Colorado § 23-3.3-1503 - Financial assistance program for students experiencing homelessness - program liaison - program navigator - data-sharing.

§ 23-3.3-1503. Financial assistance program for students experiencing homelessness - program liaison - program navigator - data-sharing.

(1) Each institution shall designate one employee as a liaison to serve as a point of contact for qualifying students and prospective qualifying students. The liaison may have other duties unrelated to work as the liaison. The liaison shall provide qualifying students and prospective qualifying students with information regarding application assistance, financial assistance, support services, and other resources and assistance that are available. Each institution shall publicize the availability of the financial assistance program for students experiencing homelessness on the institution's website and notify qualifying students of their eligibility.

(2) (a) The department shall employ at least one full-time equivalent position as a navigator for students experiencing homelessness to support school districts' homeless education liaisons, described in section 22-33-103.5 (7), designated high school personnel, and prospective qualifying students in applying for and enrolling in institutions of higher education. The navigator shall work with school districts' homeless education liaisons and high school counselors or other designated personnel to support the identification of prospective qualifying students. The navigator shall provide support to school districts' homeless education liaisons, designated high school personnel, and prospective qualifying students in selecting institutions and programs in which the prospective qualifying student may want to enroll. The navigator shall, at the request of a prospective qualifying student, assist the prospective qualifying student with the completion of an institution's application for admission, the free application for federal student aid, or the Colorado application for state financial aid.

(b) Each institution shall provide the navigator with the contact information for the institution's liaison designated pursuant to subsection (1) of this section.

(3) The department shall enter into a data-sharing agreement with the department of education to share personally identifiable student information for the purpose of identifying and supporting prospective qualifying students. At a minimum, the data-sharing agreement must ensure that the exchange of information is conducted in compliance with the "Colorado Privacy Act", part 13 of article 1 of title 6; the federal "Family Educational Rights and Privacy Rights Act of 1974", 20 U.S.C. sec. 1232g, as amended; and the "Student Data Transparency and Security Act", article 16 of title 22. The departments shall maintain strict standards for student data privacy and shall not publicly report individual student data for any purpose.

Source: L. 2024: Entire part added, (HB 24-1403), ch. 124, p. 413, § 1, effective April 29.

23-3.5 ARTICLE 3.5

Colorado Student Incentive Grant Program

23-3.5-101. Legislative declaration.

23-3.5-102. Definitions.

23-3.5-103. Grant program authorized - administration.

23-3.5-103.5. Assistance to professional theology students prohibited.

23-3.5-104. Audit and review.

23-3.5-105. Determination of eligibility. (Repealed)

23-3.5-106. Determination of invalidity.