Second Regular Session
Seventy-third General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
REVISED
This Version Includes All Amendments Adopted
on Second Reading in the Second House
LLS NO. 22-0118.01 Conrad Imel x2313
SENATE BILL 22-008
Senate Committees House Committees
Education Education
Appropriations Appropriations
A BILL FOR AN ACT
C
ONCERNING POSTSECONDARY EDUCAT ION SUPPORT FOR CERTAIN101
STUDENTS WHO HAVE BEEN IN OUT -OF-HOME PLACEMENT , AND,
102
IN CONNECTION THEREWITH , MAKING AN APPROPRIATION .103
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
HOUSE
Amended 2nd Reading
April 26, 2022
SENATE
3rd Reading Unamended
March 25, 2022
SENATE
Amended 2nd Reading
March 24, 2022
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Zenzinger and Priola, Fenberg, Moreno, Bridges, Buckner, Coleman, Danielson,
Donovan, Fields, Ginal, Gonzales, Hansen, Hinrichsen, Jaquez Lewis, Kolker, Lee, Pettersen,
Rankin, Rodriguez, Story
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. after reaching the age of 13 (qualifying students). The institutions are
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 part 14 to article
2
3.3 of title 23 as follows:3
PART 144
FOSTER YOUTH FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM5
23-3.3-1401. Financial aid for students who have been in6
out-of-home placement - institution liaisons - navigators -7
definitions. (1) A
S USED IN THIS SECTION, UNLESS THE CONTEXT8
OTHERWISE REQUIRES:9
(a) "C
HAFEE ETV GRANT" MEANS AN EDUCATIONAL AND TRAINING10
VOUCHERS PROGRAM GRANT MADE PURSUANT TO THE FEDERAL "JOHN H.11
C
HAFEE FOSTER CARE PROGRAM FOR SUCCESSFUL TRANSITION TO12
A
DULTHOOD", 42 U.S.C. SEC. 677.13
(b) "COST OF ATTENDANCE" HAS THE SAME MEANING AS SET14
FORTH IN SECTION 23-3.3-1002.15
(c) "INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION " OR "INSTITUTION"16
MEANS A STATE INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION , AS DEFINED IN17
SECTION 23-18-102 (10)(a); LOCAL DISTRICT COLLEGE, AS DEFINED IN18
SECTION 23-71-102; OR AREA TECHNICAL COLLEGE , AS DEFINED IN19
SECTION 23-60-103.20
(d) "QUALIFYING STUDENT" MEANS A RESIDENT OF COLORADO21
008-2- WHO HAS BEEN ACCEPTED FOR ENROLLMENT AT AN INSTITUTION OF1
HIGHER EDUCATION WHO:2
(I) H
AS BEEN PLACED IN FOSTER CARE, AS DEFINED IN SECTION3
19-1-103,
IN COLORADO AT ANY TIME ON OR AFTER THE STUDENT 'S4
THIRTEENTH BIRTHDAY; OR5
(II) H
AS BEEN IN NONCERTIFIED KINSHIP CARE , AS DEFINED IN6
SECTION 19-1-103, IN COLORADO AT ANY TIME ON OR AFTER THE7
STUDENT'S THIRTEENTH BIRTHDAY AND WAS, AT ANY TIME, ADJUDICATED8
NEGLECTED OR DEPENDENT PURSUANT TO ARTICLE 3 OF TITLE 19.9
(2) (a) B
EGINNING IN THE 2022-23 ACADEMIC YEAR, EACH10
INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE STATE SHALL PROVIDE
11
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO A QUALIFYING STUDENT FOR THE REMAINING12
BALANCE OF THE STUDENT'S TOTAL COST OF ATTENDANCE IN EXCESS OF13
THE AMOUNT OF ANY PRIVATE , STATE, OR FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE14
RECEIVED BY THE STUDENT, REFERRED TO IN THIS SECTION AS "REMAINING15
BALANCE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE ", DURING THE FIRST ONE HUNDRED16
THIRTY-TWO SEMESTER HOURS OR ONE HUNDRED NINETY -EIGHT QUARTER17
HOURS THAT THE STUDENT IS ENROLLED AT THE INSTITUTION . 18
(b) I
N ORDER TO RECEIVE REMAINING BALANCE FINANCIAL
19
ASSISTANCE, THE QUALIFYING STUDENT MUST:20
(I) C
OMPLETE THE FREE APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL STUDENT AID ,21
INCLUDING, IF APPLICABLE, ACKNOWLEDGING PAST OR CURRENT FOSTER22
CARE PLACEMENT;23
(II) I
F ELIGIBLE, COMPLETE THE APPLICATION FOR A CHAFEE ETV24
GRANT;25
(III) B
E ENROLLED IN COURSES LEADING TOWARD A BACHELOR 'S26
DEGREE, A POSTGRADUATE DEGREE , AN ASSOCIATE DEGREE , OR A27
008
-3- CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION AT AN INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION ;1
(IV) R
EQUEST THE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
IN ACCORDANCE WITH2
POLICIES SET FORTH BY THE INSTITUTION; AND3
(V) R
EMAIN IN SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC STANDING IN4
ACCORDANCE WITH THE ACADEMIC POLICIES OF THE INSTITUTION AND BE5
MAKING PROGRESS TOWARD COMPLETION OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE6
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM IN WHICH THE STUDENT IS ENROLLED .7
(3) T
HE GENERAL ASSEMBLY SHALL APPROPRIATE MONEY TO THE
8
COMMISSION TO COVER FIFTY PERCENT OF PROVIDING REMAINING9
BALANCE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO QUALIFYING STUDENTS . SUBJECT TO10
AVAILABLE APPROPRIATIONS, THE COMMISSION SHALL PROVIDE FUNDING11
TO AN INSTITUTION EQUAL TO FIFTY PERCENT OF THE REMAINING BALANCE12
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROVIDED BY THE INSTITUTION .13
(4) T
HE COMMISSION SHALL PROMULGATE RULES NECESSARY FOR
14
THE ADMINISTRATION OF THIS SECTION.15
(5) (a) EACH INSTITUTION SHALL DESIGNATE ONE EMPLOYEE AS A16
LIAISON TO SERVE AS A DIRECT POINT OF CONTACT WITH THE INSTITUTION17
FOR QUALIFYING STUDENTS AND PROSPECTIVE QUALIFYING STUDENTS .18
T
HE LIAISON MAY HAVE OTHER DUTIES UNRELATED TO WORK AS THE19
LIAISON. THE LIAISON SHALL PROVIDE QUALIFYING STUDENTS AND
20
PROSPECTIVE QUALIFYING STUDENTS WITH INFORMATION REGARDING21
APPLICATION ASSISTANCE, FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, SUPPORT SERVICES,22
AND OTHER RESOURCES AND ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE TO QUALIFYING23
STUDENTS AND PROSPECTIVE QUALIFYING STUDENTS .24
(b) E
ACH INSTITUTION SHALL PROVIDE THE FOSTER CARE STUDENT
25
NAVIGATORS DESCRIBED IN SUBSECTION (6) OF THIS SECTION WITH THE26
CONTACT INFORMATION FOR THE LIAISON .27
008
-4- (6) THE DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION SHALL DESIGNATE1
FOUR FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT EMPLOYEES AS FOSTER CARE STUDENT2
NAVIGATORS TO ASSIST PROSPECTIVE QUALIFYING STUDENTS IN APPLYING3
FOR AND ENROLLING IN INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION. THE4
NAVIGATORS SHALL WORK WITH SCHOOL DISTRICT AND STATE CHARTER5
SCHOOL INSTITUTE CHILD WELFARE EDUCATION LIAISONS , DESCRIBED IN6
SECTION 22-32-138 (2), TO IDENTIFY PROSPECTIVE QUALIFYING7
STUDENTS. A NAVIGATOR SHALL PROVIDE GUIDANCE TO PROSPECTIVE8
QUALIFYING STUDENTS WITH SELECTING INSTITUTIONS AND PROGRAMS IN9
WHICH THE STUDENT MAY WANT TO ENROLL . A NAVIGATOR SHALL, AT THE10
REQUEST OF A STUDENT, ASSIST THE STUDENT WITH COMPLETING AN11
INSTITUTION'S APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION, THE FREE APPLICATION FOR12
FEDERAL STUDENT AID, AND, IF ELIGIBLE, THE APPLICATION FOR A CHAFEE13
ETV
GRANT.
14
SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 22-32-138, amend15
(2)(b)(V) and (2)(b)(VI); and add (2)(b)(VII) as follows:16
22-32-138. Out-of-home placement students - school stability,17
transfer, and enrollment procedures - absences - exemptions -18
provision of academic supports - definitions. (2) (b) The child welfare19
education liaison shall be responsible for working with child placement20
agencies, county departments, and the state department of human services21
to facilitate services to maintain students in out-of-home placement in22
their schools of origin or, if the county department determines that it is23
not in the students' best interests to remain in the school of origin,24
facilitate the prompt and appropriate placement, transfer, and enrollment25
in school of students in out-of-home placement within the school district26
or who are enrolled or enrolling in institute charter schools. The child27
008
-5- welfare education liaison's specific duties include but need not be limited1
to:2
(V) Participating, or having his or her THE LIAISON'S designee3
participate, in any interagency collaboration teams or threat-assessment4
teams centered on students in out-of-home placement, which teams the5
education provider may develop or on which teams the education6
provider may be invited to participate; and7
(VI) Providing to the department of education, the department of8
human services, and the education committees of the house of9
representatives and the senate, or any successor committees, the10
information required pursuant to sections 22-2-139 and 26-1-138;
AND11
(VII) P
ROVIDING STUDENTS IN OUT-OF-HOME PLACEMENT WITH12
INFORMATION ABOUT THE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE DESCRIBED IN SECTION
13
23-3.3-1401.14
SECTION 3. Appropriation. For the 2022-23 state fiscal year,15
$2,610,575 is appropriated to the department of higher education. This16
appropriation is from the general fund and is based on an assumption that17
the department will require an additional 3.7 FTE. To implement this act,18
the department may use this appropriation for the state aid for foster19
students program.20
SECTION 4. Safety clause. The general assembly hereby finds,21
determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate22
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety.23
008
-6-