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Colorado Community College System honors sponsors of free college program

By Hannah Metzger 09/18/2023 | updated 2 years ago

The Colorado Community College System honored four state legislators as “legislators of the year” for sponsoring a bill to create a free college program for high-demand careers. 

House Speaker Julie McCluskie, Rep. Rose Pugliese, Sen. Janet Buckner and Sen. Perry Will were recognized during the CCCS’s state board meeting on Wednesday. The annual award celebrates legislators who work to expand access to community college and reduce barriers facing students.

The legislators’ bill, House Bill 1246, spends $38.6 million to provide free education to students pursuing credentials in firefighting, law enforcement, nursing, early childhood education, elementary education and forestry at community, district and technical colleges. 

“On behalf of the state board and our 13 colleges, I want to publicly acknowledge the hard work and the vision of these legislative leaders,” said Joe Garcia, chancellor of CCCS. “HB 23-1246 is truly a landmark piece of legislation, and it couldn’t come at a more urgent time for our state. This historic investment in our students will strengthen Colorado’s workforce for years to come.” 

Beginning this fall, CCCS will distribute the money to Colorado’s 19 community and technical colleges to cover tuition, books, fees and school materials for qualifying students. If there is money left over, it can be used to pay for a student’s housing, child care, transportation or food. 

The bill also allocates $5 million to create two new short-term degree nursing programs at the Community College of Aurora and Red Rocks Community College, and $1.4 million to fund apprenticeship programs in the construction industry.

The initiative intends to bolster the workforce in high-skill sectors that face “dire shortages” across Colorado, the state said. About 4,000 job vacancies for registered nurses and 3,700 positions for elementary and secondary educators remain open every year, according to the Colorado Workforce Development Council. 

“Since the pandemic hit, our workforce in this state has really been through the rinse cycle. There’s been a lot of change, a lot of challenge,” McCluskie said during debate on the bill. “We have a number of industries that are suffering because of workforce shortages.”

The bill passed the state legislature in April with only 10 legislators voting against it across both the House and Senate. It received bipartisan sponsorship from Democrats McCluskie and Buckner, and Republicans Pugliese and Will. 

From left to right: CCCS Board Vice Chair Terrance McWilliams, Rep. Rose Pugliese, House Speaker Julie McCluskie, Sen. Perry Will, Sen. Janet Buckner, CCCS Chancellor Joe Garcia, and CCCS Board Chair Landon Mascareñaz. 
Photo courtesy of the Colorado Community College System
Hannah Metzger

Reporter

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