[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6385765,"mediaKeyId","2119201-670a64aabf5dae722a5b7a5cdcd173e7","parentId",2119201,"title","Department of Higher Education outlines budget requests, funding-formula review and transparency push before JBC","audioSeconds",4925,"startMs",1519000,"endMs",6444000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2119201-670a64aabf5dae722a5b7a5cdcd173e7&start=1519&end=6444","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2119201-670a64aabf5dae722a5b7a5cdcd173e7/thumbnail_1519000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6385765/Colorado/Department-of-Higher-Education-outlines-budget-requests-funding-formula-review-and-transparency-push-before-JBC","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6385765-23d486361d27fb1daa66e0bc34e24f07/orig.mp4?Expires=1771066455&Signature=UMp7~IyAK5I5P3WLR3UIfxFNOMFS~TGJ6eV5wIHYOxcpUNHVwPuXd-jgRKgvXPqQ-mDq552vCvxy4D5dtXmo49UeoUWUY4~~KAKF3859yfRAJArXnheZ-fUJWLuoQ0lC-f451jZSAlfj5tY5vKZv15o8UUunAP8jQN5x93AvvIGIlhqlzaosRgng6faPthFs4VNXwdY22wxfVq6kbKA76eJ3ubHLa23hlbVZ-VwDbEOyWdmRPHHFmzf4kV6VvELkzbrGft9cjTsZB5QqmBb8JhlWKfe~wyHInHttAJaz6QWEgI53JfM23UyqHTovSKwT9btDxGE1h8Bg7~jDw4~ePg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Joint Budget Committee","date","2025-01-09T00:00:00Z","article","The Department of Higher Education on Tuesday told the Joint Budget Committee it submitted a budget of targeted program cuts and several specific requests to address a tight state budget, and urged the panel to consider supplemental funding for rural serving institutions.

Executive Director Angie Piccione, who runs both the Colorado Department of Higher Education and the Colorado Commission on Higher Education, told the committee the agency asked for targeted program reductions rather than across‑the‑board cuts and that staff would answer members' questions about items in the November 1 budget submission and the Jan. 2 supplemental letter.

Why it matters: The presentation put the department's funding priorities and statutory responsibilities under the committee microscope. Members pressed department officials on whether a recent rural‑institution funding add‑on was intended as a permanent base increase or as a stopgap to be folded into a new funding formula that the department and Commission plan to review.

Piccione said the commission and department are beginning the statutorily directed funding‑formula review and that statute requires revisiting the formula every five years. \"We will develop that formula and we'll present it to the legislature,\" she told the committee. The timing and scope of any formula changes raised immediate concern among committee members who said last year's appropriation for rural institutions had been intended as base funding.

Chief Financial Officer Crystal Collins reviewed the department's budget highlights, including the department's R‑requests and Jan. 2 supplemental asking to annualize operational funding to rural serving public institutions. Collins described the supplemental as a request to ensure that the operational funding rural institutions received last year continues into the upcoming fiscal year; committee members said their understanding at enactment had been that the money was meant to be ongoing base funding rather than a one‑year add.

The department also briefed members on a proposed financial‑data transparency bill intended to standardize the financial information the department gets from public institutions so ratios and other measures are comparable across campuses. Collins said the bill's goal is to standardize definitions and reporting rather than to impose new unfunded work on institutions; committee members pushed back that institution stakeholders needed to be engaged and that any new reporting should not create additional administrative cost for campuses.

Other issues the department reviewed included:
- College Opportunity Fund (COF) supplemental: Collins explained legislative direction required a large transfer from the private‑school portion of the COF to the treasury, which, together with higher than expected student participation, left an overexpenditure the department is asking to fix via a supplemental so the private‑institution portion of COF can be made whole. Collins said the private‑school portion had residual funds and the department is requesting a supplemental rather than asking the General Assembly to change the transfer language.
- Cybersecurity incident and rollforward: Deputy Executive Director Trisha Johnson said a ransomware incident prompted supplemental one‑time funding for data governance and security. The department has signed a contract with a vendor and is asking to roll forward remaining one‑time funds into the next fiscal year to complete upgrades and data integration work.
- FAFSA/CASFA outreach and financial‑aid staff (R3): Piccione described two ongoing outreach coordinator positions that support FAFSA and Colorado's CASFA application work; the department said those positions support thousands of outreach events and help maintain a FAFSA completion portal used by districts and institutions.
- Professional Student Exchange Program (PSEP, R5) phase‑out: the department proposed a step‑down rolloff for PSEP support for out‑of‑state professional students (optometry highlighted). Collins told the committee outstanding repayment amounts were small (department staff estimated outstanding active‑repayment debt down from $325,000 to about $290,000) and that the department would consider collection‑agency options for very old delinquencies.

Committee reaction and follow‑up: Several committee members, including Representative Taggart and Senator Kirkmeyer, said last year's rural funding was intended as base budget support and pressed the department to clarify whether the governor's supplemental would make the funding ongoing or leave it to formula review. Piccione reiterated the statutory five‑year timing for formula review but the exchange left members concerned about the possibility of changing the base after enactment.

The department agreed to provide additional citations and statutory references (Title 23 was cited in the hearing as the higher education chapter) and to follow up with more detailed budget and carryforward information, including COF account balances and Cozy/COSI bookkeeping requested by the committee. No formal committee votes were taken during the presentation.

Near‑term notes: The department asked the committee to consider a supplemental request to annualize rural institution support and to permit rollforward of one‑time cybersecurity funds; members asked for further documentation on statutory citations and on institution engagement around the transparency proposal. Several members pressed the department to provide clearer cost estimates for any reporting or compliance workload that a transparency bill would create.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Joint Budget Committee [Jan 09, 2025]","oneSentenceSummary","The Department of Higher Education told the Joint Budget Committee it submitted a budget and supplemental requests that emphasize targeted program cuts, a five‑year funding‑formula review and a proposed transparency bill — prompting repeated questions from JBC members about whether last year's rural institution funding was intended as permanent base funding.","taxTitle","Joint Budget Committee, YEAR-ROUND COMMITTEES, Committees, Legislative, Colorado","taxId",45208,"location","Colorado","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6385747,"Area technical colleges tell JBC wait lists constrain workforce pipelines; request capacity support",472,11634000,12106000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2119201-670a64aabf5dae722a5b7a5cdcd173e7&start=11634&end=12106","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2119201-670a64aabf5dae722a5b7a5cdcd173e7/thumbnail_11634000.jpg","/articles/6385747/Colorado/Area-technical-colleges-tell-JBC-wait-lists-constrain-workforce-pipelines-request-capacity-support","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6385747-21c8800f7ac78866bb2b612852a43dbd/orig.mp4?Expires=1771066455&Signature=Pcyp9GPx2RTkAYpFg9FSzzhpvFP7xEK3oaUf0lBbqKg1qrseRMKWNRzDnrtCDGaa~wixkbMKP5~gpB~izxGm3cvsv4Pd8v6nycYHyGaDDElucc3tMyvkgVjLku-zLS-bhELebHhgkwUdhpkyJp~0uvwumEiRhaUvqHyTOy6uOzTTru7Guumtt7nYjVRU7jDjOMmmUNRwjETSr8YSRa7oFQoxW2MCUGMiuZN35VLUQ5k2KxZLYiO7nqwC5Kec1txBRQl4LKYzd8SASLAi9rPp0uLwi2j6NB0ak70IDhhnVV4KHghZlYxPpIMEg0siIo7OpkgqK9cqAezjIAHGNGNOuQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Leaders from Colorado's area technical colleges told the Joint Budget Committee that their institutions produce high completion and placement rates at low student cost but are constrained by instructional capacity and instructor availability in high‑demand programs.

Randy Johnson (Emily Griffith Technical College), Tina McConnell (Pickens Technical College) and Randall Palmer (Technical College of the Rockies) described program wait lists in areas such as medical training, cosmetology and welding and said those backlogs delay worker entry into local jobs. Palmer summarized the group message: area technical colleges provide fast, affordable workforce credentials, often with no student loan debt, but capacity limits mean students sometimes wait months or longer for training seats.

Why it matters: Area technical colleges serve direct pipeline roles for employers in health care, construction, manufacturing, hospitality and other fields. Long wait lists reduce the speed with which employers can hire trained workers and can deter prospective students.

Speakers emphasized low tuition and out‑of‑pocket costs: the panel said average student out‑of‑pocket costs after available aid are about $1,500, and that many short‑term programs cost less than $1,000. The witnesses also described return‑on‑investment data from one Western Slope program where one‑time federal funds enabled training that produced a multiyear salary impact with a roughly 30x return on the one‑time dollar amount invested.

The technical colleges asked the committee to consider investments that would reduce wait lists: more instructional space, more instructors and continued support for one‑time workforce funding that had recently expanded capacity.

The presentation closed with committee appreciation for the colleges' role in local economies; no formal actions were taken during this segment.","Leaders from Colorado's area technical colleges told the JBC they produce high placement rates and inexpensive, short‑cycle credentials but face substantial wait lists in programs such as health care, welding and cosmetology that constrain local workforce pipelines.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6385751,"Aims Community College stresses affordability and expansion of concurrent programs, scholarship supports",1496,9687000,11183000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2119201-670a64aabf5dae722a5b7a5cdcd173e7&start=9687&end=11183","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2119201-670a64aabf5dae722a5b7a5cdcd173e7/thumbnail_9687000.jpg","/articles/6385751/Colorado/Aims-Community-College-stresses-affordability-and-expansion-of-concurrent-programs-scholarship-supports","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6385751-26a73b6ed9e32aa92f2b8465acb25b18/orig.mp4?Expires=1771066455&Signature=BJc8zBvJxTHJmsCRivIukCJoMwwMdyCZbnGCj8Stl-nUgfwZMJzKwxsxqfpVPesptwIIHqd8KO-jZLaufWWpXxdqPSrmegqSvAxGp-iKM4oKJl-1JUqwzJG9qMKpal39lXq2kq4qkO7cg4C8xXu-yir0jq76~tjt8~G0gwDVgh-xFHTUzAT78rtTfXF53uhDzLYunUiZ7jDLzJPpVj1rXeggzZBVZAmDPrixdyRgzJEOP~1wjvnovHFmcmxS0QlBO1ZGZuKfOTXLWPGmNzgMen~IntGPBtm32okPxGF8UgSEiCdpJORn34hqPRlEkf7vGtzMDdeBAa4LOK5-fXLRWQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chuck Jensen, vice president for administrative services and CFO for Aims Community College, presented the college's budget posture and programs to the Joint Budget Committee and emphasized affordability and local scholarship programs that support students in Weld County.

Why it matters: Aims operates as a local college district funded primarily by local property tax and a smaller state share. That funding mix gives Aims both predictability and exposure to local tax volatility; Jensen thanked the General Assembly for recent property‑tax stability measures that helped the college plan.

Jensen highlighted Aims' role as an access point for first‑generation and low‑income students (49 percent first gen; 39 percent racially/ethnically diverse) and described new scholarship work, including a Strong Start Scholarship funded through the Aims foundation that offers up to $1,000 to in‑district new students and local Bright Futures support from the Weld Legacy Foundation. He said in‑district tuition is roughly $82 per credit hour, that 91 percent of Aims graduates leave without debt, and that the college has grown FTE and concurrent‑enrollment participation while staffing levels have remained steady.

Jensen also noted partnerships with University of Northern Colorado for smooth transfer, and new work aligning high school advising with college transition pathways. The college reported growing demand for short‑term career programs and the need to monitor housing and cost pressures for students and staff in a growing local economy.

No formal committee action accompanied the presentation; the college offered to provide additional written budget detail.","Aims Community College told the JBC it serves tens of thousands of students across multiple Weld County campuses, maintains very low in‑district tuition and new locally funded scholarship programs, and is expanding concurrent‑enrollment and workforce training partnerships while monitoring affordability pressures from local growth.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6385757,"Colorado Mountain College highlights rural reach, affordability and rising completions",1577,7913000,9490000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2119201-670a64aabf5dae722a5b7a5cdcd173e7&start=7913&end=9490","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2119201-670a64aabf5dae722a5b7a5cdcd173e7/thumbnail_7913000.jpg","/articles/6385757/Colorado/Colorado-Mountain-College-highlights-rural-reach-affordability-and-rising-completions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6385757-9d0c9f79c8cac421501019d02e12acfd/orig.mp4?Expires=1771066455&Signature=MkRFLsLS85rYJ-x2NHFX~5NZLi3tgF6nNdu5zCJRNYs-UaqQ6SYIZe0mBH~H5WvxnFgcH2wbcJ4WzSsNzvn2Y8~toTXFaL2TQclGWZcJbrlGwCMgDU~s8e6WkKNb6ibYKUXPPRL74MNV7HxaknVF4iquQ8An3SVc5U4AqWgUtUK8P97BYGNDdexu7aBaSDiyR6fupPfnIGpTHDYtNWpun8tW9jFu8N498TvMzA6cE-udSW~V0XwEXuXqcuhhzw7q~UiYZgCc6Y7fqa4Bmy8CYJT9GBhU~m5uJUvPtJTkzYyrCCIoiCrsfPyRPiGjq-iueYDmewc2IB2Z9ArVWSuzPA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Colorado Mountain College President Matt Gianneschi described CMC's 11 campuses and eleven‑campus district structure to the Joint Budget Committee and highlighted recent gains in graduate numbers even as overall headcount patterns shift.

Gianneschi said CMC operates both residential campuses (Leadville, Steamboat and Spring Valley) and multiple nonresidential sites and that the system serves a diverse student body with roughly 48 percent of students identifying as students of color. He told the committee the college is a Hispanic‑serving institution and emphasized local commitments such as new affordable housing and expanded nursing and dental‑hygiene programs.

Why it matters: The college serves many mountain and resort communities where other higher‑education options are limited. Gianneschi told the committee CMC deliberately keeps in‑district tuition low by using local property tax support and that the college forewent local tax revenue in recent years to limit student cost increases.

CMC has increased completion counts in recent years even as enrollment measures adjusted; the president said the college produces many credentials and that about 40 percent of students who enroll complete a credential. He briefed the committee on partnerships with local schools for adult high‑school diploma work and on targeted programs that match local labor needs, such as ski‑area operations, nursing and other workforce programs.

On concurrent enrollment and career pathways, Gianneschi said the college offers spread‑out access for rural students and that dual‑enrollment arrangements allow high‑school students to acquire credentials and credits; he described concurrent enrollment as an enhancement that helps students who otherwise would not access college coursework.

Gianneschi asked the committee to consider the college's written packet for detailed budget and staffing tables and thanked the committee for supporting higher education.","Colorado Mountain College President Matt Gianneschi presented the college's multi‑campus structure, student demographics and recent growth in completions, and described efforts on housing, nursing and adult‑education programs while warning that residential and rural cost pressures create operational challenges.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6385760,"Colorado Community College System urges sustained funding to maintain gains in enrollment, workforce training",811,6825000,7636000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2119201-670a64aabf5dae722a5b7a5cdcd173e7&start=6825&end=7636","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2119201-670a64aabf5dae722a5b7a5cdcd173e7/thumbnail_6825000.jpg","/articles/6385760/Colorado/Colorado-Community-College-System-urges-sustained-funding-to-maintain-gains-in-enrollment-workforce-training","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6385760-770f0240a096fe6db7e5b2a1a2f1b3fa/orig.mp4?Expires=1771066455&Signature=ntB6-4Sj1srcKhWFnY1wrL2nlCPnwZbelTLH6C04JMSjYYN9FWsYyw6UCbuoq60qBnhlUCBlz9aPB49SRRcdNFVeeciE67wrt8dszHVGdqa-nMWCdqQh~sQg3Ovuz9RFHEBlFN4XnjiCzFgmanI9dIYYY~KAmQBUK86Z9WBbRm1NUxlktWyAg2JottzpBrYT4uLi~noGaOkG4UexWeNB2pqiDVr7EhT9HoycG7fq7tBIZ7RPFvTjBqQV5xgsXX33rrMbTrVNRQCSle8wzLWvQC7as0PZIHqlTo0VseSB6iVPIxfuyoeOdxMsczI3qnb8HF54ZNbJ3w6QnBjE4Zssyg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Colorado Community College System Chancellor Joe Garcia told the Joint Budget Committee that community colleges are the state's largest provider of undergraduate education and play a central role in workforce development, but that recent proposals would not fully cover projected salary, benefit and operating cost increases.

Garcia said the system — 13 colleges with more than 35 locations — enrolls about 124,000 students annually, including more than 40,000 concurrent‑enrollment high school students. He highlighted that 96 percent of CCCS students are Colorado residents and that over 93 percent of CCCS graduates remain in Colorado to live and work.

Why it matters: Community colleges serve a disproportionate share of first‑generation, low‑income and rural students. Garcia asked the Joint Budget Committee to support state funding that keeps tuition affordable while enabling institutions to cover inflationary cost increases and invest in capital renewal at older rural campuses.

Highlights Garcia cited included recent state investments in short‑term credential programs that target workforce shortages — examples he named were Care Forward Colorado and Career Advance Colorado — and early outcomes showing large numbers of credentialed health‑care workers entering Colorado workplaces. He described CCCS operations as efficient through shared services (centralized IT, shared legal, a new online platform that reduces the number of low‑enrollment courses) and said the system had recovered much of its pre‑pandemic enrollment, though gaps remain for students of color and Pell‑eligible students.

Garcia also noted capital needs at rural colleges and asked the committee to consider capital renewal requests, citing Colorado Northwestern Community College in Rangely as an example of an older rural campus with significant needs.

Questions from committee members addressed the Department of Higher Education's proposed transparency bill and a separate formula review; Garcia said CCCS has been invited to participate in formula discussions and supports targeted adjustments within the existing structure rather than wholesale structural change.

No committee votes were taken during the CCCS presentation.","Chancellor Joe Garcia told the Joint Budget Committee that Colorado's 13 community colleges reached more students and recovered enrollment after the pandemic but need continued investment to serve working adults and rural learners, while warning the governor's November request would leave institutions short of covering inflationary costs.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Department of Higher Education outlines budget requests, funding-formula review and transparency push before JBC

Area technical colleges tell JBC wait lists constrain workforce pipelines; request capacity support

Aims Community College stresses affordability and expansion of concurrent programs, scholarship supports

Colorado Mountain College highlights rural reach, affordability and rising completions

Colorado Community College System urges sustained funding to maintain gains in enrollment, workforce training