HB26-1078 • 2026

Off-Campus Courses & Concurrent Enrollment Programs

Under current law, off-campus courses offered by institutions of higher education (off-campus courses) are excluded from concurrent enrollment programs, except when the off-campus courses are part of

Education

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Rep. E. Hamrick, Rep. L. Smith, Sen. B. Kirkmeyer, Sen. J. Marchman, Sen. S. Bright
Last action: 2026-02-25
Official status: House Committee on Education Refer Amended to Appropriations
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide information on the number of off-campus courses that will be added or if there will be additional funding for these programs.

Expanding Off-Campus Courses for Concurrent Enrollment

This bill allows off-campus college courses to be included in concurrent enrollment programs if they meet certain requirements.

What This Bill Does

Changes the law so that off-campus college courses can now count as part of a concurrent enrollment program, except for those already covered under the TREP program.
Requires these off-campus courses to follow rules set by accrediting agencies recognized by federal laws.

Who It Names or Affects

High school students who want to take college courses
Higher education institutions offering off-campus courses

Terms To Know

Concurrent Enrollment Programs: Programs that let high school students take college classes for credit.
Off-Campus Courses: College-level classes offered outside of a traditional campus setting.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how many off-campus courses will be added to concurrent enrollment programs.
It is unclear if there will be additional funding for these expanded programs.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

L.001

HOU Education

Passed [*]

Plain English: The amendment changes the phrase 'that is recognized under federal law' to 'recognized by the United States Department of Education'.

Changes the wording from 'that is recognized under federal law' to 'recognized by the United States Department of Education.'

Bill History

2026-02-25 House
House Committee on Education Refer Amended to Appropriations
2026-02-02 House
Introduced In House - Assigned to Education

Official Summary Text

Under current law, off-campus courses offered by institutions of higher education (off-campus courses) are excluded from concurrent enrollment programs, except when the off-campus courses are part of the teacher recruitment education and preparation (TREP) program. The bill allows off-campus courses to be included in concurrent enrollment programs when the off-campus courses meet the requirements for concurrent enrollment programs and the requirements of an accrediting agency recognized under federal law.
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Second Regular Session
Seventy-fifth General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
INTRODUCED

LLS NO. 26-0429.01 Lindy Schaible x4215 HOUSE BILL 26-1078
House Committees Senate Committees
Education
A BILL FOR AN ACT
CONCERNING INCREASING THE NUMBER OF OFF -CAMPUS COURSES101
OFFERED BY INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION TO STUDENTS102
IN CONCURRENT ENROLLMENT PROGRAMS.103
Bill Summary
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does
not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill
passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that
applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at
http://leg.colorado.gov.)
Under current law, off-campus courses offered by institutions of
higher education (off-campus courses) are excluded from concurrent
enrollment programs, except when the off-campus courses are part of the
teacher recruitment education and preparation (TREP) program. The bill
allows off-campus courses to be included in concurrent enrollment
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Smith and Hamrick,
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Marchman and Kirkmeyer, Bright
Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.
Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law.
Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law.
programs when the off-campus courses meet the requirements for
concurrent enrollment programs and the requirements of an accrediting
agency recognized under federal law.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 22-35-110, amend2
(1) as follows:3
22-35-110. Exclusions.4
(1) Except for courses offered as part of the TREP program5
pursuant to section 22-35-108.5, This article 35 does not apply to any A6
course that is offered as part of a program of off-campus instruction7
established pursuant to section 23-1-109 (1) to (5) UNLESS THE COURSE8
OFFERED MEETS ALL REQUIREMENTS OF THIS ARTICLE 35 AND THE9
REQUIREMENTS OF AN ACCREDITING AGENCY THAT IS RECOGNIZED UNDER10
FEDERAL LAW.11
SECTION 2. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act12
takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the13
ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly (August14
12, 2026, if adjournment sine die is on May 13, 2026); except that, if a15
referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V of the16
state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this act17
within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take effect18
unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in19
November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the20
official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.21
HB26-1078-2-