Higher Education Support Homeless Youth

Joint Budget Committee. The bill requires all Colorado public institutions of higher education (institutions) to provide financial assistance to a Colorado resident student (qualifying student) who is between the ages of 17 and 26 and who has experienced homelessness in the state at any time during high school. The institutions shall provide financial assistance to cover the remaining balance of the qualifying student's total cost of attendance in excess of the amount of any private, state, or federal financial assistance received by the student. Subject to available appropriations, the bill requires the Colorado commission on higher education to provide institutions money to cover 50% of the remaining balance of financial assistance for qualifying students.

The institutions are required to designate an employee to serve as a liaison to qualifying and prospective qualifying students. The institutions shall notify qualifying students of their eligibility for remaining balance financial assistance.

The bill requires the department of higher education (department) to add one employee as a navigator to provide guidance to prospective qualifying students when selecting institutions and completing applications for admission and financial aid. The bill requires the department to enter into a data-sharing agreement with the department of education in order to identify prospective qualifying students.

The bill clarifies student eligibility to participate in the foster youth financial assistance program.

(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)