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SB26-067 • 2026

Tuition Waiver for Dependents of Veterans

The bill creates a tuition waiver for qualified dependents of disabled veterans to attend state colleges or universities. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Children Education Taxes
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Sen. T. Sullivan, Rep. C. Clifford
Last action
2026-02-23
Official status
Senate Committee on Education Refer Amended to Appropriations
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Tuition Waiver for Dependents of Disabled Veterans

The bill creates a tuition waiver program to help qualified dependents of disabled veterans attend state colleges or universities in Colorado.

What This Bill Does

  • Creates a tuition waiver program for eligible dependents of disabled veterans.
  • Requires the Colorado Commission on Higher Education to implement this policy by July 1, 2026.
  • Specifies that dependents must be accepted into and maintain satisfactory academic standing at state colleges or universities.
  • Limits the duration of the tuition waiver to six years from the date of enrollment.
  • Allows the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs to certify eligibility for the waiver.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Dependents of disabled veterans who meet certain criteria
  • State colleges and universities in Colorado

Terms To Know

Qualified Veteran
A veteran as defined by law, including those killed or missing in action, prisoners of war, or rated one-hundred-percent permanently service-connected disabled.
Dependent
Includes spouses, children (including adopted and stepchildren), foster children, and any child claimed as a dependent on the veteran's tax return under 26 years old.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how funding for this program will be provided.
  • It is unclear if there are additional requirements or limitations beyond those explicitly stated in the bill.

Amendments

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

L.001

SEN Education

Passed [*]

Plain English: The amendment to SB26-067 expands the definition of 'dependent' and adds new requirements for the tuition waiver program.

  • Expands who qualifies as a dependent under the bill, including children claimed on tax returns or those who could be claimed if they were alive.
  • Limits the total number of credit hours that can receive a waiver to 150 per dependent.
  • Adds conditions where federal education benefits take precedence over the state tuition waiver.
  • Specifies that the waiver only covers remaining costs after other financial aid is applied.
  • The amendment text does not provide specific details on how the changes will be implemented or enforced.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-23 Senate

    Senate Committee on Education Refer Amended to Appropriations

  2. 2026-01-28 Senate

    Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Education

Official Summary Text

The bill creates a tuition waiver for qualified dependents of disabled veterans to attend state colleges or universities.
(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. 26-0270.02 Veronica Parish x2606 SENATE BILL 26-067
Senate Committees House Committees
Education
A BILL FOR AN ACT
CONCERNING A TUITION WAIVER FOR DEPENDENTS OF QUALIFIED101
VETERANS.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.)
The bill creates a tuition waiver for qualified dependents of
disabled veterans to attend state colleges or universities.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Sullivan,
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Clifford,
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.
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 23-7.4-303 as1
follows:2
23-7.4-303. Tuition assistance program for dependents and3
spouses of qualified veterans - created - administration - funding -4
rules - definitions.5
(1) AS USED IN THIS SECTION , UNLESS THE CONTEXT OTHERWISE6
REQUIRES:7
(a) "COLORADO APPLICATION FOR STATE FINANCIAL AID" HAS THE8
MEANING SET FORTH IN SECTION 22-2-127 (1)(a).9
(b) "COMMISSION" MEANS THE COLORADO COMMISSION ON HIGHER10
EDUCATION CREATED IN SECTION 23-1-102.11
(c) "DEPENDENT" MEANS:12
(I) A SPOUSE, SURVIVING SPOUSE, PARTNER IN A CIVIL UNION, OR13
SURVIVING PARTNER IN A CIVIL UNION; OR14
(II) A CHILD, INCLUDING ADOPTED CHILDREN, STEPCHILDREN, AND15
FOSTER CHILDREN, OR A CHILD WHO WAS CLAIMED AS A DEPENDENT BY A16
QUALIFIED VETERAN ON THEIR TAX RETURN , UNDER TWENTY -SIX YEARS17
OLD.18
(d) "F REE APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL STUDENT AID " HAS THE19
MEANING SET FORTH IN SECTION 22-2-127 (1)(c).20
(e) "Q UALIFIED VETERAN " MEANS A VETERAN , AS DEFINED IN21
SECTION 28-5-100.3, WHO:22
(I) WAS KILLED IN ACTION;23
(II) DIED IN ACTIVE SERVICE FROM OTHER CAUSES;24
(III) IS MISSING IN ACTION;25
(IV) IS A PRISONER OF WAR;26
(V) D IED AS A RESULT OF A SERVICE -CONNECTED DISABILITY27
SB26-067-2-
INCURRED DURING A WARTIME PERIOD;1
(VI) W AS, PRIOR TO DEATH , RATED ONE -HUNDRED-PERCENT2
PERMANENTLY SERVICE-CONNECTED DISABLED BY THE UNITED STATES3
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS BY EVALUATION OF THE RATING4
SCHEDULE; OR5
(VII) HAS BEEN DETERMINED BY THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT6
OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO BE UNEMPLOYABLE AS A RESULT OF A7
SERVICE-CONNECTED DISABILITY.8
(f) "STATE COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY" HAS THE MEANING SET FORTH9
IN SECTION 23-2-102.10
(2) O N OR BEFORE JULY 1, 2026, THE COMMISSION SHALL11
IMPLEMENT A POLICY WHEREBY, EXCEPT AS LIMITED IN THIS SECTION, EACH12
STATE COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY SHALL WAIVE ALL TUITION COSTS ,13
INCLUDING ANY MANDATORY FEES, DUES, OR OTHER REQUIRED CHARGES,14
ASSOCIATED WITH ATTENDANCE AT THE INSTITUTION FOR A DEPENDENT OF15
A QUALIFIED VETERAN UPON RECEIPT OF A CERTIFICATE OF WAIVER16
ELIGIBILITY DESCRIBED IN SUBSECTION (5) OF THIS SECTION.17
(3) IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR THE TUITION WAIVER, A DEPENDENT18
OF A QUALIFIED VETERAN MUST:19
(a) BE ACCEPTED BY A STATE COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY;20
(b) COMPLETE THE COLORADO APPLICATION FOR STATE FINANCIAL21
AID OR THE FREE APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL STUDENT AID; AND22
(c) R EMAIN IN SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC STANDING IN23
ACCORDANCE WITH THE ACADEMIC POLICIES OF THE STATE COLLEGE OR24
UNIVERSITY.25
(4) THE TUITION WAIVER MUST NOT EXTEND BEYOND SIX YEARS OF26
THE DATE OF ENROLLMENT.27
SB26-067-3-
(5) THE DEPARTMENT OF MILITARY AND VETERANS AFFAIRS SHALL1
ADOPT RULES TO CERTIFY ELIGIBILITY AT THE REQUEST OF A DEPENDENT2
OF A QUALIFIED VETERAN AND PRODUCE TO THE DEPENDENT OF A3
QUALIFIED VETERAN A CERTIFICATE OF WAIVER ELIGIBILITY . THE4
DEPENDENT OF A QUALIFIED VETERAN SHALL SUBMIT THE CERTIFICATE OF5
WAIVER ELIGIBILITY TO THE STATE COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY AT WHICH THE6
DEPENDANT IS ENROLLED.7
SECTION 2. Safety clause. The general assembly finds,8
determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate9
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for10
the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state11
institutions.12
SB26-067-4-