CCCS Internal Legislative Priorities
The Colorado Community College System is committed to providing best-in-class educational and training opportunities as the state’s partner of choice for workforce development. We champion state and federal efforts that advance our open access mission, support student success, and bolster workforce training.
The Chancellor’s Office of Public & Legislative Affairs helps share the many facets of that story, illuminating the system’s impact on Colorado and beyond.
Advocating for Colorado Students
We seek to:
- Reduce barriers to Concurrent Enrollment. CCCS is the state’s largest provider of Concurrent Enrollment (CE), educating 45,000 high schools students each year and saving families over $57 million in college tuition costs. As a committed partner in fostering equitable access of information and opportunities for students and families, our goal is to expand participation in the state’s Concurrent Enrollment program that provides tuition-free, transferable college credits.
- Increase Career & Technical Education (CTE) skills in high school. CCCS approves all CTE programs in the state that receive Federal Perkins dollars, ensuring alignment between workforce and education systems with industry demand.
- CCCS will seek to leverage opportunities from the “1215 Taskforce recommendations” and the “1241 accountability report” to mitigate issues such as:
- Covering the costs for CE/CTE course materials.
- Ensuring districts honor all learners by not “capping” the number of CE courses offered or limiting access for participation.
- Adding “College and Career Readiness Before Graduation” as a postsecondary workforce readiness (PWR) sub-indicator in the K-12 accountability frameworks.
- Sustain zero-cost programs (Care Forward and Career Advance). Through reporting mechanisms, CCCS will showcase the positive impact and on-going need to extend or expand the state’s “free community college” programs for in-demand workforce areas, as identified by the Colorado Talent Pipeline Report.
- Startup costs support to meet industry demand. CCCS is strategically planning to create two Centers of Excellence for aerospace and construction management to foster strong industry/education partnerships focused on meeting current and future workforce needs. However, there are large upfront costs in terms of equipment, program development, and personnel. With front-end investments, these future programs have the potential to sustain themselves through strong industry partnerships and student enrollments.
- Non-credit, industry-recognized credential programs. Demand for industry recognized credentials, that help folks get jobs now versus in two to four years, is rising but resources are needed to provide these programs (because there is no credit going toward a college degree and, in Colorado, these programs are not recognized in the higher education allocation formula). There are many noncredit courses and programs. CCCS will seek resource support to build this program type. This effort also aligns with Commission on Higher Education’s state strategic goals.
Rural institutions are some of the state’s oldest colleges and they are facing an existential crisis. The industries that once drove small town economies are rapidly changing and, as a result, jobs are harder to find, and populations are shrinking and aging. Our small, rural colleges provide education and training, but they are also resources for their communities in diversifying and growing rural economies. Our colleges serve not only as educators, but as conveners and as thought partners and resource generators. We can and must work to secure funding for these colleges.
When rural community colleges were created 70-100 years ago, they were done so with a large state and community investment to buy the land, build the buildings, develop programs, etc. These colleges are small and do not generate sufficient enrollment to produce the revenue needed to maintain on-campus housing, high-cost CTE programs, and basic operations (roofs, boilers, technology, programs to meet local workforce needs, etc.). Additional resources, outside the higher education funding allocation, are needed to help with basic operations to ensure rural community colleges exist in the future.
Our Legislative Priorities
View our Legislative Priorities document (PDF)
CCCS’s legislative priorities are aimed at the following strategic goals:
- Increase funding to support base operating expenses
- Support student success and increase access
- Expand workforce and apprenticeship opportunities
Advocating for Increased State Support Amid Budget Constraints
CCCS is navigating a challenging fiscal landscape this year, where state funding recommendations fall significantly short of meeting projected operating costs. Despite a modest increase of $2.3 million in state appropriations proposed for FY 2025-26 (a mere 0.8% increase from the previous year), this funding—combined with a recommended tuition cap of 2.3%—covers less than half of our anticipated operating cost growth.
This reality underscores the critical need for robust advocacy to secure additional state funding. CCCS is focused on ensuring our institutions can continue delivering high-quality education and services that meet the needs of students, communities, and industries.
Building the Future: Expanding Workforce-Ready Facilities and Technology
Our budget priorities also reflect the importance of investing in state-of-the-art facilities and technology, with requests for controlled maintenance, capital construction, and IT projects aimed at expanding access to workforce-ready education. Many of these projects focus on creating versatile, cross-disciplinary learning environments that integrate workforce-aligned disciplines, ensuring that students are prepared for Colorado’s evolving economic needs.
These investments are crucial to addressing pressing infrastructure needs, enhancing student learning experiences, and meeting workforce demands across the state.
Capital Construction Projects
| College | Capital Construction Project | CCF Request |
|---|---|---|
| Arapahoe Community College | Health Programs Integration, Phase II | $37.2M |
| Red Rocks Community College | Health Sciences, EMS and Fire Science Building | $29.8M |
| Pikes Peak State College | First Responder Emergency Education Complex, Phase II | $26.5M |
| Colorado Northwestern Community College | Weiss & Hefley Renovation | $8.6M |
| Community College of Aurora | Classroom Building 3rd Floor Renovation | $6.3M |
| Lamar Community College | Maintenance Building Expansion | $1.7M |
Capital Information Technology Projects
| College | Capital IT Project | CCF Request |
|---|---|---|
| Community College of Aurora | Campus Technology Modernization | $1.8M |
| Red Rocks Community College | Safety and Security | $1.7M |
| Colorado Northwestern Community College | South Campus Redundancy Upgrade | $571k |
| Northeastern Junior College | Camera Upgrade | $548k |
| Otero College | Campus Security and Device Upgrades | $425k |
*The tables above summarize capital projects for state-funded or partially state-funded requests by college. CCF means Capital Construction Fund (the state-funded portion).