I_HigherEd_2019A 09/23/2019 09:32:30 AM Committee Summary

Shelley Banker, Director, Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative (COSI), introduced herself to the committee.  Her presentation can be accessed here: http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/committees/2017/cosi_presentation_to_interim_committee.pdf.  COSI was established in 2014 in order to increase the attainment of post-secondary credentials and degrees for underserved students in Colorado.  Ms. Banker discussed the program's advisory board makeup, COSI's requirements for students, the four focus points of the program, and its implementation since 2014.  Ms. Banker explained matching student scholarship grants and a "reduced match," which the board designated as a way to offset a match from a community. She also discussed wrap around programs, called community partner program grants, which increase supports for Colorado students in the completion of certificate and degree programs. There is a pre-collegiate model, which focuses on college choice and enrollment and provides centers in high schools to serve students.  COSI also has a postsecondary model, which provides a support counselor on higher education institution campuses to serve COSI scholars on campus.  She discussed the success of COSI scholarships and community partner programs, as well as other program outcomes.

Ms. Banker responded to questions from the committee regarding the demand for COSI scholarships. She discussed the limitations of the wrap-around support services and answered questions about recommendations from the Joint Budget Committee, which include a proposal to ensure that dollar amounts committed for scholarships in current and future years are protected until they are used.

Representatives from Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU Denver) came to the table to present to the committee.  Dr. Janine Davidson, President, introduced herself to the committee and distributed information regarding the university and its budget (Attachment A).  Dr. Davidson gave an overview of MSU Denver and the demographics that the university serves.  She discussed total cost of attendance and the impact that a decline in state funding has had on this total cost.  She further discussed the ways that MSU Denver keeps costs down despite a lower investment from the state.  She talked about different strategies the school is undertaking to reduce costs for students and programs the school offers to help students with the high cost of obtaining a degree.  She talked about the importance of open academic resources, which save students money on textbook costs.  She discussed supports for low-income students and how the university addresses housing and food insecurity. She talked about possible reasons students do not finish the application process and cited financial reasons and the complicated nature of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as the main reasons for students not finishing the application process.  She explained that MSU Denver participated in free application day, which led to a high number of applications being submitted to the school.  Dr. Davidson stated, however, that limited staffing led to a delay in processing the high number of applications.

Danielle Holmes, President of the Student Government Assembly at MSU Denver, and Jermain Dobson, student at MSU Denver, introduced themselves to the committee and discussed their background and experiences at the school.

Dr. Davidson answered questions from the committee regarding possible higher education budget cuts.

Tim Foster, President, Colorado Mesa University (CMU), introduced himself and the other panelists from CMU: Allison Griffin, trustee of the CMU Board of Directors (board), Ray Analonis, trustee of the board, Beau Flores, President of the Associated Student Government of CMU, and Angel Bautista, Vice President of the Associated Student Government of CMU.  The panelists took turns telling the committee about their backgrounds.  The presentation from CMU can be accessed here: http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/committees/2017/interim_committee_slides_9.23.19.pdf.  President Foster provided an overview of CMU and the school's mission.  CMU has a partnership with Western Colorado Community College to accept students not initially accepted at CMU with the option to transfer to CMU.  President Foster discussed the school's efficiency measures and the school's retention and graduation rates.

Mr. Bautista discussed the attainment gap at CMU and the difficulties first generation students can have in navigating the higher education application and financial aid processes.  President Foster discussed services that CMU provides for students, including offering college and career advisors in high schools, peer academic coaches on campus, and professional mentors.  Mr. Flores discussed how these services have helped him at CMU.  President Foster discussed funding disparities at different schools and Mr. Analonis discussed the possibility of tuition increases at the school and now to attract more students.  Mr. Flores discussed the partnership the administration has with students in setting tuition and fee rate increases.  President Foster discussed possible changes to the higher education funding formula, including incentivizing new concurrent enrollment programs, as well as providing more supports for first generation college students.  The panel made concluding comments to the committee and emphasized the importance of supporting first generation students.

President Foster answered questions from the committee regarding benefits to the school if Proposition CC passes and the impacts of a possible budget cut to higher education funding.  He also answered questions about the services the school offers to address student housing and food insecurity and other barriers for students.  Mr. Flores discussed access to transportation for students.  Ms. Griffin also answered questions from the committee.

Several staff members from the University of Colorado came to the table to present an application currently under development by the school to calculate how much in tuition, fees, and housing costs an individual student or family can afford.

The committee recessed.

Christina Postolowski, Colorado Director, Young Invincibles, introduced herself to the committee and provided background information on the organization. She distributed a copy of her presentation, which can be accessed here: http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/lcs/yi_slides_co_higher_ed_interim_committee_9.23.19_1.pdf, and several documents about the organization (Attachment B).  She discussed youth engagement programs in the organization, including the Young Advocates Program, Youth Advisory Board, Denver Youth Leadership Academy, and an alumni network.  She talked about cost of obtaining a postsecondary degree and the impact of the decline of public investment in higher education.  She discussed a recent study conducted by Young Invincibles using the American Community Survey, a large U.S. Census survey of households, regarding the affordability of higher education.  Ms. Postolowski discussed the #RealCollege survey, as well as mental health on campuses and statistics regarding mental health and college completion rates.  She mentioned several policy suggestions for the committee to consider, including increased state funding for higher education, with a focus on need-based aid, funding for supportive services and mental health services on campus. Ms. Postolowski answered questions from the committee.

Tariq Habash, Head of Investigations, Student Borrower Protection Center, introduced himself to the committee and distributed his presentation to the committee.  The presentation can be accessed here: http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/lcs/sbpc_co_9.23.19.pdf.  He discussed the current student loan market, emphasizing that the overall amount of student loan debt has increased year after year.  He talked about  the current outstanding student loan debt in Colorado, which is about $27.7 billion.  He discussed possible consequences of outstanding student debt, including the inability to purchase a home, and increased likelihood that a borrower will default on his or her loan.  He talked about consequences of defaulting on a student loan and repayment plans available to borrowers. He referenced a program in New York, which provides up to 24 months of federal student loan debt relief to recent graduates.  He also mentioned a program in Maryland that assists people with student loan debt purchase homes.  Mr. Habash discussed for-profit institutions and stated that borrowers tend to struggle to repay student loans from these types of institutions.

Morgan Royal, representing New Era Colorado, introduced herself to the committee and discussed student loan debt from the perspective of student borrowers.  Michael Kirby, a student at MSU, introduced himself and discussed his experiences at MSU as well as several higher education policy issues.

Leo Guzman, a recent graduate, introduced himself to the committee and discussed his experiences with higher education and student loan debt.

The committee recessed.

The committee came back to order. There were no witnesses present to testify.

Conrad Imel and Jacob Baus, Office of Legislative Services, and Josh Abram, Legislative Council Staff, came to the table to provide an overview of the interim bill request process.

Senator Zenzinger presented a bill request concerning the expansion and funding of the Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative. Committee discussion regarding this bill request ensued.

Senator Zenzinger discussed a bill request concerning the expansion of the roles of school counselors, with an emphasis on providing counselors in middle schools, through the expansion of the School Counselor Corps Grant Program.  Committee discussion regarding the bill recommendation ensued.

Representative McLachlan requested draft legislation recreating House Bill 19-1252, concerning a statewide plan to award college credit for work-related experience.

Representative McLachlan requested draft legislation recreating House Bill 18-1414, concerning providing emergency assistance grants to students enrolled in state institutions of higher education to assist students in staying in school.

Representative Young presented several bill ideas on behalf of Representative Kipp, who was excused from the meeting.  She moved that legislation be drafted creating a high school course on financial literacy with an emphasis on how to pay for college.

Representative Young moved that a bill be drafted requiring that higher education institutions inform accepted students of the institution's student completion rates and total cost to attend.

Representative Young moved that a bill be drafted concerning a state income tax deduction for paid student loan interest.

Senator Story moved that a bill be drafted concerning the creation of an innovative pilot program designed to improve student success measures.

Senator Story moved that a bill be drafted conerning the creation of a financial literacy grant program that would be implemented at the postsecondary level.

The committee discussed which members would take responsibility for communicating with the Office of Legislative Legal Services for each bill.