JOIN US FOR #COSIDay AT THE CAPITOL
Denver, CO – A 2013 Georgetown study predicted that by 2020, Colorado’s economy will require the second most educated workforce in the nation, with 74% of jobs needing some kind of postsecondary education. But right now, just over half of Colorado adults have a degree or certificate. We're tackling higher education affordability and access this session to expand funding and opportunities to all Coloradans in a number of ways:
The Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative (COSI) is Colorado’s premier scholarship program. Since 2014, COSI has served over 75,000 students in 61 counties across the state. Join sponsor Sen. Rachel Zenzinger and stakeholders tomorrow to kick things off:
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
West Foyer, 8:15 - 8:45
Meet & Greet Breakfast
What SB-006 does:
• Changes "tuition assistance" to "financial assistance" tied to cost of attendance
Changing this definition allows funds to be utilized for wraparound services, and would provide clarification around eligible expenses for financial aid administrators.
• Removes funding cap requirement to improve student success and support services
Removing the cap will allow for the expansion of wraparound support programming, which directly impacts COSI recipients by increasing student retention and degree completion.
• Allows more government agencies such as colleges, universities, and school districts to receive funding, in addition to community organizations and related foundations
COSI currently provides funding to colleges, universities, school districts and community organizations. Many of the agencies that receive funding and provide services are likely governmental agencies, but the law requires district or college foundations to receive the funding when in some cases the district or college itself may be a more appropriate recipient.
"As a result of the proposed changes, COSI will be administered more efficiently to allow the program to align with research and national best practices and aid the Department in reaching 66% educational attainment by 2025. I'm proud to see how far COSI has come since our early days working on
the program, and can’t wait to achieve even more success," said Sen. Zenzinger.
In addition to COSI, Sen. Zenzinger's bill (SB-009) expands grant programs for existing and new adult education. Better investment in Colorado's adult education systems bolsters our economy and improves the workforce while supporting the families and communities who need it most.