HB 18-1414

HB 18-1414, also known as the Higher Education Student Emergency Assistance Grants bill, establishes a program that provides financial help to college students in Colorado who are facing unexpected financial difficulties. This assistance is intended to keep these students enrolled and on track to complete their degrees. The state's higher education department will oversee this program by giving funds to colleges each year for them to distribute as needed. Since the bill has been signed, it means that the program is now law and institutions can start implementing it to support eligible students experiencing financial emergencies.

Official Summary

The bill creates the emergency completion and retention grant program (grant program) in the department of higher education (department). The Colorado commission on higher education implements the grant program by annually distributing an amount to each state institution of higher education (institution) to use in awarding emergency assistance grants to eligible students who are experiencing qualifying fiscal emergencies. The bill describes minimum procedures an institution must adopt for the financial aid director at the institution to award the emergency assistance grants. The commission is required to include in the annual financial aid report submitted to the joint budget committee a summary of the implementation of the grant program and an evaluation of its effect in increasing the retention and completion rates at institutions. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More

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