Second Regular Session
Seventy-third General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
INTRODUCED
LLS NO. 22-0118.01 Conrad Imel x2313
SENATE BILL 22-008
Senate Committees House Committees
Education
A BILL FOR AN ACT
C
ONCERNING POSTSECONDARY EDUCAT ION SUPPORT FOR CERTAIN101
STUDENTS WHO HAVE BEEN IN OUT -OF-HOME PLACEMENT .102
Bill Summary
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does
not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill
passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that
applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at
http://leg.colorado.gov/
.)
Colorado Youth Advisory Council Review Committee. The bill
requires all public higher education institutions (institutions) in Colorado
to waive undergraduate tuition and fees for Colorado resident students
who have been in foster care or, following an adjudication as neglected
or dependent, in noncertified kinship care in Colorado at any time on or
after reaching the age of 13 (qualifying students). The institutions are
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Zenzinger and Priola, Fenberg, Moreno
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
McLachlan and McKean,
Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.
Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing statute.
Dashes through the words indicate deletions from existing statute. required to designate an employee to serve as a liaison to qualifying or
prospective qualifying students.
Under existing law, school districts and the state charter school
institute must designate an employee to act as the child welfare education
liaison. The bill requires child welfare education liaisons to provide
students in out-of-home placement with information and assistance
regarding the tuition waiver for qualifying students.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 23-5-148 as2
follows:3
23-5-148. Tuition waivers for students who have been in4
out-of-home placement - higher education liaison - definitions. (1) A
S5
USED IN THIS SECTION, UNLESS THE CONTEXT OTHERWISE REQUIRES :6
(a) "C
HAFEE ETV GRANT" MEANS AN EDUCATIONAL AND TRAINING7
VOUCHERS PROGRAM GRANT MADE PURSUANT TO THE FEDERAL "JOHN H.8
C
HAFEE FOSTER CARE PROGRAM FOR SUCCESSFUL TRANSITION TO9
A
DULTHOOD", 42 U.S.C. SEC. 677.10
(b) "I
NSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION " OR "INSTITUTION"11
MEANS A STATE INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION , AS DEFINED IN12
SECTION 23-18-102 (10)(a); LOCAL DISTRICT COLLEGE, AS DEFINED IN13
SECTION 23-71-102; OR AREA TECHNICAL COLLEGE , AS DEFINED IN14
SECTION 23-60-103.15
(c) "Q
UALIFYING STUDENT" MEANS A RESIDENT OF COLORADO16
WHO HAS BEEN ACCEPTED FOR ENROLLMENT AT AN INSTITUTION OF17
HIGHER EDUCATION WHO:18
(I) H
AS BEEN PLACED IN FOSTER CARE, AS DEFINED IN SECTION19
19-1-103,
IN COLORADO AT ANY TIME ON OR AFTER THE STUDENT 'S20
THIRTEENTH BIRTHDAY; OR21
(II) H
AS BEEN IN NONCERTIFIED KINSHIP CARE , AS DEFINED IN22
SB22-008-2- SECTION 19-1-103, IN COLORADO AT ANY TIME ON OR AFTER THE1
STUDENT'S THIRTEENTH BIRTHDAY AND WAS, AT ANY TIME, ADJUDICATED2
NEGLECTED OR DEPENDENT PURSUANT TO ARTICLE 3 OF TITLE 19.3
(2) (a) B
EGINNING IN THE 2022-23 ACADEMIC YEAR, EACH4
INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE STATE MUST WAIVE ANY5
TUITION COSTS, INCLUDING ANY MANDATORY FEES ASSOCIATED WITH6
ATTENDANCE AT THE INSTITUTION, FOR A QUALIFYING STUDENT IN EXCESS7
OF THE AMOUNT OF ANY PRIVATE , STATE, OR FEDERAL TUITION8
ASSISTANCE RECEIVED BY THE QUALIFYING STUDENT . AN INSTITUTION IS9
REQUIRED TO WAIVE TUITION AND FEES FOR AT LEAST ONE HUNDRED10
THIRTY-TWO SEMESTER HOURS OR ONE HUNDRED NINETY -EIGHT QUARTER11
HOURS.12
(b) I
N ORDER TO RECEIVE A TUITION WAIVER , THE QUALIFYING13
STUDENT MUST:14
(I) C
OMPLETE THE FREE APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL STUDENT AID ,15
INCLUDING, IF APPLICABLE, ACKNOWLEDGING PAST OR CURRENT FOSTER16
CARE PLACEMENT;17
(II) I
F ELIGIBLE, COMPLETE THE APPLICATION FOR A CHAFEE ETV18
GRANT;19
(III) B
E ENROLLED IN COURSES LEADING TOWARD A BACHELOR 'S20
DEGREE, A POSTGRADUATE DEGREE , AN ASSOCIATE DEGREE , OR A21
CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION AT AN INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION ;22
(IV) R
EQUEST THE WAIVER IN ACCORDANCE WITH POLICIES SET23
FORTH BY THE INSTITUTION; AND24
(V) R
EMAIN IN SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC STANDING IN25
ACCORDANCE WITH THE ACADEMIC POLICIES OF THE INSTITUTION AND BE26
MAKING PROGRESS TOWARD COMPLETION OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE27
SB22-008
-3- EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM IN WHICH THE STUDENT IS ENROLLED .1
(3) (a) E
ACH INSTITUTION SHALL DESIGNATE ONE EMPLOYEE AS A2
LIAISON TO SERVE AS A DIRECT POINT OF CONTACT WITH THE INSTITUTION3
FOR QUALIFYING STUDENTS AND PROSPECTIVE QUALIFYING STUDENTS .4
T
HE LIAISON MAY HAVE OTHER DUTIES UNRELATED TO WORK AS THE5
LIAISON, BUT THE LIAISON SHALL PRIORITIZE THE DUTIES DESCRIBED IN6
THIS SUBSECTION (3).7
(b) T
HE LIAISON SHALL WORK WITH SCHOOL DISTRICT AND STATE8
CHARTER SCHOOL INSTITUTE CHILD WELFARE EDUCATION LIAISONS ,9
DESCRIBED IN SECTION 22-32-138 (2), TO IDENTIFY PROSPECTIVE10
QUALIFYING STUDENTS.11
(c) T
HE LIAISON SHALL PROVIDE QUALIFYING STUDENTS ,12
PROSPECTIVE QUALIFYING STUDENTS , AND SCHOOL DISTRICT AND STATE13
CHARTER SCHOOL INSTITUTE CHILD WELFARE EDUCATION LIAISONS WITH14
INFORMATION REGARDING APPLICATION ASSISTANCE , TUITION WAIVERS,15
SUPPORT SERVICES, AND OTHER RESOURCES AND ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE16
TO QUALIFYING STUDENTS AND PROSPECTIVE QUALIFYING STUDENTS .17
SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 22-32-138, amend18
(2)(b)(V) and (2)(b)(VI); and add (2)(b)(VII) as follows:19
22-32-138. Out-of-home placement students - school stability,20
transfer, and enrollment procedures - absences - exemptions -21
provision of academic supports - definitions. (2) (b) The child welfare22
education liaison shall be responsible for working with child placement23
agencies, county departments, and the state department of human services24
to facilitate services to maintain students in out-of-home placement in25
their schools of origin or, if the county department determines that it is26
not in the students' best interests to remain in the school of origin,27
SB22-008
-4- facilitate the prompt and appropriate placement, transfer, and enrollment1
in school of students in out-of-home placement within the school district2
or who are enrolled or enrolling in institute charter schools. The child3
welfare education liaison's specific duties include but need not be limited4
to:5
(V) Participating, or having his or her THE LIAISON'S designee6
participate, in any interagency collaboration teams or threat-assessment7
teams centered on students in out-of-home placement, which teams the8
education provider may develop or on which teams the education9
provider may be invited to participate; and10
(VI) Providing to the department of education, the department of11
human services, and the education committees of the house of12
representatives and the senate, or any successor committees, the13
information required pursuant to sections 22-2-139 and 26-1-138;
AND14
(VII) P
ROVIDING STUDENTS IN OUT-OF-HOME PLACEMENT WITH15
INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE REGARDING THE TUITION WAIVER FOR16
FOSTER YOUTH DESCRIBED IN SECTION 23-5-148.17
SECTION 3. Safety clause. The general assembly hereby finds,18
determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate19
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety.20
SB22-008
-5-