New Law in Colorado Offers First Two Years of College Free for Some Students
“Cost should not be a barrier for people to live up to their potential”
It might be free for the students, but it’s going to cost taxpayers millions.
The College Fix reports:
Colorado will pay for students’ first two years of college under new law
Beginning this fall, Colorado students can have the first two years of their college tuition reimbursed as a tax credit under a new state law.
The law covers students from public high schools whose family income is under $90,000 a year.
Signed on May 30 by Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, the Incentives for Post-Secondary Education bill establishes a tax credit covering 100 percent of tuition and fees, after grants and scholarships are applied, for up to 65 academic credits at trade schools, community colleges, and four-year institutions.
After signing it, Polis, a Democrat, hailed it as a “bipartisan bill” in a post on X, adding: “Cost should not be a barrier for people to live up to their potential, which is why we are expanding access to higher education and reducing the financial burden on students and families.”
The bill defines qualified students as those with good academic standing, determined by a grade point average of at least 2.5, and a household income of $90,000 or less.
“This is a refundable credit, meaning that even if a student earned $0 that year and paid $0 in federal taxes, they will receive the full tuition and fee payments as a refund. Even if students are listed as dependents on their parents’ taxes, students should file separately to request the tax credit,” the Colorado Department of Higher Education states on its website.
According to Gov. Polis, the goal is to help families whose household income is too high to qualify for the Pell Grant but too low to cover four years of college tuition. However, it does not come without cost.
Also known as the Colorado Promise, the program is expected to cost Colorado taxpayers $40 million annually, Inside Higher Ed reported.
“The Colorado Department of Higher Education estimates approximately 28,000 students in the 2023-24 school year would meet the requirements for the income tax credit,” CBS reported.
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Comments
Florida pays for all 4 but the academic reqs are higher and it’s not cut off by income. It’s paid for by the FL lottery.
I think GA does something similar.
Nothing is free, and anything touted as “free” (or the oft used “for free”) will have no value because it’s not actually earned by recipients. That’s the problem with Dem’s/Lefty’s…and most Liberals…they forget that tiny part.
Nothing but a plot to prop up failing Universities and colleges who have inflated prices (student loan grift) for useless educations (not STEM), and instead of by quality, hired by race or what they do in the bedroom…or even worse, demented mentality.
do the checks get deposited directly to the students bank account? or does the university get their hands on it first?
just wondering who will serve time for fraud once the adults take back the country
welfare by any name is still welfare
The way I read this is students who qualify can take out loans to cover the tuition and pocket the “tax credit” then wait till Dems dissolve their student debt.
Instead of adding two years to high school, why not just fix the last two years of high school?
Nothing is as expensive as “free”. All this does is enable the university to essentially increase the cost of the first two years without limit and enrich themselves on the taxpayer’s dime.