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HOUSE BILL 26-1386
BY REPRESENTATIVE(S) Brown and Taggart, Sirota, Bacon, Barron,
Boesenecker, Bradfield, Bradley, Caldwell, Camacho, Carter, Clifford,
DeGraaf, Duran, English, Espenoza, Feret, Flanell, Froelich, Garcia Sander,
Gilchrist, Goldstein, Gonzalez R., Hamrick, Hartsook, Johnson, Joseph,
Keltie, Lindsay, Lukens, Mabrey, Marshall, Martinez, Mauro, McC01mick,
Nguyen, Paschal, Richardson, Ricks, Rutinel, Rydin, Slaugh, Smith,
Stewart K., Stewart R ., Story, Suckla, Titone, Valdez, Velasco, Weinberg,
Willford, Winter T., Zokaie, McCluskie;
also SENATOR(S) Bridges and Kirkmeyer, Amabile.
CONCERNING CHANGING THE FUNDING MECHANISM FOR THE COLORADO
NATIONAL GUARD TUITION WAIVER PROGRAM.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 23-7 .4-302, amend
(3)(a), (3)(b), and (7) as follows:
23-7.4-302. Tuition waiver for members of the National Guard
- rules -fund -legislative declaration -definitions - repeal.
(3) (a) Subject to annual appropriations, a person who is a 1nembe1
Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material added to existing law; dashes
through words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law and such material is not part of
the act.
of the Colorado National Guard, upon being accepted for enrnllment at a
designated institution ofhighe1 education, may pu1sue studies that lead to
a postgrnduate degree, a bachelm's deg1ee, an associate degree, 01 a
certificate of completion. with all tuition waived. EACH DESIGNATED
INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION SHALL, FOR A MEMBER WHO IS
ACCEPTED FOR ENROLLMENT, WAIVE THE REMAINING BALANCE OF TUITION
COST IN EXCESS OF THE AMOUNT OF ANY PRIVATE, ST ATE, OR FEDERAL
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE RECEIVED BY THE MEMBER. For a member, the
tuition waiver must not exceed more than sixty-five credit hours at a
designated two-year institution of higher education and no more than one
hundred thirty credit hours at a designated four-year institution of higher
education; except that the total credit hours for a member who attends both
a designated two-year and a designated four-year institution of higher
education must not exceed more than one hundred forty-five credit hours.
The department of military and veterans affairs shall administer the tuition
waiver program.
(b) (I) To prevent hardship to a designated institution of higher
education, if there is a significant inc1ease in the member enrnlhnent in the
tuition waiver prngrnm, the number of membe1s attending with a tuition
waiver must not exceed the greater of. THE DEPARTMENT OF MILITARY AND
VETERANS AFFAIRS SHALL REIMBURSE A DESIGNATED INSTITUTION OF
HIGHER EDUCATION FOR FIFTY PERCENT OF THE COST OF MEMBERS' TUITION
THAT IS WAIVED BY THE INSTITUTION PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION. THE
GENERAL ASSEMBLY SHALL APPROPRIATE MONEY TO THE COLORADO
NATIONAL GUARD TUITION FUND, CREATED IN SUBSECTION (9) OF THIS
SECTION, TO COVER FIFTY PERCENT OF THE COST OF TUITION WAIVED AT
EACH DESIGNATED INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION PURSUANT TO THIS
SECTION.
(A) A twenty-five pe1cent increase in membe1 enrnllment in a
designated institution of highe1 education comp at ed to the membe1
calculation desc1ibed in subsection (3)(b)(II) of this section, 01
(D) Mme than five additional membe1s enrnlled in a designated
institution of higher education compared to the member calculation
dcsc1 ibed in subsection (3)(b)(II) of this section.
(11) For each designated institution of highe1 education, the
department of military and v ete1 ans affairs shall deter mine the base member
PAGE 2-HOUSE BILL 26-1386
enrnllment desctibed in subsection (3)(b)(I)(A) 01 (3)(b)(l)(B) of this
section by calculating the average fall semeste1 membe1 enrnllment at the
designated institution of highe1 education fut the pt e v ious tht ee fall
semeste1s. The departm:ent of military and veterans affairs, in consultation
with designated institutions of highe1 education, shall adopt rnles to
dete1mine how to select membe1s to participate in the tuition waive1
pt og1 am if a significant inc1 ease in membe1 em ollment in the tuition w ai vet
prngrnm occms pu1suant to subsection (3)(b)(I) of this section.
(III) The department of military and \J ete1 ans affairs shall dete1 mine
community college membe1 enrnllment caps fut each community college.
The departmet'tt of military and v ete1 ans affairs shall pt o v ide funds to the
state boat d of community colleges and occupational education fut tuition
w ai vets. The state boat d ofconnnunity colleges and occupational education
shall dist1 ibute the funds to each community college in which a membe1 is
en1olled.
(IV) tA} The department of military and veterans affairs may request
adjustments to the annual appropriation based on changes to Colorado
National Guard member enrollment and changes to the cost of tuition.
(B) If the diffe1 ence between the calculated tuition fot base membe1
enxollment, as described in subsection (3)(b)(II) of this section, and the
annual apprnptiation is less than twenty-five pe1cent, the department of
military and veterans affairs may prnrnte funding and disttibute funds to
each designated institution of highe1 education pt oportionately.
(C) If the diffe1ence between the calculated tuition fo1 base membe1
enrnllment, as described in subsection (3)(b)(II) of this section, and the
annual apprnpriation is mote than twenty-five pe1cent, the tuition waiveI
prngram is suspended and the designated institutions of higher education
shall distribute the 1emaining tuition wai\JeI funds on a fast-come,
fit st-set v e basis to membe1 s until the tuition w ai vet funds ate exhausted.
(7) The department of military and veterans affairs shall adopt rules
to certify member eligibility at the request of a designated institution of
higher education, to communicate member eligibility to the designated
institution of higher education, and to administer the tuition waiver program
pursuant to this section, INCLUDING A PROCESS TO REIMBURSE A
DESIGN A TED INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION FOR FIFTY PERCENT OF THE
PAGE 3-HOUSE BILL 26-1386
COST OF TUITION WAIVED BY THE INSTITUTION.
SECTION 2. Effective date. This act takes effect July 1, 2026.
SECTION 3. Safety clause. The general assembly finds,
determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for
the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state
institutions.
Jul~
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
OF REPRESENTATIVES
v~~
Vanessa Reilly
CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE
OF REPRESENTATIVES
ames Rashad Coleman, Sr.
PRESIDENT OF
THE SENATE
Esther van Mourik
SECRETARY OF
THE SENATE
APPROVED OV\ Mono\(1\j \JVM- IS":J 2..v?,(o "* It ·.oo-.,-..,
(Da e and Time)
ATE 6F COLORADO