SENATE BILL 22-008
BY SENATOR(S) Zenzinger and Priola, Fenberg, Moreno, Bridges,
Buckner, Coleman, Danielson, Donovan, Fields, Ginal, Gonzales, Hansen,
Hinrichsen, Jaquez Lewis, Kolker, Lee, Pettersen, Rankin, Rodriguez,
Story;
also REPRESENTATIVE(S) McLachlan and McKean, Amabile, Bacon,
Bird, Bockenfeld, Caraveo, Carver, Cutter, Daugherty, Froelich,
Gonzales-Gutierrez, Herod, Jodeh, Kipp, Lindsay, Lontine, McCluskie,
Michaelson Jenet, Mullica, Ricks, Sirota, Titone, Valdez A., Valdez D.
C
ONCERNING POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION SUPPORT FOR CERTAIN
STUDENTS WHO HAVE BEEN IN OUT
-OF-HOME PLACEMENT, AND, IN
CONNECTION THEREWITH
, MAKING AN APPROPRIATION.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add part 14 to article
3.3 of title 23 as follows:
PART 14
FOSTER YOUTH FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
23-3.3-1401. Financial aid for students who have been in
NOTE: This bill has been prepared for the signatures of the appropriate legislative
officers and the Governor. To determine whether the Governor has signed the bill
or taken other action on it, please consult the legislative status sheet, the legislative
history, or the Session Laws.
________
Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material added to existing law; dashes
through words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law and such material is not part of
the act. out-of-home placement - institution liaisons - navigators - definitions.
(1) A
S USED IN THIS SECTION, UNLESS THE CONTEXT OTHERWISE REQUIRES :
(a) "C
HAFEE ETV GRANT" MEANS AN EDUCATIONAL AND TRAINING
VOUCHERS PROGRAM GRANT MADE PURSUANT TO THE FEDERAL
"JOHN H.
C
HAFEE FOSTER CARE PROGRAM FOR SUCCESSFUL TRANSITION TO
ADULTHOOD", 42 U.S.C. SEC. 677.
(b) "C
OST OF ATTENDANCE" HAS THE SAME MEANING AS SET FORTH
IN SECTION
23-3.3-1002.
(c) "I
NSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION" OR "INSTITUTION" MEANS
A STATE INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION
, AS DEFINED IN SECTION
23-18-102 (10)(a); LOCAL DISTRICT COLLEGE, AS DEFINED IN SECTION
23-71-102; OR AREA TECHNICAL COLLEGE , AS DEFINED IN SECTION
23-60-103.
(d) "Q
UALIFYING STUDENT" MEANS A RESIDENT OF COLORADO WHO
HAS BEEN ACCEPTED FOR ENROLLMENT AT AN INSTITUTION OF HIGHER
EDUCATION WHO
:
(I) H
AS BEEN PLACED IN FOSTER CARE , AS DEFINED IN SECTION
19-1-103, IN COLORADO AT ANY TIME ON OR AFTER THE STUDENT 'S
THIRTEENTH BIRTHDAY
; OR
(II) HAS BEEN IN NONCERTIFIED KINSHIP CARE , AS DEFINED IN
SECTION
19-1-103, IN COLORADO AT ANY TIME ON OR AFTER THE STUDENT 'S
THIRTEENTH BIRTHDAY AND WAS
, AT ANY TIME, ADJUDICATED NEGLECTED
OR DEPENDENT PURSUANT TO ARTICLE
3 OF TITLE 19.
(2) (a) B
EGINNING IN THE 2022-23 ACADEMIC YEAR, EACH
INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE STATE SHALL PROVIDE FINANCIAL
ASSISTANCE TO A QUALIFYING STUDENT FOR THE REMAINING BALANCE OF
THE STUDENT
'S TOTAL COST OF ATTENDANCE IN EXCESS OF THE AMOUNT OF
ANY PRIVATE
, STATE, OR FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE RECEIVED BY THE
STUDENT
, REFERRED TO IN THIS SECTION AS "REMAINING BALANCE
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
", DURING THE FIRST ONE HUNDRED THIRTY -TWO
SEMESTER HOURS OR ONE HUNDRED NINETY
-EIGHT QUARTER HOURS THAT
THE STUDENT IS ENROLLED AT THE INSTITUTION
.
PAGE 2-SENATE BILL 22-008 (b) IN ORDER TO RECEIVE REMAINING BALANCE FINANCIAL
ASSISTANCE
, THE QUALIFYING STUDENT MUST:
(I) C
OMPLETE THE FREE APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL STUDENT AID ,
INCLUDING, IF APPLICABLE, ACKNOWLEDGING PAST OR CURRENT FOSTER
CARE PLACEMENT
;
(II) I
F ELIGIBLE, COMPLETE THE APPLICATION FOR A CHAFEE ETV
GRANT;
(III) B
E ENROLLED IN COURSES LEADING TOWARD A BACHELOR 'S
DEGREE
, A POSTGRADUATE DEGREE , AN ASSOCIATE DEGREE , OR A
CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION AT AN INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION
;
(IV) R
EQUEST THE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE IN ACCORDANCE WITH
POLICIES SET FORTH BY THE INSTITUTION
; AND
(V) REMAIN IN SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC STANDING IN ACCOR DANCE
WITH THE ACADEMIC POLICIES OF THE INSTITUTION AND BE MAKING
PROGRESS TOWARD COMPLETION OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM IN WHICH THE STUDENT IS ENROLLED
.
(3) T
HE GENERAL ASSEMBLY SHALL APPROPRIATE MONEY TO THE
COMMISSION TO COVER FIFTY PERCENT OF PROVIDING REMAINING BALANCE
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO QUALIFYING STUDENTS
. SUBJECT TO AVAILABLE
APPROPRIATIONS
, THE COMMISSION SHALL PROVIDE FUNDING TO AN
INSTITUTION EQUAL TO FIFTY PERCENT OF THE REMAINING BALANCE
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROVIDED BY THE INSTITUTION
.
(4) T
HE COMMISSION SHALL PROMULGATE RULES NECESSARY FOR
THE ADMINISTRATION OF THIS SECTION
.
(5) (a) E
ACH INSTITUTION SHALL DESIGNATE ONE EMPLOYEE AS A
LIAISON TO SERVE AS A DIRECT POINT OF CONTACT WITH THE INSTITUTION
FOR QUALIFYING STUDENTS AND PROSPECTIVE QUALIFYING STUDENTS
. THE
LIAISON MAY HAVE OTHER DUTIES UNRELATED TO WORK AS THE LIAISON
.
T
HE LIAISON SHALL PROVIDE QUALIFYING STUDENTS AND PROSPECTIVE
QUALIFYING STUDENTS WITH INFORMATION REGARDING APPLICATION
ASSISTANCE
, FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, SUPPORT SERVICES, AND OTHER
RESOURCES AND ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE TO QUALIFYING STUDENTS AND
PAGE 3-SENATE BILL 22-008 PROSPECTIVE QUALIFYING STUDENTS .
(b) E
ACH INSTITUTION SHALL PROVIDE THE FOSTER CARE STUDENT
NAVIGATORS DESCRIBED IN SUBSECTION
(6) OF THIS SECTION WITH THE
CONTACT INFORMATION FOR THE LIAISON
.
(6) T
HE DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION SHALL DESIGNATE
FOUR FULL
-TIME EQUIVALENT EMPLOYEES AS FOSTER CARE STUDENT
NAVIGATORS TO ASSIST PROSPECTIVE QUALIFYING STUDENTS IN APPLYING
FOR AND ENROLLING IN INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION
. THE
NAVIGATORS SHALL WORK WITH SCHOOL DISTRICT AND STATE CHARTER
SCHOOL INSTITUTE CHILD WELFARE EDUCATION LIAISONS
, DESCRIBED IN
SECTION
22-32-138 (2), TO IDENTIFY PROSPECTIVE QUALIFYING STUDENTS .
A
NAVIGATOR SHALL PROVIDE GUIDANCE TO PROSPECTIVE QUALIFYING
STUDENTS WITH SELECTING INSTITUTIONS AND PROGRAMS IN WHICH THE
STUDENT MAY WANT TO ENROLL
. A NAVIGATOR SHALL, AT THE REQUEST OF
A STUDENT
, ASSIST THE STUDENT WITH COMPLETING AN INSTITUTION 'S
APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION
, THE FREE APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL STUDENT
AID
, AND, IF ELIGIBLE, THE APPLICATION FOR A CHAFEE ETV GRANT.
SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 22-32-138, amend
(2)(b)(V) and (2)(b)(VI); and add (2)(b)(VII) as follows:
22-32-138. Out-of-home placement students - school stability,
transfer, and enrollment procedures - absences - exemptions - provision
of academic supports - definitions. (2) (b) The child welfare education
liaison shall be responsible for working with child placement agencies,
county departments, and the state department of human services to facilitate
services to maintain students in out-of-home placement in their schools of
origin or, if the county department determines that it is not in the students'
best interests to remain in the school of origin, facilitate the prompt and
appropriate placement, transfer, and enrollment in school of students in
out-of-home placement within the school district or who are enrolled or
enrolling in institute charter schools. The child welfare education liaison's
specific duties include but need not be limited to:
(V) Participating, or having his or her
THE LIAISON'S designee
participate, in any interagency collaboration teams or threat-assessment
teams centered on students in out-of-home placement, which teams the
education provider may develop or on which teams the education provider
PAGE 4-SENATE BILL 22-008 may be invited to participate; and
(VI) Providing to the department of education, the department of
human services, and the education committees of the house of
representatives and the senate, or any successor committees, the information
required pursuant to sections 22-2-139 and 26-1-138;
AND
(VII) PROVIDING STUDENTS IN OUT -OF-HOME PLACEMENT WITH
INFORMATION ABOUT THE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE DESCRIBED IN SECTION
23-3.3-1401.
SECTION 3. Appropriation. For the 2022-23 state fiscal year,
$2,610,575 is appropriated to the department of higher education. This
appropriation is from the general fund and is based on an assumption that
the department will require an additional 3.7 FTE. To implement this act,
the department may use this appropriation for the state aid for foster
students program.
SECTION 4. Safety clause. The general assembly hereby finds,
PAGE 5-SENATE BILL 22-008 determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety.
____________________________ ____________________________
Steve Fenberg Alec Garnett
PRESIDENT OF SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
THE SENATE OF REPRESENTATIVES
____________________________ ____________________________
Cindi L. Markwell Robin Jones
SECRETARY OF CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE
THE SENATE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APPROVED________________________________________
(Date and Time)
_________________________________________
Jared S. Polis
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF COLORADO
PAGE 6-SENATE BILL 22-008