Colorado § 23-18-201 - College opportunity fund program - creation - eligibility - guidelines.

§ 23-18-201. College opportunity fund program - creation - eligibility - guidelines.

(1) There is created in the department of higher education the college opportunity fund program, which is administered by the Colorado student loan program. On and after July 1, 2015, the Colorado student loan program may enter into an agreement with the department or another state entity to administer all or part of the college opportunity fund program. The college opportunity fund, created in section 23-18-202, is a trust fund for the benefit of eligible undergraduate students. It consists of a stipend for each undergraduate student in Colorado who applies for the stipend and who is admitted and registers to attend a state or participating private institution of higher education and is determined to be eligible by the Colorado student loan program to receive a stipend. An eligible undergraduate student may use the stipend for undergraduate courses and graduate-level courses that apply toward the student's undergraduate degree that are taken at a state or participating private institution of higher education at a fixed rate per credit hour, set annually by the general assembly.

(2) (a) A student of a private institution of higher education is a beneficiary of the college opportunity fund and eligible to participate in the college opportunity fund program only if the private institution of higher education that the student attends has agreed to participate in the program by establishing a performance contract with the department. The performance contract must specify the performance goals the institution shall achieve during the period that it operates under the performance contract. The department shall include each participating private institution of higher education and its students who participate in the college opportunity fund program in the student unit reporting data system in order to enable the students of the participating private institution of higher education to participate in the program. The participating private institution of higher education shall reimburse the department for the actual expenses associated with including the institution in the student unit reporting data system.

(b) The general assembly shall appropriate sufficient funds for eligible undergraduate students who attend participating private institutions of higher education and participate in the program. The department may transfer the funds described in this subsection (2)(b) pursuant to section 23-3.3-102 (7.5). The funds described in this subsection (2)(b) must not be deposited into the college opportunity fund created in section 23-18-202 (1)(a).

(3) The Colorado student loan program, in consultation with the governing boards, shall adopt the necessary policies for the implementation of this part 2, which at a minimum shall include procedures for requesting funds for the program which adhere to commission budget guidelines and the annual budgeting cycle of the executive and legislative branches.

(4) The Colorado student loan program shall direct all state and participating private institutions of higher education to require resident undergraduate students to apply for the program. If a student is classified as an in-state student for tuition purposes at a state institution of higher education and does not apply for the program or is not eligible for the program, the student shall be responsible for paying the student's total in-state tuition amount.

Source: L. 2004: Entire article added, p. 706, § 2, effective July 1. L. 2005: (1) amended, p. 1011, § 2, effective June 2. L. 2017: (1) amended, (HB 17-1131), ch. 29, p. 84, § 1, effective March 8; (2) amended, (SB 17-297), ch. 210, p. 819, § 13, May 18. L. 2025: (2) amended, (SB 25-230), ch. 137, p. 524, § 2, effective April 28.