Colorado Community College System Remains Dedicated to Affordability

Tuition and scholarship dollars announced following 2019 Legislative Session

The Colorado Community College System (CCCS) will continue its efforts to keep higher education affordable after the Colorado State Legislature recently approved $120 million in higher education funding. As a direct result, CCCS announced tuition for its 13 colleges around the state will not increase for the 2019-2020 academic year.

It was also announced that the 13 college foundations and the Foundation for Colorado Community Colleges will award nearly $6.5 million in scholarships to approximately 4,000 students to achieve their higher education goals within the community college system. This funding was provided through philanthropic gifts from individuals, foundations, corporations, and organizations as well as grants from the Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative.

“We applaud the commitment to higher education shown by Gov. Polis and legislature and will match that commitment by continuing to provide the most affordable option for quality higher education in the state,” said Chancellor Joe Garcia. “This commitment is furthered by our ongoing dedication to not only increasing access to higher education, but ensuring our students succeed in achieving the higher education goals they have set for themselves within our system.”

 

The CCCS announcements come after a busy legislative session, where the Legislature also passed HB19-1196 as another means of removing barriers to accessing higher education. CCCS supported this bill which will ultimately provide Colorado high school students with access to in-state tuition and financial aid, regardless of their citizenship status.

Open Educational Resources (OER) help to reduce the cost of tuition for students

Heading into the next year, CCCS will also continue to prioritize Open Educational Resources (OER) that allow students to access educational content online for little to no-cost. This summer marks the launch of two new Z-Degrees, or Zero Textbook Degrees, through CCCOnline, resulting in full degree options that do not require the purchase of a textbook and instead leverage low or no-cost materials to support coursework. CCCS (through CCCOnline) is the first institution in Colorado to offer these degrees.

“The cost of textbooks is an ongoing issue for our students,” said Chancellor Garcia. “We are committed to affordability and that means removing one of the greatest financial barriers to higher education. These degrees will offer yet another affordable pathway for our students to succeed.”

To learn more about CCCS and its colleges, visit cccs.edu.