Colorado Governor Jared Polis, a Democrat, signed four higher education bills into law this month, targeting affordability, access, and equity for the state’s diverse and often non-traditional student population. Together, the measures update how the state funds colleges and universities, reduce the cost of course materials, create a new recognition system for high-performing institutions, and expand dual-enrollment opportunities for high schoolers.
The centerpiece of the package, HB26-1345, overhauls Colorado’s higher education funding formula in ways that advocates say are long overdue. Current funding mechanisms largely fail to account for the reality of who actually attends Colorado’s colleges today — a student body that is majority part-time and highly mobile between institutions. According to legislative sponsors, part-time students make up 55 percent of Colorado’s higher education enrollment, yet they are not included in any existing outcome measurements. Similarly, 45 percent of Colorado students transfer between schools at some point, but four-year transfers have not been recognized as a successful milestone under the current formula.
“Higher education looks different today than it has in years past, with more students taking a nontraditional path, transferring between schools, and going to school part-time,” said Senate President James Coleman, D-Denver. “Schools are adapting to this new reality and our funding model should adapt too.”
Beginning in fiscal year 2027-2028, the law will expand transfer credits that qualify under the formula, create an inclusive retention rate that counts both part-time and full-time students, and standardize data sources by transitioning to the Department of Higher Education’s system. The bill also adjusts how graduation rates are calculated for students enrolled in collaborative degree programs at partner institutions, so those students no longer inadvertently drag down their home campus’s numbers. The measure carried bipartisan support, including co-sponsorship from Senate Minority Leader Cleave Simpson, R-Alamosa.
A separate bill, HB26-1016, extends Colorado’s Open Educational Resources (OER) Program, which provides free and openly licensed teaching and learning materials — including textbooks and videos — to college students and faculty. “No student should be denied educational opportunities because they can’t afford their textbooks,” said Sen. Judy Amabile, a sponsor of the bill. The program has already saved Colorado students millions of dollars, according to proponents, and the new law ensures its continuation.
HB26-1006 creates a “thriving institution” designation for colleges and universities that meet state-defined benchmarks in areas such as graduation rates, student retention, workforce outcomes, and service to diverse, rural, and low-income student populations. The designation is intended to make it easier for qualifying schools to access future grants and funding sources. “As the federal government actively works to punish minority serving institutions and the communities they serve, we’re boosting Colorado’s higher education landscape and supporting students of different backgrounds and income levels,” said Rep. Elizabeth Velasco, D-Glenwood Springs.
The fourth bill, HB26-1078, broadens the definition of concurrent enrollment to include off-campus courses offered by four-year colleges and universities, as well as technical and career education courses at area technical colleges. Concurrent enrollment allows high school students to earn both high school and college credit simultaneously, reducing future tuition costs and accelerating degree completion. Previously, the program’s narrow definition left out many institutions and course types.
“By broadening the scope of concurrent enrollment to include off-campus courses offered by four-year higher ed institutions, more high school students can take advantage of this cost-saving tool,” said Rep. Lesley Smith, D-Boulder.
Polis signed the trio of access-focused bills at CU Boulder, where the concurrent enrollment expansion had its own institutional backing.
