Colorado § 23-3.9-303 - Educator test stipend program - created - guidelines - repeal.

§ 23-3.9-303. Educator test stipend program - created - guidelines - repeal.

(1) (a) There is created in the department the educator test stipend program, referred to in this section as the "stipend program". The purpose of the stipend program is to award stipend money to an approved program of preparation to reduce financial barriers for eligible students by paying the fees and costs, which may include travel and lodging costs, associated with the assessment of professional competencies required for licensure and required endorsements pursuant to sections 22-60.5-203 and 22-60.5-212.

(b) (I) The commission shall adopt any necessary policies and the department shall adopt any necessary guidelines to implement and administer the stipend program.

(II) In its adoption of any necessary policies pursuant to subsection (1)(b)(I) of this section, the commission shall create a formula for calculating the amount of stipend money awarded to each approved program of preparation based on the total number of eligible students in an approved program of preparation and the amount required to pay the fees and costs associated with the assessment of professional competencies for licensure and the required endorsement for each eligible student.

(c) The department shall collect data to measure the effectiveness of the stipend program, which data includes, but need not be limited to:

(I) The total number of eligible students served by each approved program of preparation;

(II) The total amount of stipend money each eligible student receives each year;

(III) A survey of eligible students to measure the eligible students' experience with the stipend program;

(IV) The demographic data of each eligible student aggregated by race, ethnicity, and gender;

(V) The reported number of hours each eligible student works a second job to earn income;

(VI) A comparison of eligible students' financial burdens with the national average of financial burdens imposed on students enrolled in teacher and counselor preparation programs; and

(VII) The data correlation between the eligible students who receive stipend money through the educator test stipend program and the subsequent placement and retention of those eligible students as educators, to the extent the data is available.

(2) (a) To qualify to participate in the stipend program, a student must be an eligible student. No later than July 1, 2022, and no later than July 1 each year thereafter, each approved program of preparation shall notify the department of the number of eligible students who qualify for the stipend program.

(b) (I) No later than August 1, 2022, and no later than August 1 each year thereafter, the department, subject to available appropriations, shall disburse to each approved program of preparation stipend money, plus additional money to pay the direct costs of operating the stipend program. The approved program of preparation shall distribute the stipend money to each eligible student to pay the fees and costs associated with the assessment of professional competencies for licensure and the required endorsement.

(II) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (2)(b)(I) of this section, if the amount appropriated is insufficient to fully fund the total number of eligible students, the approved program of preparation shall reduce the stipend amounts paid to each eligible student in proportion to the deficit.

(c) The approved program of preparation shall determine the number of times an eligible student may be reimbursed if the student must retake the assessment of professional competencies.

(3) The general assembly shall annually appropriate money to the department to implement this section, including money to pay the costs of implementing and administering the stipend program, which may include the direct costs incurred by approved programs of preparation in operating the stipend program.

(4) (a) For the 2022-23 state fiscal year, the general assembly shall appropriate to the department money from the economic recovery and relief cash fund created pursuant to section 24-75-228 to fund stipends for eligible students.

(b) The department or the stipend recipient shall spend or obligate any stipend money received pursuant to this subsection (4) that originated from the federal coronavirus state fiscal recovery fund in accordance with section 24-75-226 (4)(d).

(c) The department and any person who receives money from the department, including each stipend recipient, shall comply with the compliance, reporting, record-keeping, and program evaluation requirements established by the office of state planning and budgeting and the state controller in accordance with section 24-75-226 (5).

(c.5) For purposes of this subsection (4) only, the commission shall approve the criteria of eligible students, including:

(I) First, consideration for eligible students whose expected family contribution does not exceed three hundred percent of the maximum federal Pell-eligible expected family contribution; and

(II) Second, consideration for graduates of an approved program of preparation who were placed as student educators before passing the assessment of professional competencies in state fiscal years 2019-20, 2020-21, and 2021-22.

(d) This subsection (4) is repealed, effective January 31, 2027.

Source: L. 2022: Entire part added, (HB 22-1220), ch. 239, p. 1770, § 2, effective May 26. L. 2023: (4)(c.5) added, (HB 23-1001), ch. 56, p. 200, § 3, effective April 10. L. 2024: (4)(b) amended, (HB 24-1466), ch. 429, p. 2937, § 15, effective June 5. L. 2025: (4)(a) and (4)(b) amended, (SB 25-312), ch. 301, p. 1537, § 13, effective May 30.

Cross references: For the legislative declaration in HB 24-1466, see section 1 of chapter 429, Session Laws of Colorado 2024.