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Second Regular Session
Seventy-fifth General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
REENGROSSED
This Version Includes All Amendments
Adopted in the House of Introduction
LLS NO. 26-0898.01 Ken Fowler x2372 HOUSE BILL 26-1386
House Committees Senate Committees
Appropriations
A BILL FOR AN ACT
CONCERNING CHANGING THE F UNDING MECHANISM FOR THE101
COLORADO NATIONAL GUARD TUITION WAIVER PROGRAM.102
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/.)
Joint Budget Committee. In current law, a person who is a
member of the Colorado National Guard who is accepted for enrollment
at a designated institution of higher education (member) has all their
tuition costs waived. All tuition waiver costs are currently funded by the
state from money in the Colorado National Guard tuition fund.
The bill changes the funding mechanism of the Colorado National
HOUSE
3rd Reading Unamended
April 11, 2026
HOUSE
2nd Reading Unamended
April 9, 2026
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Brown and Taggart, Sirota, Bacon, Barron, Boesenecker, Bradfield, Bradley, Caldwell,
Camacho, Carter, Clifford, De Graaf, Duran, English, Espenoza, Feret, Flanell, Froelich,
Garcia Sander, Gilchrist, Goldstein, Gonz alez R., Hamrick, Hartsook, Johnson, Joseph,
Keltie, Lindsay, Lukens, Mabrey, Marshall, Martinez, Mauro, McCluskie, McCormick,
Nguyen, Paschal, Richardson, Ricks, Rutinel, Rydin, Slaugh, Smith, Stewart K., Stewart R.,
Story, Suckla, Titone, Valdez, Velasco, Weinberg, Willford, Winter T., Zokaie
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Bridges and Kirkmeyer, Amabile
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.
Guard tuition waiver program by requiring each designated institution of
higher education to waive the remaining balance of a member's tuition
cost in excess of the amount of any private, state, or federal financial
assistance received. The bill requires the department of military and
veterans affairs to reimburse each institution for 50% of the cost of tuition
waived by the institution and requires the general assembly to appropriate
money to the Colorado National Guard tuition fund to cover the
reimbursement.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 23-7.4-302, amend2
(3)(a), (3)(b), and (7) as follows:3
23-7.4-302. Tuition waiver for members of the National Guard4
- rules - fund - legislative declaration - definitions - repeal.5
(3) (a) Subject to annual appropriations, a person who is a6
member of the Colorado Nationa l Guard, upon bei ng accepted for7
enrollment at a designated institution of higher education, may pursue8
studies that lead to a postgraduate degree, a bachelor's degree, an9
associate degree, or a certificate of completion. with all tuition waived.10
EACH DESIGNATED INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION SHALL , FOR A11
MEMBER WHO IS ACCEPTED FOR ENROLLMENT , WAIVE THE REMAINING12
BALANCE OF TUITION COST IN EXCESS OF THE AMOUNT OF ANY PRIVATE,13
STATE, OR FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE RECEIVED BY THE MEMBER .14
For a member, the tuition waiver must not exceed more than sixty-five15
credit hours at a designated two-year institution of higher education and16
no more than one hundred thirty credit hours at a designated four-year17
institution of higher education; except that the total credit hours for a18
member who attends both a designated two-year and a designated19
four-year institution of higher education must not exceed more than one20
hundred forty-five credit hours. The department of military and veterans21
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affairs shall administer the tuition waiver program.1
(b) (I) To prevent hardship to a designated institution of higher2
education, if there is a significant increase in the member enrollment in3
the tuition waiver program, the number of members attending with a4
tuition waiver must not exceed the greater of: THE DEPARTMENT OF5
MILITARY AND VETERANS AFFAIRS SHALL REIMBURSE A DESIGNATED6
INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION FOR FIFTY PERCENT OF THE COST OF7
MEMBERS' TUITION THAT IS WAIVED BY THE INSTITUTION PURSUANT TO8
THIS SECTION. THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY SHALL APPROPRIATE MONEY TO9
THE COLORADO NATIONAL GUARD TUITION FUND , CREATED IN10
SUBSECTION (9) OF THIS SECTION, TO COVER FIFTY PERCENT OF THE COST11
OF TUITION WAIVED AT EACH DESIGNATED INSTITUTION OF HIGHER12
EDUCATION PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION.13
(A) A twenty-five percent increase in member enrollment in a14
designated institution of higher education compared to the member15
calculation described in subsection (3)(b)(II) of this section; or16
(B) More than five additional members enrolled in a designated17
institution of higher education compared to the member calculation18
described in subsection (3)(b)(II) of this section.19
(II) For each designated institution of higher education, the20
department of military and veterans affairs shall determine the base21
member enrollment described in subsection (3)(b)(I)(A) or (3)(b)(I)(B)22
of this section by calculating the average fall semester member23
enrollment at the designated institution of higher education for the24
previous three fall semesters. The department of military and veterans25
affairs, in consultation with designated institutions of higher education,26
shall adopt rules to determine how to select members to participate in the27
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tuition waiver program if a significant increase in member enrollment in1
the tuition waiver program occurs pursuant to subsection (3)(b)(I) of this2
section.3
(III) The department of military and veterans affairs shall4
determine community college member enrollment caps for each5
community college. The department of military and veterans affairs shall6
provide funds to the state board of community colleges and occupational7
education for tuition waivers. The state board of community colleges and8
occupational education shall distribute the funds to each community9
college in which a member is enrolled.10
(IV) (A) The department of military and veterans affairs may11
request adjustments to the annual appropriation based on changes to12
Colorado National Guard member enrollment and changes to the cost of13
tuition.14
(B) If the difference between the calculated tuition for base15
member enrollment, as described in subsection (3)(b)(II) of this section,16
and the annual appropriation is less than twenty-five percent, the17
department of military and veterans affairs may prorate funding and18
distribute funds to each designated institution of higher education19
proportionately.20
(C) If the difference between the calculated tuition for base21
member enrollment, as described in subsection (3)(b)(II) of this section,22
and the annual appropriation is more than twenty-five percent, the tuition23
waiver program is suspended and the designated institutions of higher24
education shall distribute the remaining tuition waiver funds on a25
first-come, first-serve basis to members until the tuition waiver funds are26
exhausted.27
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(7) The department of military and veterans affairs shall adopt1
rules to certify member eligibility at the request of a designated institution2
of higher education, to communicate member eligibility to the designated3
institution of higher education, and to administer the tuition waiver4
program pursuant to this section, INCLUDING A PROCESS TO REIMBURSE A5
DESIGNATED INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION FOR FIFTY PERCENT OF6
THE COST OF TUITION WAIVED BY THE INSTITUTION.7
SECTION 2. Effective date. This act takes effect July 1, 2026.8
SECTION 3. Safety clause. The general assembly finds,9
determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate10
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for11
the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state12
institutions.13
1386-5-