Beyond High School: Pell Grant uncertainty

2025-06-27T19:10:07+00:00

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Earlier this month, we published a story focused on the Trump budget bill’s proposed changes to Pell Grants. The bill proposal would require students to take more classes to be considered for full free federal financial aid. The budget would also eliminate eligibility for many part-time students.

But the Senate then drafted revisions to reverse those changes.

The revisions are encouraging for Colorado higher education leaders, but there are still concerns that Pell changes could make it into the final budget.

Pikes Peak State College President Lance Bolton told me in an interview that community college students would especially be hurt by any changes to Pell.

The original Trump budget proposal would have affected more than a quarter of Pikes Peak’s about 17,000-student population. About half of those students would have lost federal aid altogether because so many students are attending part-time.

Bolton said part-time students already face some of the steepest challenges. They’re often struggling to balance work, parenting, and complicated lives, Bolton said. Part-time students are also more likely to come from low-income backgrounds

Bolton said he’s seen those students learn skills that make them more employable. The help from the federal government provides them a path to self-sufficiency and prosperity, he said.

“They would be knocked off that path by the changes in the Pell grant process,” he said. “It certainly would have been really unfortunate for them.”

The school would also likely have to cut programs because students might opt out of pursuing a college education if the changes pass, Bolton said. It’s a situation many community colleges could face.

“We want to protect the supports that help our most vulnerable students and make sure they have a pathway to prosperity, a pathway to economic self-sufficiency,” Bolton said. “And that’s what Pell Grants have always been about.”

Thank you for reading. Let me know if you have any tips or comments at jgonzales@chalkbeat.org.

Higher ed stories from Chalkbeat

Colorado’s residents hold more degrees with value than most other states — The revamped Stronger Nation report looks at states with college-educated individuals who earn a typical wage 15% higher than those who hold just a high school diploma.

‘Why are we making it harder?’ How Trump’s budget would impact grants for low income students — About seven million students nationwide rely on free federal money to go to college. Here’s what students worry about if Congress makes changes to Pell Grants.

What we’re reading

CU Regents vote to continue with potential censure of Wanda James Colorado Public Radio

Colorado’s theatre programs are declining. Will career and technical education be the second act? KUNC

Statue of Bill McCartney, the title-winning coach who called homosexuality an “abomination,” is dividing CU The Colorado Sun

Trump promised to welcome more foreign students. Now, they feel targeted on all fronts The Associated Press

Behind the turmoil of federal attacks on colleges, some states are going after tenure The Hechinger Report

Colorado students, education leaders try to help TRIO college-access program avoid Trump cuts

2025-06-26T19:19:23+00:00

Beyond High School is our free monthly newsletter covering higher education policy and practices in Colorado. Sign up to get it delivered to your inbox early.

At one time, Bailee Hernandez didn’t even know how to enroll in college. No one in her family had attended.

She did know that college was expensive.

All that meant she used to think she would go straight from high school into the workforce. But thanks to the staff at Colorado State University Pueblo’s TRIO office, Hernandez enrolled at Colorado Mesa University during the pandemic. Then she dropped out.

CSU Pueblo TRIO staff once again stepped up to help. Hernandez took a year off from college to work before the staff helped her to return to college. This time, she enrolled at CSU Pueblo in her hometown, where she now wants to earn a degree in social work.

The federal TRIO initiative is a set of programs that helps people like Hernandez who face the highest odds of never getting to or finishing college. Across the nation, 870,000 high school and college students and older adults from low-income backgrounds, students with disabilities, and first-generation students are a part of the program. About 17,500 students benefit from the program in Colorado.

But President Donald Trump apparently takes a very dim view of TRIO’s value.

The Trump administration’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2026 would strip all funding from the six-decade old program, leaving college students who have the hardest time getting to college in every part of the country without what advocates, program administrators, and some lawmakers call a vital service.

“For communities like Pueblo, a lot of students don’t know about college because their parents have never gone. They don’t even toy with the idea of going to college because they feel it’s not possible,” Hernandez said. “Programs like these open doors. Taking that away will really increase barriers for those that are already struggling.”

In its budget proposal, the Trump administration has taken the position that the program doesn’t include enough accountability. Trump’s budget says that “TRIO has not met its performance measures for a number of years” and will leave how to support students up to state, college, and local officials.

The federal government provided $1.2 billion for the program in its most recent budget. Almost every Colorado college and university offers the program. TRIO funding is awarded through competitive, multi-year grants.

Congress often disregards many specific proposals in presidential budget blueprints, and TRIO has long enjoyed bipartisan support. But Colorado isn’t the only state where people involved in TRIO have defended it in light of Trump’s budget.

CSU Pueblo Executive Director of TRIO Programs Brenda Trujillo-Aranda said such a move would hurt not just Hernandez and Pueblo, but the entire southeastern Colorado community.

“This isn’t just a budget decision,” she said. “It’s a decision about whose future matters.”

Communities would struggle to support students without TRIO

The TRIO program received its name from its original three programs, but has grown into eight distinct programs — seven of which provide services directly to students. They include the Student Support Services, Educational Opportunity Centers, Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement, Talent Search, and Upward Bound programs.

That suite of programs includes college awareness programs for middle and high school students, college advising support, and connections to get back to or into college for older adults. TRIO staff teach students not just about traditional two- and four-year degrees, but options like industry credentials and certificates.

A national group of advocates and program administrators argue that it would be a mistake to defund a program that has a proven track record of success.

Data from the Council for Opportunity in Education show students participating in these programs are much more likely to go to school, stay in school, and graduate. The nonprofit has advocated for Congress to keep funding TRIO despite Trump’s budget request, especially because of the impact defunding would have on schools with the fewest resources.

“TRIO is particularly prevalent among institutions that serve high numbers of low-income, first-generation students,” said Kimberly Jones, the president of COE, in an email. “Given the high levels of need of those student populations, these institutions simply do not have the resources to make up for the millions of dollars TRIO brings to their campuses.”

The school has received about $2.2 million annually to offer TRIO programs, which serves about 2,500 students, including 150 veterans and students as old as 72.

CSU Pueblo Interim President Rico Munn said there would be no way to replace the money in the short term. Program administrators at the school also are wondering whether they can even offer the program next fall because several grants are eligible for renewal in the fall.

Fliers describing the various TRIO offerings at Colorado State University sit outside the program's office on Monday, June 23, 2025.

CSU Pueblo student Rhyli Aranda has attended three different colleges so far, but CSU Pueblo TRIO staff have helped her through all the challenges, including an undiagnosed learning disability. She now works as a student employee in the TRIO office, which includes planning events and mentoring other students through TRIO.

“Without TRIO, I would be lost,” Aranda said.

TRIO supporters lobby Congress to preserve funding

Historically, the TRIO program has received widespread and bipartisan support in Congress. For example, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, recently criticized Trump’s budget blueprint specifically for cutting TRIO.

The Council for Opportunity in Education has gathered over 10,000 alumni in a petition to Congress in the hopes that Congress will preserve the program. And Colorado school leaders and community groups across Colorado hope that lawmakers will preserve TRIO.

Nate Easley, a TRIO advocate and Colorado State University System trustee, said about 5,700 within the CSU System, which includes the Fort Collins campus, use the TRIO program.

He said the return that the nation gets on spending the money on TRIO is exponential.

“There are kids who are going to graduate college,” he said. “They become taxpayers and contributing citizens.”

Other schools, such as the University of Northern Colorado, have a history of using the funding to innovate.

For instance, the school’s University 101 class was originally funded with TRIO before the school made the program mandatory, said Stephanie Torrez, University of Northern Colorado’s assistant vice president for student academic success. The class teaches first-time and transfer students about what to expect in college and helps with study skills.

“There’s so much that TRIO offers for our campus,” she said. “We learn so much from it.”

But the program isn’t isolated just to schools. Community foundations such as the Denver Scholarship Foundation have used TRIO funding to prepare high school students for college.

Nathan Cadena, DSF’s chief impact officer, said most programs have enough to spend just $600 to $1,500 per student. But he said it’s that “little extra investment that really uplifts.”

Colorado’s residents hold more degrees with value than most other states

2025-06-12T19:27:26+00:00

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Not every college education holds the same value. But a new report released earlier this year shows that college degrees hold more value than just a high school diploma for Colorado’s residents.

The newly revamped Stronger Nation report ranks Colorado’s workforce among the top five with a high share of college-educated individuals who earn a typical wage 15% higher than those who hold just a high school diploma.

In the past, the report published by the Lumina Foundation tracked whether Americans have a college education, but not how that affected their earnings. The foundation focuses on opportunities for all Americans to get an education beyond high school. (Lumina is a funder of Chalkbeat. See our funders here, and read our ethics policy here.)

Now, the nonprofit foundation has new goals to understand whether a college degree, credential, or certificate delivers value to residents. The foundation aims to equip 75% of adults in the U.S. labor force with a college education that leads to economic prosperity.

“It is really important to attain a credential, but we want to make sure that it’s a credential of value,” said Courtney Brown, Lumina Foundation, vice president of impact and planning. “We want to make sure nobody’s wasting their time or their resources to get a credential that doesn’t provide labor market value.”

The new report uses U.S. Census Bureau data to tally how many residents have a degree and their reported earnings.

While Lumina has ranked Colorado the most-educated state, also evaluating the credential value has dropped the state behind Massachusetts, the District of Columbia, and Minnesota.

The report shows about 51% of the 2.7 million Coloradans actively participating in the labor force make at least $140 more per week than their peers with just a high school diploma. On average, the typical high school graduate nationally makes $930 a week, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The report confirms holding a higher-level degree, including short-term credentials and associate degrees, increases the likelihood residents will increase their earnings. About three-quarters of all residents who hold a bachelor’s degree earned 15% more than their peers with only a high school degree.

While the report doesn’t detail the other benefits of getting a college education, studies have shown college graduates also have better access to health care and are more likely to be civically engaged.

The Stronger Nation report also doesn’t detail which certificates, degrees, or credentials nationally hold the most value. Instead, Brown said the foundation hopes the report brings awareness about gaps specific to each state. The foundation wants officials to use local data to determine whether programs meet the needs of their communities and provide economic value to residents.

Colorado higher education officials have already started to take on this work. In 2023, the state reworked its higher education goals to focus on advancing the economic mobility of residents. The state has outlined strategies to do this, such as subsidizing the cost of higher education or detailing how certain education paths can lead to higher pay.

Brown said Colorado and other states’ leadership in showing how college can benefit residents has demonstrated to the foundation the importance of measuring a degree’s value, not just educational attainment.

“I would encourage Colorado to continue to be a leader and make sure that the state is providing these credentials of value,” Brown said.

‘Why are we making it harder?’ How Trump’s budget would impact grants for low income students

2025-06-10T22:59:27+00:00

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Daniela Ibarra is one of the more than seven million students nationwide who rely on free federal money to go to college.

Thanks to Pell Grant funding, which is awarded to students from lower income backgrounds, the University of Colorado Denver junior has needed to work fewer hours to support herself through college and so far has been able to attend school debt free.

However, Trump’s 2026 budget bill would change the eligibility requirements for federal Pell Grants by increasing the number of credit hours students must take to receive the maximum aid of $7,395 annually. Some part-time students also wouldn’t be eligible for Pell grants at all if the budget passes.

That means in Colorado, more than 70,000 students like Ibarra would have to take more credit hours and get less federal aid.

“Why are we making it harder for people to get access to education?” she said. “Why are we making it harder for people to get access to knowledge?”

In light of the proposed changes, over 170 college access, business, workforce development, and other groups called on Congress in a letter last week to spare the Pell Grant program from cuts. In Colorado, the groups include DSST Public Schools, a Denver-area charter school network with 16 middle and high schools, and the Denver Scholarship Foundation, which helps support Denver students through college advising and scholarships.

The letter says budget actions would not only increase the cost burden on families, but hinder nationwide economic growth by increasing student loan borrowing and reducing opportunities for students.

Natasha Garfield, who is DSF’s director of scholarships and financial aid, said proposed Pell changes assume students can rely more on private scholarships. But many students already have trouble cobbling together enough money for college.

“That’s placing all of the responsibility on the student to find those opportunities instead of saying this is a collective responsibility that our community and our country have to ensure students can pursue their postsecondary goals and the careers of their choice,” she said.

Ibarra receives full Pell Grant aid and has a DSF scholarship. About 87% of DSF scholars receive federal aid and 65% are eligible for the maximum amount.

Federal data from the 2022-23 school year shows that about a third of all CU Denver undergraduate students received a Pell Grant that year, totaling about $20.5 million in federal aid.

About 11,700 undergraduate students in the University of Colorado System, or about 23% of students at campuses that include Colorado Springs and Boulder, received a Pell Grant in the 2023-24 school year, according to Michele Ames, system spokesperson. Those students received about $61.5 million in aid.

The Denver students the foundation supports are considering their next steps, Garfield said. She expects some might feel that they can’t afford to go to college, or feel they need to work more during school or take out loans.

Ibarra, who is majoring in business administration, said her college life would be significantly changed if the Trump budget bill passes. To qualify for full aid, she would have to take 15 credits per semester instead of the 12 that are currently considered full-time enrollment.

Ibarra said if she has to take another class, it will be harder to juggle other responsibilities such as her on-campus work study job. Ibarra also has started a business that will produce specialty water bottles. If the Trump bill passes, she might put her business on hold until she gets through college

A smaller Pell award would affect her college experience. She worries she would have to move home — a 30-minute commute — instead of continuing to rent an apartment near CU Denver. She said living closer to campus has made it easier to have a job on campus, study, and participate.

Ibarra said she would consider taking on debt, but hopes Congress will restore the Pell Grant budget within the bill because so many students across the country don’t have the means to go to college and improve their lives.

“I don’t think that they’re considering this affects us deeply,” Ibarra said. “It’s really disheartening.”

Beyond High School: Trump targets in-state tuition for undocumented students

2025-05-09T18:34:03+00:00

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Coverage of one of President Donald Trump’s latest executive orders focused mostly on his push to target so-called sanctuary cities and states. However, the April 28 order also called for federal agencies to target in-state college tuition programs for undocumented students.

The administration argues that these programs discriminate against out-of-state students by allowing non-citizens to pay less than them. The order says federal officials shall “take appropriate” action against the 24 states with these laws, along with Washington, D.C., but it’s unclear what that might be. University of Colorado System officials and other school leaders are monitoring the impact.

Like many of Trump’s actions, I expect any enforcement will result in a legal battle.

These in-state tuition programs have been around for decades, but the political winds have been changing for some time. Texas lawmakers were the first to enact such a program, but Republicans in recent years have tried to repeal the program. Florida lawmakers, who had the law in place for over a decade, just ended their program.

For now, Colorado’s program is expected to remain. And advocates want students to know it’s still available to them. In fact, the program will be slightly easier to access this year since state lawmakers repealed a requirement that students sign an affidavit saying they will apply for legal residency.

What questions do you have about the program? Shoot me a note at jgonzales@chalkbeat.org.

Higher ed stories from Chalkbeat

Trump administration takes aim at in-state tuition programs for undocumented students — An April 28 executive order targets programs that provide in-state tuition for undocumented students who graduated from high school in that state or who meet other residency requirements.

Education researchers protest Trump policies on steps of Colorado Capitol — About 125 researchers and educators from across the nation rallied to signal their opposition to Trump’s decisions about K-12 and higher education.

Colorado law school students get a firsthand look at a ‘broken’ immigration law system — The university clinic is one of two in the state that provide real-world experience for students and free representation for immigrants who might otherwise have to navigate a complicated system alone.

Colorado’s 2025-26 budget has more money for schools, universities — Colleges and universities will get $38.4 million more next year for operations and student financial aid.

What we’re reading

How President Trump’s first 100 days in office are being felt in Colorado’s classrooms and universities Colorado Public Radio

CSU president joins 440-plus higher education leaders in statement against federal actions Fort Collins Coloradoan (Paywall)

Federal cuts hit 11 University of Denver projects as university leaders protest policy CBS Colorado

New state laws across the nation target DEI, struggling academic programs, and tenure The Chronicle of Higher Education

Student loan collections have restarted. Here’s what to know. Open Campus

La administración Trump ataca programas de matrícula estatal para estudiantes indocumentados

2025-05-08T22:19:50+00:00

Read in English.

Chalkbeat Colorado es un noticiero local sin fines de lucro que informa sobre las escuelas públicas.

Estudiantes indocumentados en Colorado se han convertido en maestros, enfermeros y empresarios gracias a un programa que les permite pagar matrícula estatal en universidades públicas.

Ahora, el futuro de ese programa — y de otros similares en 23 estados más — está en riesgo después de que el presidente Donald Trump firmara una orden ejecutiva que busca sancionar a estados y ciudades con políticas consideradas “santuarios”.

La orden, firmada el 28 de abril, señala específicamente los programas que otorgan matrícula estatal a estudiantes indocumentados que se graduaron de preparatoria en ese estado o que cumplen con otros requisitos de residencia.

Permitir que estudiantes no ciudadanos paguen menos que ciudadanos de otros estados representa una forma de discriminación, según la orden, que indica que el fiscal general, en coordinación con el secretario del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional, “identificará y tomará las medidas necesarias para detener la implementación de leyes, reglamentos, políticas y prácticas estatales y locales que favorezcan a extranjeros por encima de ciudadanos estadounidenses de manera ilegal”.

Defensores de estudiantes inmigrantes advierten que, sin matrícula estatal, muchos estudiantes indocumentados no podrían pagar la universidad. No califican para ayuda financiera federal y enfrentan otras barreras para continuar su educación.

“Esto es absolutamente esencial para los estudiantes inmigrantes”, dijo Raquel Lane-Arellano, directora de comunicaciones de la Coalición de Derechos de los Inmigrantes de Colorado, organización que luchó por la ley de matrícula estatal en 2013. “No es culpa de estos estudiantes que nuestro sistema migratorio esté roto. Merecen la oportunidad de acceder a niveles superiores de educación, como todos sus compañeros”.

Por ahora, las universidades en Colorado no han hecho cambios inmediatos en sus políticas. “La orden ejecutiva no proporciona suficientes detalles para saber con certeza qué acciones federales se tomarán”, dijo Megan McDermott, portavoz del Departamento de Educación Superior de Colorado.

La orden podría desencadenar una batalla legal sobre los programas de matrícula estatal apoyados por el estado, que organizaciones de derechos de inmigrantes y asesoría universitaria consideran esenciales para que los estudiantes indocumentados accedan a la educación superior y puedan llenar empleos de alta demanda.

Veinticuatro estados —incluidos Colorado, Illinois, Nueva York y Nueva Jersey— y Washington, D.C., tienen programas que permiten a estudiantes indocumentados pagar matrícula estatal. Aunque estos programas han recibido apoyo bipartidista, legisladores republicanos en varios estados han presentado proyectos de ley para revertirlos. La semana pasada, Florida puso fin a su programa, que llevaba una década en vigor.

La orden se suma a un ambiente ya incierto para estudiantes inmigrantes, quienes temen llenar formularios de ayuda financiera por el riesgo de deportación. Natasha Garfield, de la Fundación de Becas de Denver, dijo que su organización continuará brindando información para que los estudiantes puedan decidir si la universidad es adecuada para ellos, especialmente en medio de la incertidumbre provocada por la postura migratoria de Trump.

“Hay quienes están muy, muy preocupados por la situación actual, y no creo que DSF ni nadie pueda tranquilizarlos del todo”, dijo Garfield, directora de becas y ayuda financiera. “Es comprensible dada la actuación de ICE y el gobierno federal”.

La orden es parte del esfuerzo más amplio de Trump por intensificar las medidas contra personas sin autorización legal en el país. Su directiva también incluye sanciones a ciudades y estados santuario. El viernes, la administración presentó una demanda contra Colorado y Denver por sus políticas.

Según la orden, algunos funcionarios estatales y locales “utilizan su autoridad para violar, obstruir y desafiar la aplicación de las leyes migratorias federales. Esto es una insurrección ilegal contra la supremacía de la ley federal”.

Los estados tienen una larga trayectoria otorgando matrícula estatal a jóvenes traídos al país sin estatus legal. Texas y California fueron los primeros en aprobar estas leyes en 2001, y otros estados siguieron. Cada uno tiene requisitos distintos.

Unos 408,000 estudiantes indocumentados se inscriben en educación superior cada año, aunque no todos se benefician de estos programas, según el Portal de inmigración de educación superior. Incluso en estados sin estas leyes, algunas universidades privadas — como en Tennessee — ofrecen matrícula estatal para todos, sin importar estatus migratorio. En Pensilvania, al menos una institución pública otorga matrícula estatal a estudiantes indocumentados.

La ley ASSET de Colorado, actualizada en 2019, requiere que los estudiantes hayan asistido a una escuela secundaria en Colorado durante al menos un año antes de graduarse o hayan vivido en el estado por lo menos un año, para calificar.

La ley de Nueva York exige haber asistido al menos dos años a una escuela secundaria en ese estado, haberse graduado o tener un diploma equivalente, solicitar ingreso a una universidad en un plazo de cinco años, demostrar residencia y firmar una declaración jurada de que solicitarán estatus legal.

Illinois tiene requisitos similares, mientras que Nueva Jersey exige tres años de residencia.

Las organizaciones nacionales FWD.us, TheDream.US y la Alianza de Presidentes por la Educación Superior e Inmigración criticaron la orden. De manera conjunta, señalaron que los estados y universidades no deben reaccionar de forma exagerada y que la orden perjudica a estados que necesitan trabajadores calificados.

“Impedir que los estados ofrezcan matrícula estatal a estudiantes indocumentados que han vivido la mayor parte de sus vidas en estos lugares es cerrarles las puertas a la educación superior, desperdiciar años de inversión educativa, afectar economías locales y privar a todo el país de futuros líderes”, dijo Todd Schulte, presidente de FWD.us.

Los líderes estatales aún están evaluando el impacto de la orden. Un portavoz del gobernador Jared Polis dijo que la administración estatal está revisando los efectos de la medida y reafirmó su compromiso con que Colorado siga siendo un destino para todo tipo de estudiantes.

El estado no ha presentado acciones legales, pero sus líderes han mostrado disposición a oponerse a órdenes de la administración Trump.

El sistema universitario más grande de Colorado tampoco planea hacer cambios. Michele Ames, vocera del Sistema de la Universidad de Colorado, dijo que sus instituciones seguirán cumpliendo con las leyes aplicables y que por ahora no se modificarán sus políticas. Otras universidades, como la Universidad del Norte de Colorado, también están monitoreando la situación.

Las escuelas de todo el estado han declarado que no compartirán información personal de los estudiantes, como el estatus migratorio de quienes estudian bajo el programa ASSET, con el gobierno federal, a menos que exista una orden judicial, en cumplimiento con las leyes federales de privacidad estudiantil.

Traducido por Rossana Longo, Colorado Community Media

Jason Gonzales es un reportero que cubre la educación superior y la legislatura de Colorado. Chalkbeat Colorado se asocia con Open Campus para cubrir la educación superior. Comunícate con Jason por correo electrónico enviando un mensaje a jgonzales@chalkbeat.org.

Trump administration takes aim at in-state tuition programs for undocumented students

2025-05-05T22:38:31+00:00

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Undocumented students in Colorado have gone on to be teachers, nurses, and business owners thanks to a program that allows them to pay in-state tuition at public universities.

Now the future of that program and ones like it in 23 other states are in doubt after President Donald Trump signed an executive order that seeks to punish states and cities with so-called sanctuary policies.

The order, signed on April 28, also specifically calls out programs that provide in-state tuition for undocumented students who graduated from high school in that state or who meet other residency requirements.

Allowing in-state students who are not citizens to pay less tuition than out-of-state students who are citizens represents discrimination, according to the order, which says that the attorney general, in cooperation with the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, “shall identify and take appropriate action to stop the enforcement of state and local laws, regulations, policies, and practices favoring aliens over any groups of American citizens that are unlawful.”

Advocates for immigrant students say that without in-state tuition, many undocumented students will struggle to afford college. They don’t qualify for any federal financial aid and face other barriers to college.

“This is absolutely essential for immigrant students,” said Raquel Lane-Arellano, communications manager for the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, which fought to pass Colorado’s in-state tuition law in 2013. “It’s not these students’ fault that our immigration system is so broken. They deserve the opportunity, just like all of their peers, to access higher levels of education.”

So far, Colorado universities are not making any immediate changes to their policies. “The executive order does not provide enough details to truly know what federal actions will be taken,” said Colorado Department of Higher Education spokesperson Megan McDermott.

The Trump order sets up a possible legal showdown over the state-supported tuition programs that immigrant rights and higher education-advising groups have called essential to help undocumented students access higher education and educate them to fill in-demand jobs.

Twenty-four states, including Colorado, Illinois, New York, and New Jersey, along with Washington, D.C. have programs that allow undocumented students to pay in-state tuition. While the programs have received bipartisan support, Republicans in several states have recently filed bills to consider rolling back in-state tuition for undocumented students. Last week, Florida lawmakers ended the state’s decade-old program.

The order adds to an already uncertain environment for immigrant students, who worry about the risks of filling out financial aid paperwork while grappling with deportation fears. Denver Scholarship Foundation’s Natasha Garfield said the college-advising nonprofit will continue to provide students information about their options and allow them to decide whether college is right for them during a time when Trump’s immigration stance has brought incredible uncertainty.

“There are some who are very, very concerned about the state of things, and I don’t think there’s anything that DSF or anyone else could say to reassure them,” said Garfield, the scholarship organization’s director of scholarships and financial aid. “I think that’s completely understandable given some of the actions that we’ve seen coming from ICE [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement] and the federal government.”

The order is part of Trump’s larger push to crack down on people in the United States without legal authorization. His directive to punish states with these programs also included several other enforcement actions such as punishing so-called sanctuary cities and states. The administration filed suit Friday against Colorado and Denver for its policies.

The administration argues in the order that some state and local officials use their “authority to violate, obstruct, and defy the enforcement of federal immigration laws. This is a lawless insurrection against the supremacy of Federal law.”

States have a long history of offering in-state tuition at public universities to youth who were brought as children and without legal status. Texas and California passed the first laws in 2001, and other states followed with similar laws. Each varies in how they approach granting in-state tuition.

About 408,000 undocumented students enroll in higher education each year, although not all benefit from these state programs, according to the Higher Ed Immigration Portal. However, even in states without these laws, some private schools in Tennessee and elsewhere may offer in-state tuition for all students regardless of their residency or legal status. And in Pennsylvania, at least one public institution provides in-state tuition to undocumented students.

Colorado’s Advising Students for a Stronger Tomorrow law, or ASSET, updated in 2019, says students must have attended a Colorado high school for at least one year before graduation or been physically present in Colorado for at least one year to qualify for in-state tuition.

New York’s law says students must have attended at least two years of high school in New York and graduate or receive a general education diploma. Students must also apply to a college or university within five years and show proof of residency. They must also sign an affidavit saying they will file for legal status.

Illinois’ law has similar requirements, while New Jersey requires three years of residency.

National student immigrant advocacy organizations FWD.us, TheDream.US, and the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration all criticized the order. Collectively, they said states, colleges, and universities shouldn’t overreact and that the order hurts states that need qualified workers.

“Blocking states from offering in-state tuition to undocumented students who have lived in these states for most of their lives would purposefully lock countless individuals out of the higher education system, waste years of educational investment, hurt local economies, and rob all Americans of future leaders,” said Todd Schulte, FWD.us president.

State leaders are still working to understand the impact of the order, and a spokesperson for Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement the administration is looking into the impacts of this order. The state remains committed to ensuring the state remains a destination for all learners, the statement says.

The state has not filed any legal action against the order, but leaders have been willing to push back on Trump administration orders.

Colorado’s largest university system also doesn’t plan changes at this time. University of Colorado System spokesperson Michele Ames said its schools are committed to following applicable laws and will not make any changes at this time. Other universities, such as the University of Northern Colorado, are monitoring the actions.

Schools across the state have also said that they won’t release individual student information, such as information about undocumented students who attend schools through the ASSET program, to the federal government without a court order or warrant, per federal student privacy laws.

Estudiantes de derecho en Colorado experimentan de primera mano un sistema migratorio ‘roto’

2025-05-02T20:51:48+00:00

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Confusión. Miedo. Ansiedad.

Así describió Hunter Parnell lo que ha visto como estudiante de derecho representando a inmigrantes en Colorado. Sus clientes quieren saber qué viene ahora con la administración Trump y si podrán permanecer en Estados Unidos.

“Y la gente pregunta: el estatus migratorio que pensaba que era seguro, ¿realmente lo es?”, dijo.

Parnell fue uno de los 12 estudiantes que participaron este semestre en la Clínica de Inmigración de Colorado Law en la Universidad de Colorado Boulder, justo cuando el presidente de EE.UU. ha priorizado una aplicación más estricta de las leyes migratorias. Esta clínica universitaria es una de dos en el estado que ofrecen experiencia práctica para los estudiantes y representación gratuita para inmigrantes que, de otro modo, tendrían que enfrentar un sistema complejo por sí solos.

Las clínicas son pequeñas, y sus agendas ya estaban llenas antes de que Trump asumiera el cargo. En los últimos tres meses, los profesores a cargo han visto crecer la demanda y han recibido más consultas y referencias de organizaciones comunitarias.

“Nuestro punto de partida ya es caótico, tumultuoso, con condiciones duras y consecuencias serias para personas marginadas en nuestra sociedad”, dijo Elizabeth Jordan, profesora asistente y directora de la Clínica de Derecho y Política Migratoria en la Universidad de Denver. “Desde el 20 de enero, he tenido dificultades para procesar que nuestra agenda ya estaba llena de casos complicados”.

Este semestre ha enseñado muchas lecciones a Parnell. La más evidente: cuán pocos recursos tienen los inmigrantes para enfrentar un sistema que su profesora describió como “roto”, justo cuando más se necesita.

“Con esta nueva administración, lo que estamos viendo es simplemente más desesperación”, dijo.

Las clínicas benefician a estudiantes y comunidades

Los casos que manejan los estudiantes típicamente involucran a inmigrantes con violaciones civiles por ingresar ilegalmente al país, dijo Violeta Chapin, profesora clínica de derecho en Colorado Law. Otros están solicitando permanecer legalmente en Estados Unidos. En algunos casos, los estudiantes representan a inmigrantes (algunos con tarjetas verdes) que han sido detenidos y enfrentan la expulsión.

La clínica de Jordan se enfoca más en inmigrantes en detención, un sistema que, según dijo, opera con poca transparencia.

Los casos incluyen a personas que tal vez dieron un nombre falso a la policía o enfrentan cargos por manejar bajo la influencia. Sus clientes pueden pasar meses o años detenidos, enfrentando deportación por estos delitos. Y desde enero, la nueva administración ha liberado a pocos inmigrantes, señaló.

En Colorado, más de 30 estudiantes han visto sus visas revocadas recientemente, incluso por infracciones de tránsito. La administración también ha deportado a algunos inmigrantes sin procesos legales, lo cual preocupa a Parnell.

Sin programas como estos, la población inmigrante del estado tendría que representarse sola o pagar miles de dólares a abogados privados. Según The Colorado Sun, hay aproximadamente 7,100 casos de inmigración por juez, y solo el 15% de los inmigrantes en Colorado tienen representación legal.

“Tenemos que cubrir esa necesidad porque no hay abogados del gobierno para las personas que enfrentan procesos migratorios”, dijo Chapin.

Jordan quiere que sus estudiantes aprendan a representar a clientes de todos los orígenes con compasión.

“También quiero que comprendan que estudiar el sistema migratorio nos da una oportunidad para examinar cómo están construidos los sistemas legales, sus objetivos y consecuencias”, dijo Jordan.

Parnell quiere educar al público sobre el sistema legal

Los estudiantes que participan en estas clínicas suelen trabajar después para el gobierno federal, firmas privadas o como defensores públicos. Pocos seguirán representando a inmigrantes, pero Chapin espera que lo aprendido les ayude a ser mejores abogados.

Parnell, quien quiere ser defensor público, dijo haber notado que el sistema a menudo trata a los inmigrantes de forma arbitraria. Un cliente con un caso similar podría tener un resultado completamente distinto al de otro.

“Para la mayoría de las personas en nuestro sistema migratorio, no hay mucha lógica ni razón”, dijo.

Parnell espera que las recientes acciones de la administración Trump ayuden a que los residentes de Colorado y del país entiendan cuán difícil puede ser el sistema para los inmigrantes. También ha aprendido que los abogados deben explicar mejor cómo funciona el sistema legal, para que los clientes y el público estén más informados.

Y agregó que los abogados deben alzar la voz cuando una parte del sistema no funciona de forma justa para sus clientes.

Traducido por Rossana Longo-Better, Colorado Community Media

Education researchers protest Trump policies on steps of Colorado Capitol

2025-04-25T20:47:17+00:00

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On the steps of the Colorado Capitol, Terrell Morton looked out on the small crowd of fellow researchers and said they gave him hope.

Less than two weeks ago, the Trump administration canceled two of the University of Illinois at Chicago assistant professor’s grants that involved researching how to help Black students in science, technology, engineering, and math.

“It lets me know that I am not alone in this space when it comes to advancing and fighting for justice,” he said.

About 125 researchers and educators from across the nation — along with a small group of students — joined Morton to signal their opposition to President Donald Trump’s decisions about K-12 and higher education. Trump has sought to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, cancel research grants, and dismantle the U.S. Department of Education.

The group was in Denver to attend the American Educational Research Association’s annual meeting, which brought together 10,000 researchers from across the country.

Organizers say they saw an opportunity with so many researchers gathered in one spot to hold the rally, which was not part of the AERA conference, in a public space to protest Trump’s efforts to exert control over universities and research.

Elizabeth Todd-Breland, a former Chicago Board of Education member and historian, said with so many researchers in Denver, the hope was to build solidarity at a time when research is under attack.

“It’s going to take all of us working together to push back against those threats,” Todd-Breland said.

Mildred Boveda, who is a Pennsylvania State University associate professor, said researchers typically work behind the scenes to share information and ideas. But now that the federal government wants to limit higher education research and ideas, she said she feels college educators can no longer stay quiet.

“We’re under attack right now by a few who are actually engaging in indoctrination that we’re being falsely accused of,” she said. “We’re trying to set the record straight. We are trying to defend not just educational institutions, but education truth.”

Colorado law school students get a firsthand look at a ‘broken’ immigration law system

2025-04-24T21:18:37+00:00

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Confusion. Fear. Anxiety.

That’s how Hunter Parnell described what he’s seen as a law student representing immigrants in Colorado. His clients have wanted to know what’s next from the Trump administration and whether they will be able to stay in the United States, he said.

“And people are asking: The status that I thought was going to be secure — is that secure?” he said.

Parnell was one of 12 law students taking part in the Colorado Law Immigration Clinic at the University of Colorado Boulder this past semester, just as the U.S. president has made stricter immigration enforcement a top priority. The university clinic is one of two in the state that provide real-world experience for students and free representation for immigrants who might otherwise have to navigate a complicated system alone.

The clinics are small, and their dockets were full before Trump took office. In the three months since, the professors running the clinics say the demand has grown and they have fielded more questions and received more referrals from community organizations.

“Our baseline is chaotic, tumultuous, harsh conditions, and serious consequences for people who are incredibly marginalized in our society,” said Elizabeth Jordan, an assistant professor and director of DU’s Immigration Law and Policy Clinic. “So I’ve been struggling a little bit since January 20 with the fact that our docket was already quite full with very complicated cases.”

This semester has taught Parnell many lessons. The most apparent is how few resources immigrants have at their disposal to get through a system his professor described as “broken” during a time when the need is possibly at its greatest.

“With this new administration, what we are seeing is just more desperation,” he said.

Clinics are valuable to the community and students

The cases students handle typically involve immigrants who have civil violations for entering into the United States illegally, said Violeta Chapin, a Colorado Law clinical professor. Others are petitioning to stay in the United States. In other cases, students represent immigrants — some with green cards — who have been detained and face removal.

Jordan’s clinic focuses more on immigrants in detention, a system she said operates without much transparency.

Cases students work on include immigrants who may have given a police officer a fake name or been charged with driving under the influence. Clients can sit in detention centers for months to years and face removal because of these offenses, she said. And the new administration hasn’t released many immigrants since January.

In Colorado, more than 30 students have recently had their visas revoked, including some for traffic citations or other cases. The administration also has deported some immigrants without legal proceedings, which worries Parnell.

Without programs like these, Colorado’s immigrant population must represent themselves or seek out attorneys in private firms who can cost thousands of dollars. According to the Colorado Sun, there are about 7,100 immigration cases per judge, and only about 15% of all Colorado immigrants have representation in court.

“We have to fill that need because there are no government attorneys for people who are navigating immigration proceedings,” Chapin said.

Jordan wants her students to understand how to represent clients from all backgrounds with compassion.

“I also want students to understand that learning about the immigration system gives us an opportunity to examine legal systems and the way that they’re constructed, their objectives, their consequences,” Jordan said.

Parnell wants to educate others about the legal system

The students who participate in the law clinics go on to work for the federal government, private firms, or become public defenders. Not many will work with immigrants again, but Chapin said she hopes they’ve learned different perspectives that will help them become better lawyers.

Parnell, who wants to be a public defender, said he’s found that the system often neglects immigrants by handing out arbitrary consequences. One client with a similar case might get a different outcome than someone else.

“For the most part, for the people that are in our immigration system, there isn’t much rhyme or reason,” he said.

He hopes that the Trump administration’s recent actions teach Coloradans and the nation just how difficult the system can be for immigrants, because he sees a lot of confusion about the process.

He’s also learned that attorneys should do a better job of explaining how the legal system works so that clients and the public can be more informed, he said.

And he added that attorneys should speak out when any part of the legal system doesn’t work in a way that’s fair to clients.

Colorado’s 2025-26 budget has more money for schools, but it’s less than was promised

2025-04-23T20:43:07+00:00

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Colorado lawmakers approved a state budget for next year that has more money for colleges, universities, and K-12 schools. But the increase is less than what was promised or requested.

Lawmakers finalized the $43.9 billion spending plan for the 2025-26 year earlier this week after months of debate about how to close a $1.2 billion spending shortfall. The shortfall was caused by increased costs for programs such as Medicaid and voter-approved caps on state spending.

Lawmakers had promised more funding for K-12 schools through a school finance formula rewrite last year. But the shortfall means the increase will be about $16 million less than originally expected.

Colleges and universities will also get far less than higher education leaders requested. Instead, lawmakers will allow them more flexibility in raising tuition rates to cover expenses.

The budget also provides increases for the state’s early childhood initiatives.

Gov. Jared Polis will need to sign the budget bill to give it final approval.

Here’s what’s in the 2025-26 budget:

The budget will bring total K-12 state and district spending to $10 billion next year and increase spending per student to an average of $11,852, or an increase of $412 over the $11,440 average this year. The budget includes about $256 million more in state spending than last year.
Almost every school district, except for 21 that have declining enrollment, will get a funding increase. The state funds schools on a per-student basais, but a “hold harmless” provision means the 21 districts with declining enrollment won’t get less funding.
Colorado will cap the Building Excellent Schools Today grant program, which helps districts fund construction projects, at $150 million, saving $45 million next year.
The budget and an accompanying bill still under consideration propose to fund the Healthy School Meals for All program, which provides free school lunches for every student, for only half of the 2025-26 school year and decrease the number of eligible schools statewide. Lawmakers want to get a measure before voters in November to increase funding for the program, which would eliminate the need to scale it back.
Lawmakers made cuts to school grant programs. For instance, the state will save $5 million by reducing high-impact tutoring program grants.
Colleges and universities will get $38.4 million more next year for operations and student financial aid, bringing higher education general fund spending, which includes museums, to about $1.7 billion. The $38.4 million increase is less than the additional $95 million that school leaders said they need.
Colleges and universities will be allowed to increase resident and non-resident tuition by 3.5% next year. Those increases would allow schools to collect about $3 billion total in tuition next year.
The state will spend about $14 million more on the Department of Early Childhood, bringing total spending to $802 million. That includes $318 million more in general fund spending, or about $24 million more than last year.
The state’s Universal Preschool Program, which offers free preschool to all 4-year-olds in the state, will get $6 million more next year for its operations.
The budget also increases funding for the state’s Early Intervention program by $12.6 million. The program provides support services for babies and toddlers with disabilities or those at risk of developmental delays.
And lawmakers preserved a pilot program that increases wages for some child care workers across the state. The state will spend $2.9 million to continue the program.

This story has been updated to reflect that state colleges and universities will be allowed to raise resident tuition by 3.5%. An earlier version of this story had an incorrect number due to an error in a state memo.

Beyond High School: Inside Colorado’s higher ed budget

2025-04-18T19:02:53+00:00

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Colorado college and university leaders’ worries about federal funding cuts might be new, but state budget woes aren’t. And next year, Colorado will face a projected $1.2 billion shortfall and lawmakers have needed to pare back spending.

Late last year, most of Colorado’s higher education leaders said in a letter they would need about $95 million more annually for their operations and student financial aid in the 2025-26 budget year. They will get far less than the request.

The state budget will send about $38.4 million more next year for school operations and student financial aid. Although schools will get less state revenue than requested, colleges and universities will be allowed to raise resident tuition by 3% and non-resident tuition by 3.5% next year.

Colleges and universities have tried to keep tuition raises low in recent years and the state has invested more money, especially because state studies have shown students here pay higher tuition and fees than the national average.

The state has financial aid resources available to in-state students, but tuition hikes and sticker shock play a factor on whether they go to college.

During a tight budget year, lawmakers have said they did their best to still prioritize higher education. But I am curious if the state’s cost of college will further impact how students view the value of higher education here.

Higher ed stories from Chalkbeat

Colorado’s $43.9 billion budget increases K-12 and higher education funding, but officials say it falls short — The $39 million in the budget for colleges and universities and student financial aid is far less than requested, but schools have more authority to increase tuition.

Citizenship classes canceled at Community College of Aurora after Trump administration ends grant — The Community College of Aurora will no longer offer citizenship classes after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security terminated a grant that funded the program.

Colorado will bring NYC community college support program to two state rural campuses — Two rural Colorado community colleges will bring a highly-regarded New York City student support program to their campuses.

DPS school will be able to grant its own college degree — Although Colorado students already have the ability to gain a college degree while in high school, districts and the DPS technical college haven’t granted those associate degrees.

A Colorado student group inspired these 7 state laws. Now it stands to lose that power — Since 2019, student ideas have inspired more than a dozen bills.

Colorado bill seeks to protect student records and limit immigration enforcement on school grounds — The bill is a response to the Trump administration’s hard-line stance on immigration that has led to an uptick in raids, deportations, and the revocation of college student visas.

What we’re reading

Number of Colorado student visas revoked by Trump administration more than doubles The Denver Post

‘We’re preparing them for jobs that don’t even exist yet’ – New Fort Lewis president on opportunities, Indigenous heritage and first-gen students Colorado Public Radio

Americans without a degree still believe in the value of college, a new poll says NPR

The end of ‘college for all’ Vox

Tracking Trump’s actions on student visas Chronicle of Higher Education

DPS school becomes the first able to grant its own college degree

2025-04-15T20:33:39+00:00

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Denver Public Schools now has a school able to grant students an associate of applied science degree.

House Bill 1221, signed into law by Gov. Jared Polis last week, will allow Emily Griffith Technical College, which is a DPS area technical college, to grant students the associate degree, which is geared toward occupational work. Previously, the postsecondary Emily Griffith school could only offer certificates in fields such as in accounting, cosmetology, and dental assisting.

Although Colorado students already have the ability to gain a college degree while in high school through dual enrollment or early college programs, districts don’t grant those associate degrees and the DPS school hasn’t had the authority to grant an associate degree. Instead, other colleges and universities must award students credentials.

“This is a transformative moment not just for DPS, but for public education across the country,” said Denver Public Schools Superintendent Alex Marrero in a Monday news release. “By removing barriers between high school, college, and career, we’re reimagining what it means to truly prepare students for the future.”

Associate of applied science degrees typically help students enter into the workforce or gain skills in specific trades, such as in information technology, early childhood education, or nursing.

The new law requires the district’s technical college to gain approval for the new degree program from the state board for community colleges and occupational education. The program must also include an apprenticeship program, general education courses, and align with certain occupations.

In recent years, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis has pushed to increase K-12 and college connections in the hopes of making higher education more affordable. That means the state has created more opportunities for students to get college experience, such as through the dual or concurrent enrollment and early college programs offered in high schools.

While DPS is the first district to have a school with the authority to grant a college degree, the state has already expanded the traditional roles of community colleges and universities.

Some Colorado community colleges are allowed to grant bachelor’s degrees and high school diplomas to adult education students. And universities have the authority to grant associate degrees to certain students.

“This is how we build equity, open doors of opportunity, and lead with bold vision and unwavering purpose to serve our students,” DPS Board of Education President Carrie Olson said in the news release.

It’s unclear how many district-run technical colleges nationwide have associate degree-granting authority, said Josh Wyner, the founder and executive director of the College Excellence Program at the Aspen Institute. The nonpartisan nonprofit’s program aims to improve access to higher education, graduation rates, and students’ ability to get jobs after college.

South Dakota does have technical colleges that report to the state’s K-12 education commissioner and can issue degrees, he said. But there are few state examples, he said.

Colorado’s new law shows progress toward the state’s goal to connect more students to employment opportunities post high school, he said. Applied science degrees have high job placement rates.

“It makes sense that the legislature would want more of those conferred,” he said.

There are possible challenges, he said. Community colleges are built to respond to labor market needs and typically have robust partnerships with employers that aren’t necessarily in place in K-12 districts. Recent studies also show that employers highly value bachelor’s degrees.

“These credentials have good value in the labor market,” he said. “But when legislatures are considering the alignment of higher education to the labor market, I’d like to see them to include bachelor’s attainment.”

This story has been corrected to reflect the students Emily Griffith Technical College serves and that the college is an area technical college within DPS. Emily Griffith college leaders will seek approval from the state for the degree program.

Most — but not all — Colorado teacher prep programs devote enough time to math, new report finds

2025-04-08T04:01:00+00:00

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With some exceptions, most of Colorado’s undergraduate teacher prep programs spend enough time training future elementary school teachers to teach math, according to a new report.

Just over half of Colorado universities that received ratings in the National Council on Teacher Quality report released Tuesday earned an A or A+ for their undergraduate prep programs. They include the University of Northern Colorado, which is the state’s largest teacher prep program, and the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, which is the state’s third largest program.

The state’s second largest teacher prep program, Metropolitan State University of Denver, earned a C. Adams State University in Alamosa was the only undergraduate prep program in the state to earn an F. Both universities sent identical statements to Chalkbeat — each credited to a different administrator — saying the state is the most legitimate judge of teacher prep program quality.

The National Council on Teacher Quality, a research and advocacy group, used syllabi and course descriptions to determine its grades. The Colorado Department of Education doesn’t give grades to prep programs, but it does reauthorize them every five years. During that process, department staff visit campuses and review a variety of data. The department has only recently begun taking a harder look at how prep programs cover math.

In contrast to the undergraduate program grades, all but one of Colorado’s graduate teacher prep programs earned a D or F from the council for how they train future elementary teachers in math.

The council’s report comes at a time when both state and national leaders are concerned about K-12 students’ math performance, particularly since schoolchildren haven’t fully rebounded from the pandemic. Colorado fourth graders made significant gains in math on recent National Assessment of Educational Progress tests, hitting 42% proficiency, compared with 36% in 2022. Still, they’re still below the 44% proficiency rate fourth graders achieved in 2019.

For two years, Colorado has paid for schools to use an online math tutoring program called Zearn, which may have contributed modestly to math gains, a recent study found. State officials are also taking a closer look at how teacher prep programs approach math education — though not to the level they’ve scrutinized teacher prep programs’ approach to reading instruction.

Starting in spring 2023, the Colorado Department of Education began meeting with math faculty during campus visits in advance of teacher prep program reauthorization. In December, department officials began reviewing how teacher prep math classes align with state math standards. The results will be shared privately with universities this summer, a department spokesperson said.

The new ratings of more than 1,100 teacher prep programs nationwide from the National Council on Teacher Quality are based on whether programs spend enough time — 15 to 45 hours — covering key math topics. The topics include numbers and operations, algebraic thinking, geometry and measurement, data analysis and probability, and math pedagogy, which focuses on how teachers teach math to students.

Kim Mahovsky, an assistant professor of teacher education at the University of Northern Colorado, said her university’s A grade for its undergraduate program is well deserved.

She said elementary education students are required to take three math courses, and students with an elementary math concentration will take at least one additional math course.

“We are very proud of the fact that we require our students to have all these math courses in order to teach elementary mathematics,” said Mahovsky, who teaches various math methods classes.

She said the number of instructional hours the National Council on Teacher Quality recommends for various math topics all made sense to her, except for geometry and measurement. The council’s 25-hour benchmark seemed “a little low,” she said. A typical 3-credit college class is equivalent to about 45 hours of instruction.

Mahovsky took issue with the council’s F grade for her university’s graduate program for future elementary educators. She said the grade doesn’t take into account that to gain admission, students in that program must have taken the three math courses required in the university’s undergraduate teacher prep program or, if they attended a different college for undergrad, equivalent classes.

“They should already have that foundational concept knowledge coming into a graduate program,” Mahovsky said.

Some Colorado universities didn’t want to discuss the council’s teacher prep program math grades. Metropolitan State University of Denver declined two interview requests from Chalkbeat.

A statement attributed to Liz Hinde, dean of the School of Education, said in part, “While we recognize the right of external agencies to review our programs and welcome anyone to visit our website and gather whatever information they would like from it, we believe that the State of Colorado is the most legitimate judge of the Educator Preparation Programs at Metropolitan State University of Denver.”

When asked why the statement mirrored one from Adams State University, a spokesperson for Metropolitan State said Hinde crafted the statement in collaboration with the Colorado Council of Deans/Directors of Education and shared it for any of the group’s members to use.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

Citizenship classes canceled at Community College of Aurora after Trump administration ends grant

2025-04-03T22:09:48+00:00

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The Community College of Aurora will no longer offer citizenship classes after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security terminated a grant that funded the program, the college’s president announced Thursday.

In an interview, CCA President Mordecai Brownlee said he has ended the program, which helped participants prepare for the naturalization test, with a “heavy heart.”

Brownlee said these classes help students realize a path to citizenship and feel more security living in the United States. Students must have a green card to participate in the classes and be able to demonstrate an intermediate level of English proficiency, such as the ability to hold a conversation and write and speak clearly.

The college is a sub-awardee of the Homeland Security grant that was given to Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountain. Brownlee said the organization notified the school earlier this week about the Trump administration’s decision.

The Trump administration has stepped up immigration enforcement and canceled student visas and green cards, which can serve as pathways to citizenship.

Brownlee said this decision will make it harder for the college to fulfill its mission of serving the Aurora community, which is one of the most diverse in the state. Students turn to the school for a variety of educational opportunities, he said.

“You have individuals now that are beginning to feel a lost sense of value for themselves and their families,” he said. “They saw this pathway as a viable option towards realizing an American Dream.”

As part of the agreement with Lutheran Family Services, the school taught the 10-week citizenship class and, if necessary for the student, offered English-language skills courses. The community college was supposed to receive a total of $101,000 to teach those classes over two years.

Students paid about $30 per class, according to a college spokeswoman.

Meanwhile, Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountain also offered students legal assistance to become citizens, Brownlee said.

The faith-based nonprofit provides various services for families, including adoption, disaster relief, foster care, older adult guardianship, family support, and refugee and immigration services.

It’s unclear if any other Lutheran Family Services programs are affected. A spokeswoman for the organization did not immediately return a call for comment. The Rocky Mountain arm of the organization serves several states, including Colorado, New Mexico, and Montana.

The school has referred students to other area organizations that offer these services.

The Trump administration’s revocation of the grant is part of its widespread cancellation of various federal funding programs. For example, in February, the administration announced billions in funding cuts to health research grants nationwide. That order has especially impacted four-year research institutions, although a federal judge has halted the cuts.

The Trump administration has announced other actions, such as its push to end all race-conscious policies, that could reshape higher education.

Brownlee said he is unsure if the Community College of Aurora could financially support the citizenship classes without the grant. And before he seeks funding, he also wants to get a clearer picture of whether the Trump administration limits pathways to citizenship, given its stance on immigration.

“The last thing that we want to be engaged in is offering classes and preparing people for a test that potentially they can’t even take,” he said. “And so I think we’re really at a standstill.”

Colorado’s $43.9 billion budget increases K-12 and higher education funding, but officials say it falls short

2025-04-01T00:21:59+00:00

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The $43.9 billion Colorado budget proposal released Monday includes increases for K-12 and higher education operations in 2025-26, but would be far less than what school leaders say they need.

The budget would bring statewide K-12 spending to about $10 billion, up from $9.8 billion this year. It shows a K-12 general fund increase of $150 million next year, with the state making cuts to certain programs.

Higher education spending would increase by $39 million next year for college and university operations and student financial aid, an increase of 2.5% over last year. Higher education spending, which includes museum programs, would total $1.7 billion.

Lawmakers plan to increase the state’s total budget by $3.3 billion, up from $40.6 billion last year. But the powerful six-member Joint Budget Committee, which helps craft the budget, also had to wrangle a $1.2 billion budget shortfall due to increases in obligations such as Medicaid. That required painful cuts to services in the 2025-26 budget.

Despite these challenges, budget lawmakers repeatedly committed to an increase in funding for K-12 and higher education operations. Lawmakers also will file a school finance bill that spells out how the state will fund schools. A proposal is still in the works.

The initial 2025-26 budget introduced on Monday comes short of what was promised in a school finance formula deal struck last year when lawmakers updated the state’s 30-year-old school finance formula and called for $500 million in new funding phased in over six years.

The House and Senate lawmakers will use the coming days to file amendments and debate and finalize the budget. Both chambers will vote again and send it to Gov. Jared Polis to sign into law.

What does this budget mean for K-12 operations?

The budget fallout for schools began even before the proposal’s introduction.

Adams 12 Five Star Schools Superintendent Chris Gdowski said less than expected funding from the state, the end of pandemic relief money, increasing costs for health insurance, and the increasing costs of utilities and maintenance mean this year’s budget won’t be enough.

Gdowski said at a Friday news conference he expects $27.5 million in district cuts, including 150 layoffs. He said the district employs about 5,100 educators, support staff, and administrators this year.

While the JBC committed $150 million in the budget, lawmakers have yet to decide on the exact structure to distribute funding.

Colorado lawmakers must annually file a Public School Finance Act. The bill requires state per-pupil funding to increase by inflation plus the state’s student population, but lawmakers also committed to a new funding formula last year that would change how the state allocates money to districts.

To make the formula a reality, lawmakers promised $500 million more over the course of six years. Yet lawmakers have said the budget will require changes.

The governor has released a funding proposal, and Colorado Speaker of the House Julie McCluskie, a Dillon Democrat, has been working on another.

Polis wants to change to the formula so base funding would be calculated on a single year of enrollment instead of funding districts based on a four-year enrollment average. Polis’ proposal would eliminate students who have left the district but are still counted toward the average enrollment. Polis said he would use savings from no longer funding those students to help fund the new formula.

Superintendents and education advocates have argued the four-year average softens the blow of one-year swings in enrollment declines. The change would result in an immediate and difficult decrease in funding for some districts, they’ve argued.

McCluskie has been working on a proposal that would leave enrollment averaging alone next year and scale the school finance formula enactment timeline back to seven years. The proposal would then reduce the average to three years in the second year.

Some lawmakers have called for a halt to the formula.

Gdowksi and other superintendents have chastised lawmakers for going back on last year’s funding commitment to implement the formula fully and increase education funding by state mandated levels, especially because districts are taking on a greater share of state K-12 funding. He said lawmakers should leave per-pupil student averaging alone.

Lawmakers need to figure out a way to raise more money for K-12 schools, he said, especially after 15 years of using mandated education funding for other priorities.

“And over that 15 years, no one out there, in a convincing and credible and courageous way, has been saying we need to invest more in public education to do right by our kids,” he said.

What else is in the budget for K-12?

The budget also features other increases and cuts.

The state would spend an additional $17.8 million next year to supplement funding for students with extra needs. The money goes to help English learners, students with disabilities, and gifted and talented students.
The budget proposes to provide only $8 million in funding for the Healthy School Meals for All program, a universal free school meals program. The money would fund the program for half the 2025-26 school year and decrease the number of eligible schools statewide. JBC members hope voters will approve a measure to increase funding for the program, which would eliminate the need to scale back the program.
The state would spend $6.2 million more on the Charter School Institute mill levy equalization program through the State Education Fund. That would bring state funding to offset local gaps in funding to $54.6 million a year.
The budget increases funding for the Building Excellent Schools Today program to $157.1 million. The program helps school districts pay for construction projects.
The budget proposes a $5 million cut to high-impact tutoring program grants.
Lawmakers also plan cuts to bullying prevention, student career advising, and extra aid to at-risk students, which includes those from lower income backgrounds.

What is included for higher education?

Late last year, higher education leaders projected they needed about $95.3 million in 2025-26 for operations and financial aid.

In a letter to JBC members, they said the increase would help students access higher education and help compensate college workers to keep pace with inflation.

The $39 million in the budget for colleges and universities and student financial aid is far less than requested, but schools would have more authority to increase tuition under the JBC proposal.

Of the money, $31.7 million would be spent on college and university budgets, with about $7.3 million going to financial aid. Total spending for those two budget items would increase to about $193 million a year.

Colorado’s public colleges and universities would also be allowed to raise resident tuition by 3% and non-resident tuition by 3.5% next year.

Colorado will bring NYC community college support program to two state rural campuses

2025-03-27T23:42:15+00:00

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Two rural Colorado community colleges will bring a highly-regarded New York City student support program to their campuses in hopes they can increase the number of students who get their associate degree.

Earlier this month, Gov. Jared Polis announced Lamar Community College and Colorado Mountain College will implement this fall on their campuses the City University of New York’s Accelerated Study in Associate Programs, or ASAP. The program at CUNY’s nine community and comprehensive college campuses has doubled its three-year associate degree graduation rates, studies show, and Colorado school leaders hope it will do the same here.

The ASAP program aims to keep students on track to graduation by connecting them to counselors and providing financial, academic, and personal support. While the New York City college system’s associate degree program started in 2007, it’s newer in rural settings.

State and school leaders believe the framework will translate easily in Colorado to help students succeed in college.

Colorado will spend $10 million over four years on this program and other workforce development investments, with philanthropic organization Arnold Ventures matching the funding. Other initiatives haven’t been announced.

The ASAP program is another effort by the state to help more Coloradans get degrees. However, the state has had a hard time sustaining such student support initiatives past the initial investment.

Colorado programs, such as Finish What You Started, typically have short-term funding and are limited to a smaller group of students because of state budget constraints; the program began during the pandemic with federal relief funding to get more students back to college. That money will soon run out and there’s no guarantee it will continue.

ASAP in Colorado faces similar long-term funding challenges, although Arnold Ventures and school leaders hope the program will continue.

This is the type of program that can help Coloradans, Polis said.

“This exciting new partnership with Arnold Ventures builds on our nation-leading progress to significantly expand access to high-quality education, strengthen our workforce, and create more pathways to economic success for all Coloradans,” he said.

What is CUNY ASAP?

The New York City mayor’s office charged CUNY almost two decades ago with finding a way to increase students’ chances of getting a degree. At the time, only about 13% of the school’s community college students did so, lagging three points behind the national average, said Christine Brongniart, university executive director of CUNY ASAP.

About 40% of New York participants now finish an associate degree in three years, and Brongniart said the goal is for that number to rise to above half of all students. Nationally, 29% of community college students in 2020 completed a two-year degree in three years, according to the most recent data analyzed by the National Student Clearinghouse.

In Colorado, about a third of community college students graduate within three years.

Students in the CUNY ASAP program meet with advisors twice a month, but those counselors also monitor student grades and attendance to understand when students might be struggling.

The program has kept advisors’ caseloads at a modest level – one counselor for 150 students – so as not to overload them, Brongniart said.

While counseling is a big part of the program, ASAP tries to help students with other issues that historically have prevented them from completing college. For example, the college brings students onto campuses during the summer to help them finish enrollment — a way to prevent “summer melt,” or students who sign up but never show up.

Once on campus, ASAP students get tutoring and peer mentoring. They also receive financial assistance through stipends for books, transportation, fees, and tuition. Most community college students work while attending school because they need to support themselves financially, which can also cause students to enroll part-time or make juggling responsibilities difficult.

The program has grown to support 25,000 City University of New York students annually. The school also supports the program in eight states and more than 50 colleges. Colorado would be the ninth state to adopt the ASAP model.

Can it work in rural Colorado?

Lamar Community College and Colorado Mountain College couldn’t be more different than the community colleges in New York City.

But administrators said the support that students need and many of the issues are relatable.

The New York City program offers students stipends for riding the subway to school, but at Colorado Mountain College, students might get a gas card instead because they face long commutes over mountain passes.

Colorado Mountain College Chief of Staff Yesenia Silva Estrada said the great part of the program is personalized services to meet individual student needs.

Students at Colorado Mountain College face affordability issues in resort communities, Estrada said. Many go to college part-time and have to work multiple jobs.

The program will enroll 150 students who need the most support, Estrada said.

“We’re excited about the flexibility to be able to find out what is right in our geography,” she said.

Why is Arnold paying for the program?

Arnold Ventures invested in ASAP because of its long history of proven success, said Justin Milner, head of the philanthropy’s evidence and evaluation portfolio.

Arnold Ventures also is supporting ASAP expansion in West Virginia and North Carolina, with the majority of those students living in rural areas. While many programs aim to support students, ASAP has shown that it can be effective in different areas of the country, he said.

Jason Gonzales is a reporter covering higher education and the Colorado legislature. Chalkbeat Colorado partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage. Contact Jason at jgonzales@chalkbeat.org.

Beyond High School: How COVID changed students

2025-03-26T21:15:39+00:00

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Five years ago, I started this job during the beginning of pandemic lockdowns. At the time, returning to Colorado wasn’t much of a homecoming for me. I rarely saw my family or friends. I didn’t even meet my coworkers in person until months later.

I write this to point out that the pandemic shaped all of us. And when it comes to this generation of students, we’re still figuring out the many ways it changed them.

So when I thought about how Chalkbeat could dissect the impact of COVID on students five years later, I thought about an introductory class I visited at the University of Northern Colorado in 2022.

University 101 helps first year and transfer students in certain majors adjust at the college. Students learn study skills, go to events, and participate in group projects. College instructors hope to teach the building blocks of a successful college experience.

In 2022, professors said that pandemic isolation meant students were struggling to break out of their shells and reluctant to visit campus events.

Now, three years later, instructor Angela Vaughn, who oversees the program, said that some of those social skills have returned.

But students have different expectations of life in a classroom, she said. They sometimes prefer class over Zoom rather than in-person instruction. They push back on instructors’ rules, such as putting away their phones, turning in assignments on time, and regularly attending class.

The behavior likely relates to their pandemic-era high school experience, when teachers were more likely to give students leeway on deadlines and attendance, Vaughn said.

Instructors don’t fault students for having different expectations, she said. But they’re not going to let up on teaching them why those expectations matter.

“They’re starting to become adults, and we’re here to help them expand their perspective beyond what they’ve experienced and what they know or think they know,” Vaughn said.

Higher ed stories from Chalkbeat

10 ways COVID changed American schools — The ways schools rose to meet the moment and the ways they failed continue to reverberate through the American education system.

The Trump administration’s DEI orders are dividing Colorado universities and their students — Since President Donald Trump took office, universities in Colorado have had to adjust to a rapidly changing political landscape.

Trump administration launches civil rights investigation into schools, including CU Colorado Springs — The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights announced investigations into over 50 colleges and universities for alleged violations.

U.S. Department of Education slashes staff — The layoffs represent a significant escalation of Trump’s efforts to reduce the department’s role in education.

Some Jeffco students could soon get automatic admission to Colorado School of Mines — Officials announced the “first-of-its-kind” initiative that will give qualified Jeffco students a fast track to admission.

What we’re reading

Pay for Colorado college athletes takes legislative step forward, though universities would still be able to keep compensation secret The Colorado Sun

Following suicides at CU Boulder, friends and family want people to know: this is everyone’s problem KUNC

CSU implements ‘hiring chill’ and other cost-cutting measures in response to funding fears Fort Collins Coloradoan

Trump’s funding cuts are hitting early-career researchers the hardest WBEZ via Open Campus

International enrollment’s precarious moment Inside Higher Ed

Trump administration launches civil rights investigation into schools, including CU Colorado Springs

2025-03-14T22:40:00+00:00

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The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights announced investigations Friday into 45 colleges and universities, including the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, that partnered with an organization that provides mentorship and support for PhD candidates from underrepresented backgrounds.

The investigations appear to be the first tied to a “Dear Colleague” letter that said the Trump administration would punish colleges and universities if they don’t end scholarships, mentorship programs, and networking groups meant to create more opportunities for students of color. The letter interprets a 2023 U.S. Supreme Court decision barring the use of race in college admissions to mean that any opportunities geared toward people from one racial group violate the law.

“The Department is working to reorient civil rights enforcement to ensure all students are protected from illegal discrimination,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon in a press release. “Today’s announcement expands our efforts to ensure universities are not discriminating against their students based on race and race stereotypes.”

The investigations are tied to partnerships with The PhD Project, a national organization that helps support and provide networking for diverse doctoral candidates. Universities under investigation include CU Colorado Springs as well as New York University, Rutgers University, Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Chicago, and Vanderbilt University.

In its announcement about the investigations, the Education Department describes The PhD Project as “an organization that purports to provide doctoral students with insights into obtaining a Ph.D. and networking opportunities, but limits eligibility based on the race of participants.”

The Office for Civil Rights sent a Thursday letter to CU Colorado Springs Chancellor Jennifer Sobanet that said it received a complaint against the school’s College of Business alleging discrimination against students on the basis of race, national origin, and ethnicity by supporting a PhD Project conference that was allegedly only available to university students who identify as Black, Hispanic, or Native American.

Sobanet said in a statement that she believes the school only used the PhD Project’s platform to advertise open faculty positions.

“Like universities across the country, we use various platforms to seek and recruit the best teaching and research talent for our students,” she said.

The school is in the process of gathering additional information about the complaint and will comply with the Education Department’s requests, Sobanet said. She added that the school does not discriminate in its recruitment or hiring practices.

A statement from the PhD Project said the network works to broaden the pipeline of business leaders and develop school faculty who can inspire, mentor, and support leaders.

The organization said on its website before the letter that it works with university partners committed to diversifying their campuses. Its work has increased the number of professors of color from 294 in 1994 to over 1,700, according to website archives.

“This year, we have opened our membership application to anyone who shares that vision,” the statement says.

The civil rights office is also investigating six universities for “allegedly awarding impermissible race-based scholarships” and one other university “for allegedly administering a program that segregates students on the basis of race.” The announcement did not provide further details.

The letter last month cited the 2023 Supreme Court decision that banned the use of race in college admissions as the basis for its enforcement actions. That decision was narrowly focused on admissions practices. But the letter expanded on that decision by saying it is illegal to use race or gender or sexual orientation as a factor in providing different levels of support for some students.

Antonio Ingram, who is senior counsel at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, said there is no legal justification for investigations into scholarships, programs that mentor Black or Hispanic students, or help certain groups of students feel like they belong on a campus.

No previous administration has launched investigations into programs that seek to help students who have historically made up a disproportionately smaller percentage of students on college and university campuses, he said.

He said the investigations are a way to reshape American higher education to bend to the administration’s political views rather than allowing colleges and universities to be places of free expression and an exchange of ideas.

“The investigations are a tool meant to create fear and compliance among universities,” Ingram said.

Other legal experts such as Ingram and higher education groups have called on colleges and universities not to overreact to the guidance by preemptively ending programs that make groups of students feel welcome on campus, especially because the Dear Colleague letter isn’t law.

Some colleges and universities nationwide and in Colorado have already responded.

Several colleges and universities nationwide removed references to diversity, equity, and inclusion after the letter. Schools such as the University of Cincinnati have announced they will eliminate DEI practices.

In Colorado, Colorado State University System officials, despite saying they believed they were in compliance with federal law, also made changes to school websites that mentioned diversity, equity, and inclusion. School officials also said they would begin to shift some employee job duties and human resources policies focused on DEI.

Other Colorado university leaders did not make changes but said they also believed they were in compliance with federal law.

The investigations are part of a significant shift in how the Education Department is handling civil rights enforcement under the Trump administration. The administration has said combatting antisemitism on college campuses, blocking transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports, and ending diversity practices it considers discriminatory are top priorities, even as it has slashed staff in the civil rights office.

And the administration has moved quickly to cut off federal funds after announcing high-profile investigations, rather than spending weeks or months gathering facts and working toward a resolution.

Last week, the Trump administration cancelled more than $400 million in grants and contracts at Columbia University because of last year’s pro-Palestinian protests on the campus. On Monday, the civil rights office accused 60 universities, including Columbia, of discrimination against Jewish students. The office cited Title VI in launching its investigation, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, or national origin.

The administration then demanded on Thursday that Columbia University cede control of its international studies department and make changes to campus policies, according to the Associated Press.

Some Jeffco students could soon get automatic admission to Colorado School of Mines

2025-03-13T21:50:50+00:00

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Starting with the class of 2026, Jeffco high school graduates who meet certain requirements will gain automatic admission to the Colorado School of Mines.

Students will have to earn an unweighted grade point average of 3.8 and a science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) endorsement on their high school diploma to qualify. They will also have to apply by the School of Mines’ Nov. 1 priority deadline.

Officials from the 75,000-student school district and the public engineering university, both of which are based in Golden, announced the “first-of-its-kind” initiative Thursday. Erich Kirshner, a spokesperson for the School of Mines, said in an interview the program will give qualified Jeffco students a fast track to admission.

“What makes it exciting is that Mines is such a great environment if you’re excited to learn more about STEM,” he said. “And of course, the opportunities for Mines graduates, they’re extraordinary.”

Jeffco Superintendent Tracy Dorland said in a joint statement from Jeffco schools and the School of Mines that “The opportunity for our students who are passionate about STEM to build on the current skills and experiences they develop in high school and directly transition to a prestigious institution like Mines is both inspiring and a meaningful investment in their education.”

According to the joint statement, a recent survey of Jeffco’s junior and senior STEM students found that more than 50% said they would be more motivated to complete the STEM-endorsed diploma if it resulted in guaranteed admission to the School of Mines.

The university enrolls nearly 8,000 undergraduate and graduate students and admits about 60% of first-year applicants. Kirshner said the automatic admission initiative won’t mean larger classes of admitted students at Mines, but could mean more Jeffco students are in those classes. Currently, about 125 Jeffco students are admitted to the university each year, he said.

Kirshner said the university pursued the partnership to be a good neighbor to Jeffco schools and students.

The STEM diploma endorsement was created by Colorado lawmakers in 2017. It requires students to earn at least a 3.5 grade point average in four STEM-related classes beyond what’s required for graduation, show math proficiency through test scores or grades, and complete a STEM capstone project that’s based on a year’s worth of “in-depth learning” and hands-on experience.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

Beyond High School: Health research under threat

2025-02-27T20:42:27+00:00

Beyond High School is our free monthly newsletter covering higher education policy and practices in Colorado. Sign up to get it delivered to your inbox early.

The Trump administration has moved at lightning speed to reshape the federal government and make cuts to federal spending. Included within the cuts is a major change to National Institutes of Health grants, which experts say are crucial to health research across the country.

While a federal judge has blocked the move, there’s still plenty of uncertainty. Here’s what you should know about the cuts:

The Trump administration says it wants to scale back spending on “indirect costs.” But what are those costs?

These costs might be referred to as “indirect,” but health experts say they go a long way toward making research happen. The money helps pay for things such as offices, facilities and maintenance, student researchers, and equipment.

Typically, the federal government has allowed about 28% of grant funding to be spent on these costs. The administration wants to cut that by almost half to 15%.

How big will cuts be?

Schools already pool together numerous funding sources to pay for research, and the NIH grants pay for a large portion of the indirect costs. Tuition can only pay for so much and private funding limits whether universities can use funding on indirect costs.

For example, for grants allocated in 2024, the University of Colorado Anschutz would stand to receive just $36 million of the $85 million previously allowed for indirect costs.

What type of research is at risk?

The National Institutes of Health funds over 50,000 grant projects nationwide. In Colorado, the grants fund research on conditions such as cancer, diabetes, obesity, and opioid abuse.

What about students?

The grants fund student researchers who go on to become doctors who research new cures or work in their communities.

What else is at risk?

Experts say Colorado’s economy could be at risk.

Every dollar brought in through grants goes back into the state’s economy seven times over, they said. And students go on to become professionals who contribute to the state’s economic growth.

Higher education stories from Chalkbeat

NIH funding cuts could have ‘crushing effect’ on Colorado’s health care, research, and economy — In an effort to rein in government spending, the Trump administration wants to halve how much grant recipients can use for “indirect costs,” which experts say are crucial for colleges and universities to be able to conduct research.

School diversity efforts could violate civil rights, Trump administration says — Legal experts said the Dear Colleague letter misstates the law in the aftermath of the Students for Fair Admissions case.

Why Colorado Mesa University’s president decided to stand alone when it comes to higher ed funding — CMU President John Marshall hopes he can bring attention to the challenges the Grand Junction university has faced.

Colorado now tied for most educated state in the nation — Colorado residents are still the most educated in the nation, but Massachusetts now shares the top spot.

Retiring Colorado community college leader Joe Garcia says higher education afforded him a life he ‘could not have imagined’ — Colorado Community College System Chancellor Joe Garcia plans to retire after having become one of the more influential voices in higher education.

What we’re reading

NIH partially lifts freeze on funding process for medical research NPR

Colorado colleges defend DEI amid fear and uncertainty over Trump’s order Colorado Sun

MSU Denver’s new Affordable Housing Institute professionalizes an industry to beef up workforce The Denver Post

Scholarship won’t just be for ‘historically underrepresented’ as CU med school settles lawsuit Colorado Public Radio

Fort Lewis College recognized with Carnegie Designation as research institute Durango Herald

Who gets federal research funding in Colorado? These two charts will show you. Colorado Sun

The Trump administration’s DEI orders are dividing Colorado universities — and their students

2025-02-26T00:15:35+00:00

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Ella Smith understands the predicament that the administrators at their college, Colorado State University Fort Collins, are facing when it comes to diversity efforts.

On Feb. 14, the Trump administration issued a letter calling on schools to immediately end all race-conscious policies and programming or risk losing federal funding. The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights said it will start checking for compliance Friday.

But Smith, an organizer with the CSU Student Coalition for DEIA, said it doesn’t make sense that the school began to make changes to DEI efforts last week when most Colorado universities haven’t. Smith and other students have organized rallies, sit-ins, and other protests.

“We really feel that CSU is engaging in preemptive compliance,” said Smith.

CSU Fort Collins and the CSU System leaders have said they need to respond to the Trump administration’s demands, even though they believe they’re already following the law.

In a letter last week, CSU Fort Collins President Amy Parsons said, without elaborating, that the school would “shift some employee job duties and human resources policies and processes, and we will make some changes to CSU’s websites to reflect the institution’s compliance with federal guidelines.” The University of Colorado System similarly removed DEI from its websites and rebranded departments soon after Trump took office.

CSU Fort Collins did not respond to a request from Chalkbeat about more specific changes it plans to make.

Since President Donald Trump took office last month, universities in Colorado have had to adjust to a rapidly changing political landscape. Trump has tried to cut National Institutes of Health grants and rolled back support for Hispanic-Serving and Tribal-Serving Institutions. Now the Dear Colleague letter, which isn’t law, has made it clear that the Trump administration will seek to punish colleges and universities if they don’t comply with its expanded legal view of a 2023 U.S. Supreme Court decision banning race-conscious admissions.

The letter could have far-reaching consequences for virtually every aspect of campus life, including scholarships, extracurricular activities, graduation ceremonies, and student housing. But the federal government has yet to provide school leaders with concrete guidance about what it views as unacceptable.

Combined, the Trump administration’s recent directives have created immense uncertainty about how far colleges and universities should go in accepting cuts and complying with the federal government’s demands — or if schools should fight back.

In a letter to the CSU System community last week, President Tony Frank questioned whether rolling back diversity efforts at the school is the right approach.

“Is this conclusion appeasement?” he wrote. “Or is it recognizing that to accomplish our mission and our goals, a different approach is needed for a different moment in time?”

In the letter, the Trump administration said that it’s illegal to use race or gender or sexual orientation as a factor in providing different support for students.

“Put simply, educational institutions may neither separate or segregate students based on race, nor distribute benefits or burdens based on race,” Craig Trainor, the U.S. education department’s acting assistant secretary for civil rights, wrote in the Feb. 14 letter. “Although some programs may appear neutral on their face, a closer look reveals that they are, in fact, motivated by racial considerations.”

College advocacy groups cautioned soon after the Trump administration’s letter that college and university leaders shouldn’t overreact.

Speaking on a webinar last week attended by 5,000 people from colleges across the country, Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, said college leaders should not engage in “over-compliance” or “anticipatory compliance.”

“To be abundantly clear, Dear Colleague letters are not law,” he said.

If schools were compliant with federal law before the Dear Colleague letter came out, then they “are still in compliance with the law,” he said.

Colorado universities evaluate impact of Trump administration’s letter

The majority of Colorado colleges and universities haven’t made changes since the letter.

The University of Colorado System has not announced further updates to its operations beyond the website changes. Spokesperson Christopher Sparks said in a statement the schools anticipate there may be additional guidance from the federal government. He added, “as with all of the recent directives released during this federal transition, the university will continue to analyze them to assess the potential impact to CU.”

A University of Northern Colorado spokesperson said in a statement that the school’s leadership team is discussing the letter and don’t want to speculate how it could impact the university.

A Metropolitan State University of Denver spokesperson said in a statement its programs are open to all students, no matter their race or gender. That includes ceremonies such as MSU Denver’s Native American graduation, spokesperson Tim Carroll said.

“We define ourselves by who we include, not who we exclude,” he said.

Fort Lewis College said in a statement that the school is confident it currently complies with law.

“No matter the changes, we will continue providing the resources, support, and opportunities that empower our students and ensure faculty and staff have what they need to excel,” said Nardy Bickel, a school spokesperson.

And Adams State University President David Tandberg said his school remains committed to helping all students.

The federal guidance, along with Trump administration changes seeking to shift grants and support, does create uncertainty for schools, Tandberg said. Adams State will keep operating as usual and review or make changes when necessary, he said.

“It’s always important for us to ensure that any of our programming, our policies, or our language reflects our commitment to serve all students and that we don’t discriminate against race, ethnicity, gender, or sex,” he said.

CSU students upset by college system’s reaction to DEI orders

With most schools taking a wait-and-see approach, the news that CSU is making changes has infuriated many students.

Smith, the CSU student, has helped gather over 3,000 signatures on a petition protesting the changes laid out in Parsons’ letter. Students have also organized a sit-in at the school’s administrative building and have a plan for more protests.

The student protest coalition has asked students to also check in at campus Cultural Resource Centers that provide specialized support to specific communities, such as students with disabilities and those that are Native American. Checking in to these centers with a student ID is a way to show the centers are popular and that a diverse group of students uses them.

The protesters feared the university would do away with the centers as part of the changes to DEI, but the school has said the centers are safe because they are open to all students. Smith said they have visited the Native American Center for tutoring and that the Pride Resource Center is a place they like to hang out with others.

Calli Watson, a senior at CSU, said the news from the CSU System feels terrifying and like the school has singled out safe spaces for students. Watson said Parsons could have been more outspoken about protecting students.

“It kind of leaves me disheartened,” said Watson.

Smith said they fear staff training about inclusivity is also under threat. Creating a university workforce that is more informed about different student needs makes everyone feel welcome on campus, Smith said. Smith reiterated that the school’s actions make it feel like CSU leaders are not going to bat for the community.

“It is heartbreaking, but not only that, it makes me sick to my stomach,” Smith said.

In his letter, Frank said reassigning DEI-focused employees into more general student support roles will allow CSU to keep its federal funding and retain those employees on campus.

If not, it’s the system’s interpretation that “enforcement actions could well be taken — and do extremely serious damage,” he said.

Frank acknowledged in the letter that making any changes that could reduce support for CSU’s diverse students can be a source of pain and anger.

He said that some argue the system should fight back, which might put CSU in the crosshairs of the new administration. He wrote that he worries that doing so would gamble federal funding “that is critical to supporting our students”

College and university leaders nationwide have responded to the new administration in different ways. Over 200 have updated websites and policies since Trump’s inauguration, in part due to new state laws, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education.

In their letters, Frank and Parsons said the CSU schools rely heavily on the federal money that comes in to serve all students. Federal funding makes up about a third of CSU Fort Collins’ budget “and includes funding for research, student programs, community partnerships and federal financial aid,” Parsons wrote in her letter.

“To fail to begin to plan now in the face of the pace set by the Dear Colleague letter would, in my opinion, create a risk we should not take,” Frank said.

Retiring Colorado community college leader Joe Garcia says higher education afforded him a life he ‘could not have imagined’

2025-02-18T23:57:09+00:00

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Joe Garcia’s favorite moments during his 25 years as a higher education leader in Colorado have been the graduation ceremonies.

“I remember one time at Pikes Peak (Community College) watching a student come across who was getting her nursing degree at the same time as her father,” he said. “It’s just inspirational. It’s fun.”

Garcia, who is the Colorado Community College System chancellor, announced last week that he will retire June 30. During his career, he has led Pikes Peak Community College, Colorado State University of Pueblo, the Colorado Department of Higher Education, and the community college system, the largest college system in the state.

Garcia, 67, also served as lieutenant governor under former Gov. John Hickenlooper and has become one of the most influential leaders in Colorado higher education and politics. At one point, he turned down a position in former President Barack Obama’s administration.

But leading the community college system has been the job in which he’s felt most effective.

“You know, I considered at different times and at the urging of different people, running for Congress, running for governor, applying for other higher ed positions,” Garcia said, “but this is where my skillset and personality really fit.”

The State Board of Community Colleges and Occupational Education plans to appoint Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Strategy Officer Diane Duffy as interim chancellor effective July 1. The board will conduct a national search for Garcia’s replacement.

Garcia said he hopes his retirement will help usher in a new generation of higher education leaders who can tackle the pressing challenges that students face, including getting them to and through college and helping them acquire skills that connect them to jobs.

And he said he’s grateful for what his own higher education has given him. Before his educational career, he said he worked as a garbage man and as a janitor in college.

“Higher education enabled me to have a life I could not have imagined as a youngster. And that’s what higher education needs to do. It needs to excite people to pursue lives that will be rewarding, pursue jobs that will be challenging,” he said. “It needs to help people challenge themselves and accomplish things they didn’t think they were capable of accomplishing.”

Here’s what Garcia had to say about why he’s retiring, his accomplishments during his tenure, and the challenges and future of the college system.

His retirement decision

Garcia will turn 68 next month, and said it’s time.

“I am not getting any younger, and I am not getting any healthier,” he said. “And I don’t want to be seen as some of our recent political leaders who have been seen as hanging on for too long and not performing at their best and not giving opportunities to those who would bring more vigor and energy and creativity.”

Garcia said he plans to take several cross-country motorcycle trips, and do more traveling, biking, and snowboarding. He’s focused on the physically active aspects of his life, he said.

“And if I find I can’t really do it, then I’ll maybe teach a class or two,” he said.

His greatest accomplishments as chancellor

He is proudest of two of his achievements.

He helped create a more collaborative system that works for all students, including a 2022 initiative that lets Colorado’s seven rural community colleges share programs and services so students — no matter where they live — get a wider set of educational opportunities.

“In the past, people really closely guarded what we called their service areas, and they did not want any college coming in and offering a course to someone who lived in an area that was served by another college,” he said. “But what that did was really limited students in rural communities, because rural schools couldn’t offer the wide range of programs that large urban schools could.”

Second, he helped make it easier for students to transfer from the community college system to a four-year college by aligning academic requirements and classwork.

“There are far more guarantees about (credit) transferability and a greater transparency around which courses will transfer to which institutions,” he said. “And then we have more partnerships with universities.”

The biggest challenges he sees facing the college system

State funding and federal changes have made serving students difficult, he said.

Students who don’t go to college because of the cost put their futures in jeopardy, he said.

“It’s no secret that Colorado does not invest a lot of money in higher education compared to other states. As a result, tuition rates at both community colleges and our universities are higher than they are on average in most other states,” Garcia said. “That’s not good for students. It’s not good for our state economy.”

He also said recent changes by the federal government to federal grants, such as axing programs that support low-income students and Hispanic students, also could make it harder for the state to get students from differing backgrounds to college. Many of the administration’s directives are being challenged in court, but it creates uncertainty for college leaders in their goal to help all students navigate individual hurdles.

He said the younger generation of workers will be more diverse than previous generations because of the state’s demographics, and that the college system has responded to meet the needs of its communities. More jobs than ever require an education beyond a high school diploma, he said.

“Our future workforce is going to be more diverse, but it also needs to be better educated than our previous workforce,” he said. “A huge percentage of the students coming out of our high schools are people of color. If we want them to fill those jobs, we’ve got to make sure they’re well prepared, and that means we have to create a system that serves them effectively.”

NIH funding cuts could have ‘crushing effect’ on Colorado’s health care, research, and economy

2025-02-14T01:17:17+00:00

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Cathy Bradley has dedicated her career to combatting cancer — an illness that killed 8,411 Coloradans in 2023 and is the leading cause of death in the state.

As the University of Colorado Anschutz’s Cancer Center deputy director, Bradley helps oversee lifesaving treatment and prevention to fight the disease. And for years she’s participated in cancer research supported by the federal government, such as studies on how supporting caregivers leads to better outcomes for patients.

However, the center’s cancer research, and medical research across the state, is under threat after the Trump administration cut how much money institutions receive from the National Institutes of Health to support research projects.

In an effort to rein in government spending, the Trump administration wants to halve how much grant recipients can use for “indirect costs.” These costs typically pay for expenses such as equipment, facilities, maintenance, and research assistants. While the funds are referred to as indirect, experts say they’re crucial for colleges and universities to be able to conduct the research.

On average nationally, about 28% of federal grant funds are spent on indirect costs. The Trump administration said it will limit that amount to 15% for existing and future grants. This would mean approximately $4 billion in savings for the federal government.

Colorado university officials said the Trump administration’s decision will cause Colorado to lose much more than funding and will have a “crushing effect” on the state’s health care system. They said it will hamper researchers’ ability to develop treatments and practices that save lives, hurt the economy, and hinder the training of more medical professionals.

“We’re the wraparound,” Bradley said. “If we’re not out there preventing cancer, then people get cancer and they get it at a late stage, and it costs a ton of money and they die. That’s just it.”

Several lawsuits have been filed, including one from Colorado and 21 other state attorneys general against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institutes of Health, and agency officials. A federal judge has since blocked the cuts, meaning they are temporarily on hold.

Bradley, who also is dean of the Colorado School of Public Health, said that if the cuts happen, the three-campus partnership would lose about $8 million annually in funding used for indirect costs. She said it would be impossible to replace those funds. Private donors have strict rules on how money can be spent, and the school doesn’t have an endowment to replace that funding.

That all would add up to a lower standard of health care for Coloradans now and into the future, Bradley said.

What’s at risk in Colorado under Trump’s NIH cuts

The National Institutes of Health is the world’s leading public funder of medical research and contributes to a vast majority of such research nationwide.

The agency said in a memo about the cuts that it spent $35 billion nationwide in 2023 on almost 50,000 grants that supported 300,000 researchers at 2,500 universities, medical schools, and other institutions.

The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus brought in more than $300 million in NIH grants in the 2024 fiscal year. About $85 million would have gone to indirect costs. Under the new lower rates, the university would receive just $36 million. The university has issued a declaration of support for the lawsuit.

In a statement, an Anschutz spokesperson said the school helps support over 1,000 clinical trials, which have more than 14,000 people enrolled. University researchers have studied solutions to problems such as opioid abuse, mental health, diabetes, and obesity.

The CU Anschutz Medical Campus hospitals also serve more than 2 million adult and pediatric patients yearly. The loss of indirect funding could also affect the care the university provides, the spokeswoman said.

“These cuts to NIH funding jeopardize the foundation of our life-saving research,” said Julia Milzer, a university spokesperson, in a statement. “Reduced research capacity means fewer scientific discoveries, job losses, and delayed advancements on therapies and cures that could improve — and save — lives.”

The University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado State University Fort Collins, and the University of Northern Colorado would also be affected by the cuts.

‘It really is almost absurd,’ university expert says of research cuts

In announcing the cuts, the National Institutes of Health under Trump said in its memo that it is “vital to ensure that as many funds as possible go towards direct scientific research costs rather than administrative overhead.”

The statement also said the change brings federal funding in line with private donors, who have lower caps on indirect costs.

But the Association of Public & Land-Grant Universities has said that a cut to indirect funding is not just a cut to administrative overhead but amounts to a cut to research.

Universities already pool numerous funding sources such as tuition, other research grants, cooperative agreements, endowments, and state money. Researchers have come to expect the federal funding to cover the costs that others can’t or won’t subsidize because research can be very expensive.

For example, Bradley said some laboratories might need facility upgrades and higher maintenance. CU Anschutz has rooms that need thicker walls because researchers work with radioactive materials to test samples.

The Colorado School of Public Health would need to raise over $200 million in endowment funding to pay for the $8 million annually it needs for infrastructure, according to a spokesperson.

Bradley added it’s not possible to use existing private funding to make up for cuts because so many funding sources place restrictions on whether those grants can be used for indirect costs.

“There’s just no other way to pay for it,” Bradley said. “You can’t charge students enough tuition to cover that kind of research.

Colorado Department of Higher Education Executive Director Angie Paccione agreed universities are limited in how much money they can raise. While larger private universities might be able to pull in big donors, public universities have a harder time doing so.

She added that the indirect costs aren’t waste, but crucial to making the research happen.

“Do we just say we’re not going to participate in the kinds of research that will solve the critical problems that our country faces?” Paccione said. “It really is almost absurd. And I don’t know who is suggesting these kinds of cuts, but they must not know anything about research institutions.”

Consequences for Colorado’s economy and next generation

Others in Colorado and nationwide have condemned the Trump administration’s decision.

“Taking away critical research funding undercuts innovation, stifles economic growth, and makes America less competitive,” said Ally Sullivan, a spokesperson for Democratic Gov. Jared Polis.

And the American Council on Education’s President Ted Mitchell said in a statement the cut is misguided and “sabotages the decades-long partnership that has ensured U.S. global leadership in life-saving medical research.” The council is party to one of the lawsuits.

Colorado School of Public Health Professor Glen Mays, an expert in health systems, management, and policy, said every dollar brought in through grants goes back into the state’s economy seven times over. The research also helps train medical professionals who work in the state and treat patients, he said.

“This would be a major drag on the overall economy,” Mays said.

And there will be other spillover effects that have long-term consequences, he added. The indirect costs help pay for students to learn valuable medical skills.

Students then go on to become doctors in their community or try to find cures and new treatments, he said.

“These are the students who are going to go out and do stuff in the real world to improve health,” Mays said. “Basically, that is going to slow our progress in improving health across the state.”

Colorado now tied for most educated state in the nation

2025-02-03T21:50:25+00:00

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Colorado residents are still the most educated in the nation, but Massachusetts now shares the top spot, according to a report released last week.

This year’s Stronger Nation Report found that 63% of Colorado residents aged 25 and older had an educational credential beyond a high school diploma in 2023, matching Massachusetts. That’s above the national average of 54.9% of residents who have earned college degrees or certificates or an industry certification.

The figure is mostly unchanged from 2022, when about 62.9% of Colorado’s residents held a college credential. However, the percentage of Native American Colorado residents with college degrees or credentials has fallen, a troubling sign after years of steady increases.

The annual report from the Lumina Foundation aims for a national goal of 60% college attainment. (Lumina is a funder of Chalkbeat. See our funders here, and read our ethics policy here.)

Having an education beyond a high school diploma matters because it is crucial for state economic growth and individual financial success, as high-wage jobs typically require a college credential.

Colorado has long been among the most educated states, but racial disparities persist. While most racial group data remained steady, Native American college attainment fell for the second consecutive year.

About 30.5% of Native American residents in 2023 held a college credential — a 3.2% decline from 2022. The drop stems from fewer college graduates aged 25-34. Only 22.3% of Native American residents in that age category have education beyond high school, now the lowest of any racial group in Colorado.

Hispanic residents had for years been the least likely to have a college education, but steady gains have changed that. Now, 30.6% hold a postsecondary credential.

Meanwhile, 41.7% of Black, 63.1% of white, and 66.1% of Asian American residents have a credential or higher.

Why Colorado Mesa University’s president decided to stand alone when it comes to higher ed funding

2025-01-28T22:59:06+00:00

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After four years on the job, Colorado Mesa University President John Marshall felt he needed to break ranks.

Colorado higher education leaders have made it a tradition to sign a letter stating how much more money they need beyond the governor’s November request, including this year. The unified financial requests have led to far more money for all colleges and universities in recent years.

But Marshall said he couldn’t sign onto this year’s letter for the sake of the students he serves. He hopes his absent signature sparks a conversation about the challenges the Grand Junction school has faced — not a disagreement that Colorado universities need more state funding.

Colorado Mesa gets the lowest state funding of all universities statewide despite enrollment growing over the years, he said. That’s at a time when more students are sticking with college at Marshall’s school, requiring his staff to do far more with less than Colorado peers.

“Signing on to this letter every year, going along, getting along, and just not rocking the boat — How’s that going?” Marshall said. “The answer is not well.”

This year, other Colorado university leaders have requested $80.2 million more for their operations, plus another $15.1 million for student financial aid. They’re also asking for the authority to raise tuition 2.7% for resident undergraduates.

Comparatively, the Polis administration proposed in November a $12.1 million increase for university operating budgets and financial aid. The request slightly raises the $1.6 billion the state spends on students and colleges.

In their December letter to the Joint Budget Committee, which has the most say on the budget, school leaders said additional funding would help maintain student access to higher education and help compensate workers to keep pace with inflation.

Yet Marshall said that money still leaves Colorado Mesa well behind others.

In the 2024-25 budget year, Colorado Mesa received $2,264 less per student than the state average, according to a CMU presentation.

The school has grown enrollment by 68% in almost 25 years, but lower funding has been compounded over many years, Marshall said.

Historically, smaller regional public colleges in Colorado have been funded at lower levels than other schools.

Despite the school serving a large number of students who are the first to go to college in their family, the state’s finance formula doesn’t set enough money to offset that historically lower funding from the state. The school also doesn’t get additional money for being designated by the state a First Generation-Serving Campus.

And tuition and fees are lower than many other schools, which amounts to the lowest funding of any university, the presentation said.

Marshall presented to JBC members that $14.7 million more annually would bring the school to near the average in state spending.

The funding would be critical for Colorado Mesa because it would go toward helping more students get to and through college, especially those with no college background, Marshall said.

Last year, Gov. Jared Polis challenged schools to find efficiency in their operations. Marshall said he’s done that out of necessity, educating more students with fewer staff. That has consequences for students when there aren’t enough staff members to help them during college.

Marshall added “these decisions we’re making have these very direct consequences on a student’s education.”

“I would argue, ethically, we have got to do a better job.”

Marshall also said he couldn’t ethically stay silent.

It’s unclear whether Marshall will be able to get much more funding this year for his school. The JBC is wrangling a $1 billion deficit and must make cuts. It’s also unclear how much funding higher education as a whole will get.

He said he knows Colorado leaders have inherited the complex funding system that over time has tried to incorporate social, cultural, economic, and political considerations. He’s not assigning fault to anyone, but wants lawmakers to understand that the funding reality has left CMU students behind.

Las amenazas de deportación de Trump pesan sobre los grupos que ofrecen ayuda con la FAFSA

2025-01-10T17:57:26+00:00

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Este artículo sobre ayuda financiera fue producido por The Hechinger Report, una organización de noticias independiente sin fines de lucro centrada en la desigualdad y la innovación en la educación. Suscríbete a su boletín.

Una gran parte del trabajo de Elizabeth House es alentar a los estudiantes a completar la Solicitud Gratuita de Ayuda Federal para Estudiantes, o FAFSA, por sus siglas en inglés.

La FAFSA es clave para obtener ayuda financiera como las Becas Pell y los préstamos respaldados por el gobierno federal, pero los padres deben proporcionar sus números de Seguro Social o colocar nueve ceros si no tienen uno.

Para los estudiantes que tienen familiares sin los documentos de inmigración adecuados, completar el formulario se ha visto durante mucho tiempo como una forma riesgosa de llamar la atención sobre el estatus de su familia. Sin embargo, House insta a los estudiantes a dar ese paso y completar la FAFSA de todos modos.

“Los alentamos a que no detengan sus planes futuros por tener miedo de ser indocumentados”, dijo House, quien es la directora de servicios de asesoramiento escolar en las Escuelas del Condado de Greenville en Carolina del Sur.

Pero algunos grupos de asesoramiento universitario están adoptando a regañadientes una postura diferente. El presidente electo Donald Trump ha dicho que quiere deportar a millones de inmigrantes que se encuentran en el país ilegalmente y poner fin a la ciudadanía por derecho de nacimiento, y están advirtiendo a los estudiantes que llenan el formulario por primera vez que lo piensen dos veces antes de hacerlo si tienen familiares que no tienen la documentación adecuada.

En noviembre, la Red Nacional de Logros Universitarios (NCAN, por sus siglas en inglés) compartió una guía sin precedentes que advierte a los estudiantes con familiares cuyo estatus migratorio es cuestionable sobre la necesidad de llenar la solicitud de ayuda financiera federal. La declaración decía que no podía garantizar que los datos que los estudiantes y los padres envían en la FAFSA siguieran estando protegidos a la luz de las declaraciones públicas y las prioridades de la administración entrante.

“Aunque la Ley de Educación Superior prohíbe el uso de datos para cualquier propósito que no sea determinar y otorgar asistencia financiera federal, en este momento la NCAN no puede asegurar a los estudiantes y familias de estatus mixto que los datos enviados al Departamento de Educación de los EE.UU. —como parte del proceso de la FAFSA— seguirán estando protegidos”, dijo la organización en su guía.

A los consejeros como House les preocupa que estos mensajes socaven la confianza que las escuelas han construido con las familias inmigrantes para que los estudiantes ingresen a la universidad.

“Incluso un solo estudiante que no lo complete es un impacto negativo”, dijo.

Los estudiantes que no están autorizados a estar en el país no son elegibles para la ayuda federal, pero la FAFSA se usa ampliamente como una vía para otros tipos de becas. Los consejeros de la escuela secundaria y los asesores universitarios han alentado a estos estudiantes a completar el formulario porque algunas universidades ofrecen becas independientemente del estado de ciudadanía.

Los datos de la FAFSA están protegidos por la Ley de Educación Superior y la Ley de Privacidad de 1974. No existe ningún acuerdo que permita que los datos recopilados en el formulario de ayuda financiera se utilicen para la aplicación de la ley de inmigración. En una llamada de prensa el otoño pasado para responder preguntas sobre el lanzamiento de la FAFSA en línea, los funcionarios de la administración del Departamento de Educación dijeron que el presidente Joe Biden ha priorizado la protección de la privacidad de los estudiantes y las familias.

“No podemos hablar por los futuros responsables de las políticas, y los estudiantes y las familias deben considerar esta información y tomar las decisiones que sean adecuadas para ellos”, dijo un alto funcionario del Departamento de Educación.

Algunos grupos como Matriculate, una organización con sede en Nueva York que junta a alumnos de alto rendimiento y de bajos ingresos con mentores universitarios para guiarlos en su camino hacia la universidad, están compartiendo el mensaje de NCAN con los consejeros o directamente con los estudiantes.

“Es información a la que creemos que nuestros estudiantes necesitan tener acceso”, dijo Bryan Contreras, director gerente de programas, asociaciones y crecimiento en Matriculate.

Otros están ofreciendo consejos diferentes. ImmSchools, una organización sin fines de lucro con sede en Dallas que trabaja con escuelas para mejorar los resultados de los estudiantes inmigrantes, está alentando a los estudiantes a completar la versión en papel del formulario FAFSA en lugar de la solicitud en línea. En la versión en papel, los estudiantes no tienen que responder directamente si tienen o no un número de Seguro Social, aunque aún tienen que poner algo en el espacio para el número real.

“Los temores se intensifican y con razón”, dijo Astou Thiane, director de políticas en ImmSchools. “Tenemos una administración que ha dicho públicamente que aplicará una política de deportaciones masivas contra las comunidades indocumentadas e inmigrantes. Creo que eso tendrá efectos de largo alcance sobre los inmigrantes, punto”.

Trump ha sido coherente en su intención de llevar a cabo deportaciones masivas, pero ha enviado mensajes contradictorios sobre lo que implican esos planes. Ha dicho que trabajaría con los demócratas en una solución que permita a los “Dreamers” —estudiantes traídos a los Estados Unidos ilegalmente cuando eran jóvenes— permanecer en el país. Pero funcionarios de la administración entrante también han dicho que una opción para evitar la separación de familias con una mezcla de ciudadanos y personas no autorizadas a estar en el país es deportar a todos “juntos”.

La Asociación Nacional para la Asesoría de Admisión Universitaria, o NACAC por sus siglas en inglés —cuyos 28.000 miembros incluyen consejeros de escuelas secundarias y asesores universitarios— está sopesando los riesgos. Las preocupaciones sobre completar la FAFSA no son nuevas para los estudiantes y las familias con un estatus migratorio cuestionable, dijo David Hawkins, director de educación y políticas de NACAC, pero las amenazas de deportación masiva han intensificado los temores de que la aplicación de la ley de inmigración encuentre una manera de usar los datos de la FAFSA, aunque se supone que están protegidos.

“No podemos garantizar que la futura administración pueda o no usar esta información, pero no queremos avivar los temores cuando todavía no hay nada sobre la mesa que sugiera que esta información se usará para algo más que la ayuda financiera”, dijo Hawkins.

En definitiva, House cree que advertir a los estudiantes que no completen la FAFSA hará más daño que bien. Los consejeros escolares de Greenville seguirán recomendando a los estudiantes que la completen, independientemente de su estatus de ciudadanía, y los conectarán con escuelas que ofrezcan becas para las que puedan calificar.

“Nos encantaría que cada organización fuera alentadora y solidaria —en ayudarnos a encontrar recursos para todos nuestros estudiantes”, dijo House.

Traducción por César Segovia.

Contacta con Ariel Gilreath al 212-678-3639 o gilreath@hechingerreport.org.

Nine Colorado education stories to watch in 2025

2024-12-23T20:59:33+00:00

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For Colorado schools, 2024 was a year of big changes in funding, continued concerns about declining enrollment even amid the arrival of thousands of new immigrant students, and the growing popularity of a free preschool program that faces big legal challenges.

Here are some of the issues we’re watching in 2025.

How might Trump’s immigration policies affect migrant students?

In 2024, at least 85 Colorado school districts enrolled more than 8,000 migrant students combined. Many came from Venezuela and other South American countries. State lawmakers sent districts an additional $24 million to help serve new students who arrived mid-year.

Migrant students boosted enrollment in districts where there had been declines, including Denver. Teachers scrambled to support them, both academically and with basic needs like housing. Some of those efforts were beautiful. Others were hard. And some were both.

“The bright spots are the growth of our kids and our community,” Valdez Elementary Principal Jessica Buckley told Chalkbeat in February. “The challenge is resources.”

It’s unclear how President-elect Donald Trump’s promise of increased immigration enforcement — and potential mass deportations — will impact migrant students, their families, and the schools that serve them. Some Colorado school district leaders are already preparing: The Colorado Association of School Boards recently invited a Nebraska superintendent who had experienced an immigration raid to talk to state leaders about his experience. His advice?

“Be prepared,” former Superintendent Steve Joel told Colorado school officials. “Your community, your parents, your leaders, your state, they’ll appreciate you for it.”

Appeals court could decide Colorado’s Catholic preschool case

A federal appeals court could decide in 2025 whether religious schools in Colorado’s state-funded preschool program have to abide by non-discrimination rules protecting LGBTQ children and families.

That’s the issue at the heart of a lawsuit brought by two Denver-area Catholic parishes that run preschools. The Catholic preschools wanted to join the state preschool program, but didn’t want to admit LGBTQ children or children from LGBTQ families. The lawsuit is one of several cases involving the state’s universal preschool program.

A lower court judge largely ruled against the Catholic parishes in June, but they’re now appealing. Experts say the case, which pits religious liberty against LGBTQ rights, could wind up before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Dusk falls over the Community College of Aurora Lowry Campus in Denver.

Colorado faces budget challenges that could impact education

In November, Gov. Jared Polis released a proposed budget that showed the state could have less revenue during a time when its financial obligations for programs like Medicaid have gone up. Recent revenue projections have improved, but the state is still facing a budget hole.

Polis' budget calls for cuts, including a big change to how the state doles out funding to school districts based on student enrollment and scaling back a new funding formula passed last year. (More on that new formula below.) Meanwhile, Polis’ budget calls for higher education to get a modest $12.1 million increase.

Lawmakers on the powerful Joint Budget Committee have the most say in crafting the budget. They will have plenty to sort through in the coming months.

How much is adequate education funding in Colorado?

Colorado lawmakers approved a brand new funding formula last year — the first major revamp since 1993. However, the formula didn’t say whether the new funding levels were enough.

So how much money do school districts need to adequately teach students?

Colorado commissioned two “adequacy studies” to understand the answer. Those studies are due at the beginning of the year.

Colorado could require more emphasis on climate science

In recent months, numerous Colorado high school students have told the State Board of Education they’ve learned little or nothing about climate change during their K-12 careers.

In December, the board took a preliminary step to address those concerns by asking education department officials to recommend changes to the state science standards that would put more emphasis on climate science.

The science standards — basically a big list of knowledge and skills Colorado students should have in various areas — are due to be revised in 2025.

The state’s current science standards reference climate change in middle school and high school, but not elementary school. If the standards change, teachers will have to adapt their lessons over the next few years to match the standards.

Schmitt Elementary School in Denver will close at the end of the 2024-25 school year.

School closures will prompt decisions about vacant buildings

Seven Denver schools will close in the spring of 2025, and three more schools will partially close, due to declining enrollment in Colorado’s largest school district. That decision was controversial, and a parent group has filed a lawsuit to try to stop it.

The Jeffco and Aurora school districts have also closed schools recently because of declining enrollment, and Douglas County School District is expected to do the same in 2025.

The school closures will leave districts grappling with another big question: what to do with the vacant buildings. Denver has promised not to sell any schools and to consult with the community on future uses. Meanwhile, Jeffco is in the midst of several sales that could be finalized next year, and Aurora is still deciding what to do with at least one building.

Low-income families face child care hardship

Many Colorado families who qualify for state child care subsidies could be out of luck next year. That’s because the program is facing a funding shortfall and state officials expect most counties to institute subsidy waitlists or freezes by June.

These measures won’t cut off families who currently receive subsidies. But it will limit the number of new families who can join.

So far, at least seven counties have already instituted a subsidy waitlist or a freeze: Adams, Boulder, Douglas, El Paso, Gunnison, Jefferson, and Larimer.

Some communities that have passed lodging taxes or tapped other local funding may be able to fill the gap created by subsidy waitlists or freezes. But that will be a partial fix at best.

Future of DACA teachers unclear as Trump takes over

During his first administration, Trump tried to end a program that protects undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children, a group known as Dreamers, from deportation. But his effort to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program stalled in the courts.

Now, there are signs Trump has had a change of heart. In a Dec. 8 interview on Meet the Press, when asked if he wants to let the so-called Dreamers stay in the country, he said, “I do … I think we can work with the Democrats and work something out.”

But given his promise of mass deportations and his past vacillation on whether Dreamers deserve protection, some immigrants rights groups are skeptical. Colorado has about 12,000 DACA recipients and some are public school teachers.

Colorado’s career and college readiness programs hit crossroads

In 2022, Colorado lawmakers commissioned a report on how to improve postsecondary and workforce readiness. Released in late 2023, it offered 13 recommendations for streamlining a fragmented system of state programs meant to prepare students for college and careers.

State lawmakers then commissioned a study, released this month, that called for big changes, including bringing the disparate programs under one roof. The report also recommended either ending or reworking a popular fifth-year high school program called ASCENT.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

Melanie Asmar is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Colorado. Contact Melanie at masmar@chalkbeat.org.

Las universidades de Colorado planean brindar apoyo a los estudiantes inmigrantes después de la elección de Trump

2024-12-16T23:27:10+00:00

Chalkbeat Colorado es un noticiero local sin fines de lucro que informa sobre las escuelas públicas en Denver y otros distritos. Suscríbete a nuestro boletín gratis por email en español para recibir lo último en noticias sobre educación dos veces al mes.

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Los líderes de las universidades públicas de Colorado dicen que están más preparados ahora para apoyar a los estudiantes inmigrantes en sus campus de lo que estaban durante el primer mandato del presidente electo Donald Trump.

Los administradores de las universidades dijeron que muchas de ellas seguirán un plan similar al que crearon en 2016, y que han mantenido desde entonces. Pero el próximo mandato de Trump –con sus llamados a deportaciones masivas– trae consigo una nueva necesidad para las universidades y los colegios de Colorado de recordarles a los estudiantes inmigrantes indocumentados que no solo son bienvenidos en sus campuses, sino que los apoyarán para ayudarlos a hacer realidad sus sueños.

También los administradores de las universidades señalaron que eso es especialmente cierto cuando escuchan que más estudiantes indocumentados se sienten agotados por la constante amenaza de deportaciones.

“A pesar de que existe mucho apoyo para esta población, siento que definitivamente tenemos que hacer más”, dijo Rodolfo Vargas, director del Centro Cultural César Chávez de la Universidad del Norte de Colorado. “Y en eso estamos trabajando ahora mismo”.

Las universidades y los colegios públicos de Colorado educan anualmente a un grupo diverso de estudiantes que incluye estudiantes internacionales y migrantes. Los estudiantes inmigrantes puede que tengan protección legal para permanecer en el país, o no tener documentación alguna, o pueden que estén aquí legalmente pero preocupados por los miembros de sus familias indocumentados. Aproximadamente 156.000 inmigrantes indocumentados viven en el estado.

En los últimos cuatro años, en Colorado un promedio de 2.300 estudiantes indocumentados al año han solicitado la Solicitud de Ayuda Financiera Estatal. Esta solicitud es muy parecida a la Solicitud Gratuita de Ayuda Federal para Estudiantes (FASFA), y tiene como objetivo ayudar a los estudiantes indocumentados a calificar para obtener dinero para pagar la matrícula y hacer realidad sus sueños de ir a la universidad. Los estudiantes también pueden calificar para la matrícula estatal a través del programa ASSET de Colorado.

Colorado restringe la mayoría de las formas de cooperación con las autoridades federales de inmigración cuando se trata de deportaciones, sin embargo mucho puede depender del condado o de las ciudades en las que vivan los residentes.

Vargas también se refirió a que los estudiantes están en constante temor de que las leyes puedan cambiar, como por ejemplo que el gobierno federal ponga fin al programa de Acción Diferida para los Llegados en la Infancia (DACA). En Colorado, alrededor de 12.000 personas tienen DACA, o protecciones para inmigrantes que fueron traídos a los Еstados Unidos cuando eran niños y viven en los Estados Unidos sin la documentación adecuada.

Las prioridades de Trump son muy similares a las de 2016, cuando sus llamados a las deportaciones motivaron a los funcionarios de la Universidad Estatal Metropolitana de Denver a aumentar los recursos para los estudiantes indocumentados, dijo Gregor Mieder, director de servicios para inmigrantes de MSU Denver.

En 2016, los funcionarios de MSU Denver organizaron seminarios con abogados de inmigración para que los estudiantes pudieran entender lo que significaría para ellos la administración Trump, y también trajeron personal de apoyo para navegar por ciertos formularios legales y DACA, e incluso trajeron organizaciones comunitarias para ayudar.

“Se movilizó un apoyo comunitario que fue realmente solidario y maravilloso de ver”, dijo Mieder. “Creo que eso también informa un poco sobre cómo estamos pensando ahora sobre esta próxima administración”.

Las universidades y los líderes universitarios dijeron que las leyes en torno a las deportaciones son una cuestión de política federal.

Pero ellos están dedicados a hacer que los estudiantes se sientan bienvenidos como en MSU Denver y Northern Colorado.

Una portavoz de la Universidad de Colorado en Boulder dijo en una declaración que los estudiantes y académicos internacionales y no ciudadanos enriquecen el campus y la comunidad, y los líderes de la escuela continuarán apoyando su empleo y matriculación, independientemente de quién esté en el cargo.

“Los estudiantes indocumentados pertenecen a CU Boulder y su éxito es una prioridad”, dice la declaración.

La escuela seguirá brindando recursos como La Clínica de Defensa de Inmigración de la Facultad de Derecho de la Universidad de Colorado, que brinda servicios directos a estudiantes, personal y miembros de la comunidad. La escuela también tiene un UndocuNetwork (un repertorio de recursos en línea), que incluye formas de ponerse en contacto con profesores y personal de todo el campus para abordar las preocupaciones de los estudiantes indocumentados y ponerse en contacto con los servicios de apoyo.

Del mismo modo, el director de la Oficina Ejecutiva de Equidad de la Universidad Estatal Adams, Florencio Urías Aranda III, dijo en una declaración que la escuela se compromete a ofrecer una comunidad segura y acogedora a estudiantes de todas procedencias.

“Nuestro compromiso y prioridad máxima es ayudar a los estudiantes a prosperar y a construir su propio futuro, ofreciéndoles servicios de apoyo y recursos adecuados, especialmente a los más vulnerables y menos representados” dijo Urías Aranda III.

Ni MSU Denver o la Northern Colorado University vieron un descenso significativo en el número de estudiantes indocumentados que se matricularon en sus campuses durante el primer mandato de Trump, dijeron los funcionarios.

Vargas también se refirió a que a los estudiantes les resulta más difícil terminar sus estudios porque pueden verse en la necesidad de trabajar para mantener a sus familias o sentirse agotados por la constante amenaza de deportación o cambios en las leyes. Muchos deben hacer frente a un estrés y una presión constantes que para la mayoría sería demasiado.

Sin embargo, una y otra vez los estudiantes siguen adelante. Mieder y Vargas comentan que ellos están constantemente recordando a los estudiantes cuán poderosa puede ser la educación para sus vidas.

Los estudiantes quieren devolver algo a sus comunidades, dijo Mieder. Y la educación es una de las cosas que ningún político puede quitarles.

Depende de los administradores de la universidad hacer que los estudiantes se sientan cómodos, y Mieder dijo que la escuela seguirá encontrando nuevas formas de abordar los problemas a medida que surjan. Los estudiantes hacen el resto con su dedicación y resiliencia.

“En general, los estudiantes aquí en MSU Denver superan casi cualquier cosa, con mucho esfuerzo y dedicación”, dijo Mieder. “Es verdaderamente asombroso ver eso”.

Traducido por Rocky Mountain Language Co-op

Cutting absenteeism, boosting 3rd grade reading among Colorado education department’s goals

2024-12-14T00:21:13+00:00

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Slashing chronic absenteeism rates, boosting third grade reading scores, and ensuring high school graduates earn college credit or work experience alongside their diplomas are among the Colorado Department of Education’s new strategic goals.

The department has set five “wildly important goals” it aims to achieve over the next several years. Other state agencies, including the Colorado Department of Early Childhood Education, are setting similar goals. Together, they represent some of the state’s biggest public policy priorities.

Education Commissioner Susana Córdova said her department’s goals are meant to address some of the 880,000-student system’s thorniest challenges.

“Schools continue to face pandemic-related challenges including poor attendance, teacher shortages, and learning loss,” she told the Colorado State Board of Education last month.

Here’s a look at three of the department’s goals and the state’s progress toward meeting them.

Reduce chronic absenteeism

Goal: Cut chronic absenteeism to 15% of K-12 students by the 2027-28 school year.

Progress: In the 2023-24 school year, 27.7% of students were chronically absent.

A student is considered chronically absent if they miss 10% or more of the school days in a school year, or approximately 18 days. Chronic absenteeism is a problem because students who miss a lot of school can fall behind academically and find it hard to catch up.

“If they’re not there, I don’t care how great your instruction is, how great your building is, how many programs you have,” State Board of Education member Lisa Escárcega said at a meeting this week while discussing the goals. “If they’re not there, they can’t learn.”

Chronic absenteeism has always been an issue, but it was made worse by the pandemic. Schools across the country have struggled to improve student attendance in the years since. While some are seeing success, absenteeism rates largely remain higher than they were before COVID.

Here’s how Colorado’s doing in bid to meet key early childhood goals

That’s true in Colorado. The state’s chronic absenteeism rate hit a high of 35.5% in the 2021-22 school year. It was a huge jump from before the pandemic, when the rate ranged from 18% to 24%.

Colorado is one of several states that have signed on to an ambitious pledge to cut chronic absenteeism by half over a five-year period. The department’s goal of a 15% chronic absenteeism rate would be a big improvement on the pre-pandemic rate.

The department has already launched a statewide campaign called “Every School Day Matters!” According to the website, more than 30 districts and schools have signed on. The department hopes 80% of Colorado’s 178 districts will agree to participate by next October.

The department also aims to increase training for educators and grow the number of visitors to a website with guidance and resources for school staff on how to foster a sense of student well-being and belonging in their schools — an element that students say is important.

Increase third grade reading scores

Goal: 60% of third graders will meet or exceed state expectations in literacy by 2028.

Progress: In 2024, 42% of third graders met that bar on the state literacy test.

Third grade is considered a key year for reading. Some studies have shown that students who can’t read proficiently by third grade are less likely to graduate from high school.

Colorado tests students in grades 3-11 in reading, writing, and math each spring. The tests for third graders are called Colorado Measures of Academic Success, or CMAS.

Student test scores plummeted during the pandemic and are now climbing back up. Colorado’s third grade reading scores were actually slightly higher in 2024 than they were in 2019 before the pandemic. But state officials say the state still has work to do.

State Board of Education members emphasized the importance of helping students early.

“I’ve heard teachers say, ‘Don’t worry about your kid. They’ll get it later on. It’ll come to them,’” said board member Angelika Schroeder. “Folks, it doesn’t come to a lot of kids.”

Colorado has never come close to 60% of third graders meeting or exceeding expectations in literacy since it rolled out the CMAS tests in 2015. Córdova called this goal “very ambitious.”

To get there, the department plans to offer more training to educators and ensure more school districts are using what it calls “high quality instructional materials.”

The department also plans to redesign its awards to “celebrate schools with strong results.”

Boost postsecondary readiness

Goal: 100% of the Class of 2029 will have earned 12 college credits, a non-degree credential, or participated in a work-based learning opportunity.

Progress: The state doesn’t currently track this metric in this way.

Colorado has for several years been focused on a concept called the “big blur,” which refers to blurring the line between high school and students’ next steps. At its simplest, it’s an attempt to better prepare high school graduates for college or the workforce.

Dual enrollment programs, which allow students to take college-level classes in high school, have become wildly popular. Dual-enrolled high school students now account for nearly half of the students at Colorado’s community colleges.

But most dual-enrolled students leave high school with only a few college credits. The department wants to drastically increase that number.

Officials also want to increase the number of students earning non-degree credentials that would allow them to work in high-demand fields, such as health care or early childhood education.

And they want to boost the number of students participating in apprenticeships, on-the-job training, internships, and other work-based learning experiences.

Colorado has a host of programs meant to accomplish these goals. But the system is fragmented and confusing, with different programs overseen by different departments. The programs also have differing amounts of funding from the state and buy-in from school districts.

A new report commissioned by state lawmakers includes recommendations for improvements, some of which may be taken up by policymakers in the upcoming legislative session.

The department also wants to increase the number of school districts participating in training sessions about postsecondary workforce readiness and the number that are including postsecondary workforce readiness strategies in their required improvement plans.

Melanie Asmar is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Colorado. Contact Melanie at masmar@chalkbeat.org.

Program providing free college classes to 5th-year high schoolers needs overhaul, report says

2024-12-09T23:42:42+00:00

Sign up for our free monthly newsletter Beyond High School to get the latest news about higher education in Colorado.

A Colorado program that allows students to stay in high school for a fifth year to take free college classes should be realigned to focus on low-income, at-risk students.

That’s just one of several recommendations in a new report meant to address problems with the state’s fragmented workforce readiness programs.

State lawmakers commissioned the report from the Denver-based Slalom Consulting firm, which will present its recommendations Wednesday to the Colorado State Board of Education.

The report calls for changes to the state system so it is easier for districts to offer students career education opportunities. For example, the report says the state can consolidate programs into one office and create a dedicated fund for counselors.

The proposed changes would support more districts in creating workforce programs with the goal of exposing students to career education that leads to college credit, classes that will lead to an industry certification, or on-the-job training. The recommendations also call for a new fund that would help districts hire more school counselors, including career coaches that support students’ aspirations.

Lawmakers commissioned the study after a larger report on the state of Colorado’s career education system — called the 1215 report — revealed a need for changes if the state wants to graduate more students with the skills for college and a career.

The 1215 report also outlined the need for further reports on specific workforce and college programs. Different programs are overseen by different departments despite having similar goals.

The Slalom report’s first recommendation calls for consolidating grants and programs into one overarching Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness fund. The change would bring various programs under one roof and make accessing them easier for districts.

The second recommendation says lawmakers should then create a categorical fund within the budget, or a line item specifically for certain programs or students, that would specifically pay for counselors, at a cost of $300.8 million a year. The money would support students as they explore career fields and college options.

Creating the categorical fund might be a challenge because historically these have been underfunded. In the short-term, lawmakers this year must also find budget cuts.

The report also recommends the state standardize tuition agreements to make it easier to account for program costs, and create reimbursement models for certain expenses like books and fees.

One notable facet of Slalom’s report is a call for the state to reassess the Accelerating Students through Concurrent Enrollment program, often called ASCENT.

ASCENT is one of the state’s first career education programs and grew in recent years after lawmakers lifted a student enrollment cap. The program provides students a fifth year of high school enrollment while they attend college, but doesn’t spell out what students will learn.

Newer programs have similar structures but clear workforce goals, such as one called TREP that helps students get into teaching, and another called P-Tech that is designed to get students into science, technology, engineering, or math careers.

In addition to questions about its requirements, ASCENT’s costs have also increased. The state has projected it will spend about $18 million on ASCENT in the 2024-25 budget year, more than quadruple what the program cost in 2022. Lawmakers also chose to place a cap back on the program.

Lawmakers could shift the $18 million for ASCENT to other programs, the report says.

Some school leaders say the program is crucial to keep students who have a more complicated educational journey on track to college and a career with good pay.

If lawmakers decide to keep ASCENT, districts should be reimbursed for costs, rather than receiving a per-pupil allocation, the report says. The program should also be realigned to focus on low-income, at-risk students with 15 or fewer credit hours to help them complete a college credential.

How can higher education help democracy? By boosting civic participation, this group says.

2024-12-09T16:00:00+00:00

Sign up for our free monthly newsletter Beyond High School to get the latest news about higher education in Colorado.

Can a college degree improve a person’s civic participation?

Absolutely — but the unequal ability of students to graduate from college undermines their chances at participating in U.S. democracy, according to Complete College America.

The national nonprofit advocates for dramatically increasing college completion rates and improving student success. The new paper it released last month offers a view of the links between a healthy democracy and higher education.

The paper also calls for colleges to play a greater role in helping Americans achieve the economic success that allows them to better participate in democracy.

A college degree affords students economic stability through access to higher paying jobs, said Charles Ansell, vice president for research, policy, and advocacy at the nonprofit. That in turn leads to more time for leisure and civic engagement, he said, such as voting, volunteering, or even running for office.

“You need to meet a minimum threshold for a good life,” Ansell said. “Then you don’t have to be in this rat race all the time.”

The paper, published just after the November election, outlines several points as to why higher education has a larger role to play in helping Americans participate civically. The report calls for a greater focus on college completion rates, schools to place more focus on civics, and higher education to better respond to the real-world experiences students face.

Ansell said the subject is also critically important for a divided electorate to help create more political understanding.

Ansell said part of the problem is economic disenfranchisement. Graduates earn 44% more in wages annually than those with a high school diploma. Yet the U.S. has a big divide in who gets to college and graduates. Many students of color and from low-income backgrounds don’t graduate on time — or graduate at all.

The reality is that those who have the privilege graduate at higher rates, get the good jobs, and have the most time to participate in civic life, Ansell said.

And college students who drop out more often feel like the economy doesn’t work for them, especially as they pay back the cost of going and earn less money overall, he said. Too many Americans are struggling to survive, living from paycheck to paycheck, he added.

Only 54% of all Americans have a higher education credential or higher. Yet more and more jobs require college education.

For instance, Colorado is the most educated state in the country as measured by college degree attainment. While the same problems still exist here in graduation rates and who gets a degree, Ansell said many feel the economy is working for them.

Ansell said Colorado has focused more on career and college readiness through high school dual enrollment. And he said Gov. Jared Polis and lawmakers have focused a lot on the economic welfare of Coloradans.

In recent years, Colorado has focused more on the return on investment of students, including creating a statewide plan that focuses on ensuring students reap the benefits of college after they graduate.

“And it seems like higher education institutions I work with in Colorado are quite responsive to making sure that students are getting that return on investment,” he said, specifically mentioning Metropolitan State University of Denver for its work with students from lower-income backgrounds and students of color.

But Colorado’s push for more high schools to teach college-level classes and certificates could include more civics classes, he said. And that’s true nationally, he added.

Colleges and universities also have low public approval ratings despite Republican and Democratic lawmakers viewing them as important economic engines for their states. Schools need to do more to help students, including combating high tuition rates and showing their value through graduating students so they can get better jobs, the report says.

“If graduation rates are as low as they are, that’s going to have a severe impact on our democratic health,” said Ansell .“And for many people, college is an interaction of failure, and it’s an interaction of systems failing them.”

As Trump’s second term draws near, Colorado colleges reaffirm their support of immigrant students on campus

2024-12-03T23:05:20+00:00

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Colorado public university leaders say they’re better prepared now to support the immigrant students on their campuses than they were during President-elect Donald Trump’s first term.

College administrators said many will follow a similar blueprint to the one they created in 2016 and have sustained since that time. But Trump’s upcoming second turn in office – and his calls for mass deportations – bring a renewed need from Colorado universities and colleges to remind undocumented immigrant students that they’re not only welcome on campus, but they will support them to help them realize their dreams, they said.

College administrators said that’s especially true as they hear more undocumented students are feeling worn out by the constant threat of deportations.

“Despite the fact that we do have a lot of support for this population, I feel like we definitely, definitely need to do more,” said Rodolfo Vargas, University of Northern Colorado César Chávez Cultural Center director. “And that’s what we’re working on right now.”

Colorado’s public colleges and universities annually educate a diverse group of students that includes international and migrant students. Immigrant students might have legal protection to stay in the country, no documentation at all, or might be here legally but worry about undocumented family members. About 156,000 undocumented immigrants live in the state.

Over the last four years, an average of 2,300 undocumented students a year have applied for the Colorado Application for State Financial Aid. The application, like the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is meant to help undocumented students qualify for money to pay for college and realize their dreams. Students can also qualify for in-state tuition through the Colorado ASSET program.

And Colorado restricts most forms of cooperation with federal immigration authorities when it comes to deportations, although a lot can depend on which county or cities residents live in.

Vargas said students are also constantly fearful laws might change, such as whether the federal government will end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. In Colorado, about 12,000 individuals have DACA, or protections for immigrants who were brought to the states as young children and live in the United States without proper documentation.

Trump’s priorities are very similar to 2016, when his calls for deportations prompted Metropolitan State University of Denver officials to boost resources for undocumented students, said Gregor Mieder, MSU Denver immigrant services director.

In 2016, MSU Denver officials held seminars with immigration lawyers so students could understand what the Trump administration would mean for them, brought in support staff to navigate certain legal forms and DACA, and even brought in community organizations to help.

“It mobilized community support that was really supportive and wonderful to see,” Mieder said. “I would say that also informs a little bit how we’re thinking now about the next administration.”

Universities and college leaders said laws around deportations are a matter of federal policy.

But they’re dedicated to making students feel welcome like at MSU Denver and Northern Colorado.

A University of Colorado Boulder spokeswoman in a statement said international and noncitizen students and scholars enrich the campus and community, and the school’s leaders will continue to support their employment and enrollment, regardless of who’s in office.

“Undocumented students belong at CU Boulder and their success is a priority,” the statement says.

The school will continue to provide resources such as the University of Colorado Law School’s Immigration Law Clinic, which provides direct services to students, staff, and community members. The school also has an UndocuNetwork — or an online repository of resources — that includes ways to contact faculty and staff from across campus to address undocumented students’ concerns and get connected with support services.

Similarly, Adams State University Executive Equity Office officer Florencio Urias Aranda III said in a statement that the school is committed to providing a safe and welcoming community for students from all walks of life.

“Our commitment and top priority is to help students thrive, and write their great story, by providing support services and adequate resources to all students, especially underserved and underrepresented populations,” he said.

Neither MSU Denver and Northern Colorado saw any appreciable dropoff in the number of undocumented students who enrolled on campus during Trump’s first term, officials said.

However, Vargas said students have a harder time finishing because they might see the need to work to support their families or get exhausted by the constant threat of deportation or changes in laws. Many face constant stress and pressure that would be too much for most, he said.

Yet over and over students push through, especially because Mieder and Vargas said they constantly remind students how powerful education can be for their lives.

Students want to give back to their communities, Mieder said. And an education is one of the things no politician can take away from them, he said.

It’s up to college administrators to make them feel comfortable, and Mieder said the school will continue to find new ways to address issues as they pop up. The students then do the rest through their dedication and resiliency, he said.

“By and large, students here at MSU Denver will push through almost anything, and with so much effort and so much dedication,” Mieder said. “That’s really amazing to see.”

1 of 3 Hispanic students have dropped out of college at some point, survey says

2024-10-31T20:54:03+00:00

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Despite the majority of Hispanic students viewing college as a pathway to a well-paying job and support for their families, a new survey finds most of them face significant barriers to graduating.

In fact, two-thirds of the students surveyed said they considered leaving college at some point.

The survey, released last week by UnidosUS, hopes to shed light on the challenges Hispanic students face in college, and to help explain why they graduate at lower rates than their white peers. The study focuses on the population during a time when a growing number of Hispanic students are heading to college each year.

The Latino civil rights and advocacy organization conducted the survey of over 3,000 current and former students from August to September. The poll has a margin of error of 1.8%.

The survey affirms many of the challenges that Hispanic students in Colorado and nationwide have said they face in realizing their college dreams. UnidosUS found the majority lack affordable and healthy food, face challenges in the college-going process such as filling out financial aid, and must juggle work and school.

“It reveals, certainly, that some of the problems that we’ve known about are much deeper than many of us have expected,” said Eric Rodriguez, UnidosUS senior vice president of policy and advocacy.

Other studies and reports have also sought to understand the challenges students face, including a Denver-based study on Hispanic men and their views on the college-going process. Hispanic men are less likely to end up on a college campus than women, a disparity present in other racial groups.

However, the UnidosUS survey provides a broader snapshot of what Hispanic students nationally encounter. Here are a few of the takeaways from the national survey.

Food insecurity high among Hispanic students

National studies from 2020 that included the most recent data on college student food insecurity reported almost a quarter of all college students face food insecurity.

But the UnidosUS survey found much higher rates. About 85% of Hispanic students faced food insecurity at some point. About half of all respondents said they don’t have enough to eat or have healthy food options daily or a few times a week.

In Colorado, more colleges are starting to provide nutrition assistance to students because it helps them get to graduation. This support includes food pantries, mobile food drives, and even cooking classes. That’s true in other states, as well.

Yet many students sometimes weren’t aware of some of the resources potentially available to them, UnidosUS reported.

SNAP, or the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is one way students can get assistance. But less than half of all students nationwide at two- and four-year college campuses have applied for it.

About half didn’t believe they were eligible or weren’t familiar with SNAP.

“That was, frankly, just like a much higher number than we expected to see,” said Anaís López, a senior analyst with BSP Research, the data firm that helped conduct the UnidosUS poll.

Work complicates Hispanic students’ path to graduation

About half of all Hispanic students work part-time in college.

A quarter hold full-time jobs, while another 5% work full- and part-time jobs.

About 40% of respondents held a work study job, which provides more overall support for students to help them make a decent wage and finish their school work. Yet just as many were without that support. Many counted on familial support, creating a greater need to hold a job.

The study also found income and where students go to school does not lower their likelihood of needing to hold a job while attending college. This is important because students who have a job are about 20% less likely to make it to graduation, according to a 2023 study.

Large number of Hispanic students leave college

The survey focused on other major barriers like states tamping down on race-based admissions considerations, and the recent error-plagued rollout of the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

Often, students say it’s not one, but multiple issues that factor into their decision to leave school.

The survey shows about a third of students did end up leaving school at some point.

Where students went to college seemed to matter in that decision. Hispanic students at two-year colleges were more likely to leave compared with students at four-year universities. Students who are parents and students from lower-income backgrounds were the most likely to drop out.

“We must invest in supporting these students to ensure that higher education can deliver on its promise,” Rodriguez said.

Community college enrollment gains led by dual-enrolled high school students

2024-10-30T01:27:28+00:00

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Dual-enrolled high school students are closing in on accounting for nearly half of Colorado’s community college enrollment, according to fall 2024 enrollment data.

Of the 88,118 students enrolled at the two-year level, more than 39,000 students statewide are still in high school, the Colorado Community College System reports. The share of dual-enrolled students has steadily increased each year. Nationally, about 1 in 5 community college students are dual enrolled, according to 2022-23 numbers.

In light of the increases and the variety of the state’s concurrent enrollment system — where high school students enroll in college classes — Colorado lawmakers and other education advocates want more information on the long-term benefit of these programs as well as the overall costs to the state. Lawmakers have passed laws that call for studying how to streamline and improve a system that has been built piecemeal over the years.

In total, high school students accounted for almost 90% of enrollment increases at the community college level this year. Since the pandemic, high school students have become a main driver of community college enrollment in the state.

The numbers were climbing even before 2020 amid greater emphasis on exposing students to college-level work, said Sarah Heath, system vice chancellor of academic and student affairs.

“We really have focused on the value of high school plus,” Heath said. “That has resonated.”

About 3,100 new students enrolled this year in Colorado community colleges, with a 2,770 increase in high school students, according to October numbers.

Among students who are beyond high school, enrollment ticked up only slightly. These older adult students traditionally represented the bulk of community college enrollment, but colleges have had more trouble enrolling them since the pandemic.

“We haven’t had much growth” in that segment, Heath said, “except for some online pieces.”

Nationally, community colleges fared better than public four-year universities in enrollment in part because of the number of high school students who are also enrolled in public two-year colleges.

National numbers show a 7% increase in the number of students under the age of 17 who are dual-enrolled this fall over last year.

Here’s a closer look at the changing face of Colorado’s two-year colleges:

What do we know (and not know) about the students?

The majority of high school students take college classes part-time, or less than 12 credits. This has led to an increase in part-time students at colleges.

Of the 88,118 community college students enrolled this year, including high school students, only 22,715 enrolled full-time.

Many high school students also likely never set foot on a college campus thanks to the increase in high school teachers who are certified to teach college-level courses, according to Heath.

By the time students graduate from high school, they’ve typically earned only a few college credits. Still, state leaders have said that this helps offset the overall cost of a college education for them. A state report estimated from 2020 data that graduates saved about $53 million in tuition through these opportunities.

The new community college enrollment data doesn’t break down figures for overall high school student diversity, but past reports show these programs are mostly representative of the state’s K-12 ethnic and racial makeup. About half of all students in 2021 were white, a quarter were Hispanic, and about 3.5% were Black.

The report did not include information on how the programs benefit lower-income students in the state, or those students who would benefit the most financially from these programs.

Where are students dual-enrolled?

Most dual-enrolled high school students live on the Front Range in urban and suburban communities, although many rural districts have a higher percentage of their students participating in programs.

In total, Colorado has 561 cooperative agreements between school districts and two- and four-year colleges. Only two districts in the state do not participate in dual enrollment.

Of the two-year colleges, Front Range and Arapahoe community colleges have some of the highest numbers of district partnerships. Those colleges enroll almost 25,000 high school students, or about 62% of the dual-enrolled student population.

The highest participation rates are in rural districts such as in Crowley, Edison, and Silverton, where more than 70% of high school students are dual enrolled.

Who pays for dual enrollment?

In most cases, the districts and state pay for the cost of offering these programs.

Programs like ASCENT, where students attend college in their fifth year of high school but also get support from their districts, now require students to fill out the FAFSA so they’re eligible for Pell grants, or federal aid to students from lower-income backgrounds. The Pell grants then offset the cost of college incurred by the state. This year, the state is projected to spend about $17 million to educate about 1,200 ASCENT students.

Most partnerships between the community colleges and districts are structured to be cost neutral, so community colleges only charge for services to support dual enrollment, Heath said. But districts must hire staff, provide classes, and support students.

Nationally, some have wondered whether these programs are the best use of state funds. For example, education advocates have questioned whether states are just subsidizing college for students who would already plan to go.

Research shows that in Colorado, fewer dual-enrolled students — about two-thirds of them — end up on a college campus after they graduate from high school, compared with most other states. It’s not entirely clear why, but the number decreases if students are from lower-income backgrounds, according to the Community College Research Center.

What do lawmakers want to change?

Colorado lawmakers say they recognize the value of dual enrollment, especially because national research shows these programs can help eliminate gaps in who gets to college. But they also want more information on the state’s many programs.

A state task force has called for streamlining what it has described as a fragmented early career and college system built over many years. Colorado has numerous programs, but not every district offers every program.

Each program has different reporting requirements, making it hard to measure how programs are working individually and as a whole. Colorado lawmakers enacted legislation this year that:

Directs the state to perform a comprehensive financial study to analyze how much the programs cost the state and districts;
Compiles long-term data on program outcomes;
Expands college opportunities for high school students; and
Seeks to find a comprehensive direction on college and career education.

Students are testing out the FAFSA before it goes live in an effort to avoid last year’s mess

2024-10-23T22:29:41+00:00

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Thousands of students, including in Newark, Chicago, and the Denver area, are helping test out federal financial aid forms before they go live to the broader public on or before Dec. 1.

The testing, which is in its second of four rounds, is meant to identify glitches that made it difficult for many students to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid last school year. The hope is that by testing the form this time around, the U.S. Department of Education will be able to deliver on the promise of the Better FAFSA — a simpler form that offers a faster overall experience than the previous version.

Advocates say the testing is a welcome change from last school year when problems with a botched overhaul of the form led to over 200,000 fewer students completing the form.

The wide range of communities chosen for testing include many of the student groups who struggled most to fill out the form last year — those who have immigrant parents who don’t have a Social Security number and those who are the first in their family to go to college.

So far, advocates and officials who have helped with the testing report fewer problems overall, as well as what they’ve said is “cautious optimism” that the FAFSA should function as needed to help students qualify for financial aid, grants, and scholarships that help them offset the cost of college.

By participating in the testing, students get early access to completing the form, extra technical assistance, and their information sent earlier to colleges of their choice.

National College Attainment Network CEO Kim Cook said lingering issues are still being addressed on the 2025-26 form, including students struggling with identity verification and for mixed-status immigrant students. NCAN supports members to help students get to college and graduate.

“Fundamentally, testing a system before launch is a best practice,” Cook said. “I think this year it’s especially important because of what we learned in last year’s 2024-25 FAFSA rollout.”

The federal government revamped the FAFSA form last year and released it on Dec. 31, three months later than typical. While the Better FAFSA, as it is now called, proved to be shorter and easier when functional, the technical issues hurt the process.

The U.S. Department of Education has been selecting beta testing sites to help troubleshoot problems and has employed volunteers from community organizations, government agencies, districts, and high schools.

The plan is to expand the number of students participating in each round.

In the first round of testing, about 650 high school students helped test the FAFSA through the first half of October. Another 3,500 students, including students already enrolled in college, are testing the FAFSA in the second round, according to the department.

A spokesperson for the department said participants are selected based on criteria that include the student population, geographic location, and type of school.

The testing includes colleges and high schools from rural, urban, and suburban areas, and the department sought out students who are the first to college in their family, from immigrant backgrounds, and who have never filled out the form.

Schools report positive testing experiences

Colorado’s Adams City High School, which educates predominantly students from low-income backgrounds and who are mostly Hispanic, was selected to participate in the second round of beta testing.

INSPiRE founder Jesse Ramirez, whose nonprofit organization helps mentor students to college, submitted the application for Commerce City high school officials. Ramirez’s nonprofit has worked with the district for years, including participating in a state grant that helps increase FAFSA completion rates. Last year, despite gains the year before, far fewer students filled out the form, he said — about 20% less.

The school held its FAFSA event on Oct. 16, which happened during fall break. Still, many students volunteered, he said. About 75 students showed up on the day of testing, Ramirez said.

During testing, Ramirez brought in over 50 financial aid experts, most of whom were bilingual. Families and volunteers were able to call Education Department officials who were staffed to support the testing.

Some students filled out the form in 15 minutes, while others needed more support.

Ramirez said most students encountered issues where they entered information that didn’t perfectly match tax records. This meant they were then not found in the system. For example, if a parent with a hyphenated last name used a hyphen when filing their taxes but the student didn’t use the hyphen when filling out the FAFSA, their application would get bounced back.

That error then needed to be sorted out through a phone call to the Education Department.

Ramirez said he’s pleased with how the testing went. With the FAFSA being delayed two months later than usual, every day counts, he said. Historically, about half of all students who complete the FAFSA do so between October and the end of the year.

“Why wouldn’t we do this?” Ramirez said. “Why wouldn’t we want to create these opportunities? There’s no idea that is too crazy, as long as it’s about empowering our kids and helping our families.”

Other districts, such as Chicago Public Schools, tested 150 of the 500 students they were allowed to test in the second round. The district will be allowed to test up to 2,000 more in the third testing window. The district expects more than 50 high schools to participate in the third round.

District leaders also want students to get ahead on the FAFSA, with a goal of 10% of Chicago Public Schools students to have the form completed early so they can get ahead and address barriers to getting to college, a spokeswoman said.

National advocacy groups report growing confidence in the Better FAFSA

National advocacy group leaders have said that while they wished for the FAFSA to be ready by October, the testing is important.

Jill Desjean, National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrator director of policy analysis, said the organization is 100% behind the testing. She’s especially happy that the Education Department has sought to test students from a variety of socioeconomic, geographic, and familial backgrounds.

“It’s really important to be looking at every possible type of student who could be filling out a FAFSA and every type of family scenario they could be encountering,” she said.

The Education Department has provided updates on testing, and an Oct. 21 update showed that so far 2,830 students were able to complete the form during the two rounds of beta testing. Those students reported 93% satisfaction with the form. Almost 90% of students say they were able to complete it in a reasonable amount of time.

The top reason for a student’s FAFSA being rejected was a missing student or parent signature, according to the department. According to a Government Accountability Office investigation, many students last year saw signatures disappear after saving and re-opening the form. Officials say they are working through those issues.

Cook, with NCAN, said the testing has helped instill some confidence after last school year.

The Education Department has also been transparent in documenting the issues students are running into, she said. Some issues the department has detailed include usability issues and the ongoing signature problems.

“We’re seeing it largely work,” Cook said. “That doesn’t mean there aren’t still issues for us to address, but we’re clear on what the issues are, and I think they’ve been heard and they’re being worked on.”

Denver Auraria Campus student cooking class aims to reduce food insecurity stigma

2024-10-17T18:54:17+00:00

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Kiki Garcia, a Metropolitan State University of Denver sophomore, chopped onions while chatting with a group of three other Auraria Campus students helping prepare a Three Sister Stew.

The group working together on Tuesday to make the Native American dish shared where they were from and their connection to food. The four students lamented their chopping skills at a stainless steel chopping station while the classroom kitchen filled with the aroma of hot olive oil.

The cooking session was part of the Health Center at Auraria Cooking With Purpose class, a free event held once a month for up to 18 students meant to teach participants valuable lessons in cooking for themselves. Some of the ingredients can be picked up from the free food pantries at Auraria’s three schools — the University of Colorado Denver, MSU Denver, and the Community College of Denver.

Students Grace Glassman, Temitope Adesegha, Kiki Garcia, and Joe-Ann Suarez cut vegetables for a Three Sister Stew during a Cooking With Purpose class on Oct. 15, 2024 at Denver's Auraria Campus.

Health center officials hope the cooking class lessons also break down any stigma of using food services on campus, especially with so many students there facing food insecurity. The center serves the three schools located at Auraria.

The center’s approach, launched in partnership with MSU Denver’s Rowdy’s Corner food pantry, adds to the growing number of resources schools are providing to address student hunger, such as food pantries, mobile markets, and snack lockers.

Nationally, an estimated 23% of college students in 2020, or about 3.8 million students, experienced food insecurity — including many who skip meals or do not have enough to eat.

And since the pandemic, in the face of rising food costs, more students than ever are expected to have food needs.

Food security is high on the three school campuses, said Margarita Driscoll, the health center’s marketing and education coordinator. For example, an MSU Denver study found that almost 60% of MSU Denver students reported experiencing food insecurity. Most also didn’t have access to a convenient way to prepare their own meals.

The class does more than just teach about cooking and on campus resources. Driscoll also makes sure to direct students to federal SNAP benefits, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Suarez cleans out an acorn squash during the class.

But the chance for students to get hands-on experience with the food in the pantries is the goal.

“If a student doesn’t know what to do with acorn squash and how to make it taste good,” she said, “then it’s not very helpful to have all this extra food.”

At first, Garcia, 19, didn’t view the class as a way to combat worries about putting food on the table. When she transferred from Pueblo Community College, she just wanted to make friends. The class seemed like a good way to do that.

As a busy student, Garcia said it can be easy to grab something cheap but unhealthy while she’s on the go — or go without eating altogether. Food prices are high, she said, so sometimes she has to make hard decisions.

“I have conversations with my mom where I talk about how I get very stressed about money,” she said. “I’m not making as much as I was before, so it becomes hard to balance.”

Garcia, center, listens to other students introduce themselves. Garcia said she originally wanted to join the class to make friends.

She’s found that she has to worry less about putting food on the table thanks to MSU Denver’s Rowdy’s Corner food pantry. Garcia works two part-time jobs while also studying to major in political science.

The cooking class has helped her connect to the MSU Denver food pantry and she’s started to visit regularly. Even before she showed up for the event, she stopped at Rowdy’s Corner for eggs and milk. She doesn’t really think about any stigma behind using the food service any longer, she said. Instead, it’s more like a grocery store.

Other students feel the same. Fellow MSU Denver student Grace Glassman, 18, who worked with Garcia to make the stew, said she doesn’t think twice about using the food pantry. She’s there almost daily.

Driscoll said the health center also wants students to know recipe cards from the class are available to them when they visit the pantry. Students can also find recipes for the meals online, and she said she hopes to expand the resource by including video tutorials.

Many recipes try to cater toward the student body by incorporating cultural elements, such as Hispanic foods because of the size of the population on campus. Driscoll also added the health center is cognizant about what’s usually provided in the food pantries, so the meals tend to be vegetarian because meat isn’t often available.

Garcia stirs a pot of stew. The class has taught her about campus resources.

Garcia said the classes have reinforced her passion for cooking and connected her more to her culture. She wants to learn about Lebanese food from her grandma.

She also has made friends. And thanks to the classes and the pantry, she said, she has the added benefit of not worrying about where her next meal will come from.