Section 22-7-1015.5 - Postsecondary, workforce, career, and education grant program - created - application - criteria - awards - appropriation - repeal(1) There is created in the department of education, referred to in this section as the "department", the postsecondary, workforce, career, and education grant program, referred to in this section as the "grant program", to award grants to local education providers to improve the postsecondary options available to students and to increase the number of students completing the free application for federal student aid, referred to in this section as "FAFSA", and the Colorado application for state financial aid, referred to in this section as "CASFA". Each grant has a term of three years beginning in the 2022-23 state fiscal year. In making a grant award, the department shall specify the amount of each grant.(2) The department shall distribute the grant money to the local education providers that receive a grant for the following purposes:(a) Developing and distributing information to students, families, and school leaders regarding the FAFSA and applications for state student aid, and the benefits of completing the FAFSA and applications for state student aid;(b) Developing and distributing information to students and families regarding the steps required to complete the FAFSA and applications for state student aid;(c) Training school counselors and other educators on best practices to support students and families with filling out the FAFSA and applications for state student aid, with an emphasis on supporting communities that have historically low completion rates of the FAFSA and applications for state student aid;(d) Organizing and hosting opportunities for students and families to meet with stakeholders who assist in completing the FAFSA or applications for state student aid;(e) Incorporating completion of applications for federal student aid and applications for state student aid into individual career and academic plans pursuant to sections 22-32-109 and 22-30.5-525;(f) Collaborating with the department of higher education's efforts pursuant to section 23-3.3-1007 to support local education providers in exploring postsecondary options under the individual career and academic plans pursuant to sections 22-32-109 and 22-30.5-525; and(g) Collaborating or partnering with nonprofit organizations to support local education providers and students with education and completion of student applications for federal student aid and applications for state student aid.(3) A local education provider seeking a grant must submit an application to the department. The department shall review each grant application received and determine whether and in what amount a grant should be awarded to the local education provider. If the department determines an application is missing any information required by rule to be included with the application, the department may contact the local education provider to obtain the missing information.(4) At a minimum, each grant application must specify:(a) The current programs related to college and career readiness developed pursuant to section 22-7-1015 and individual career and academic plans pursuant to sections 22-32-109 and 22-30.5-525 that the local education provider uses;(b) Whether the local education provider has entered into, or has committed to establishing, one or more partnerships with institutions of higher education or postsecondary service providers in Colorado to support and increase the capacity and effectiveness of career counseling and postsecondary preparation services provided to students enrolled in or receiving educational services from the education provider;(c) The local education provider's plan for use of the grant money, including the extent to which the grant money will be used to increase the number of students who complete federal and state financial aid applications at the local education provider's high schools served by the grant and to provide professional development for school counselors and other educators on work-based learning, completion of federal and state financial aid applications, and integration of all postsecondary options into the individual career and academic plans for students;(d) The local education provider's plan for involving educators and administrators at the local education provider's schools providing postsecondary preparation supports;(e) The extent to which the local education provider has developed or plans to develop partnerships to serve the postsecondary needs of all of the students enrolled in or receiving educational services from the local education provider;(f) The local education provider's use of district-level or school-level existing and potential programming for postsecondary and workforce readiness, as defined in section 22-7-1008;(g) Whether the local education provider intends to provide matching funds to augment any grant money received from the program and the anticipated amount and source of any matching funds; and(h) Whether the local education provider needs to update the individual career and academic plan process to accommodate requirements pursuant to section 22-2-136 (1), including financial aid form information, or financial literacy curriculum pursuant to section 22-2-127.(5) In reviewing applications, the department may consider the following criteria, in addition to any other criteria adopted by rule of the state board: (a) High schools with low postsecondary credential attainment rates;(b) The local education provider's high schools with low federal and state financial aid application completion rates; and(c) The geographic location of the local education provider. The department may prioritize awarding grants to rural areas of the state and provide technical assistance to rural local education providers requesting support.(6)(a) Subject to available appropriations, the department shall award grants to local education providers pursuant to this section. Each grant has a term of three years beginning in the 2022-23 budget year. In making a grant award, the department shall specify the amount of each grant.(b) A local education provider that receives a grant shall use the money for the following purposes: (I) Developing and distributing to students, families, and educators information about and steps to complete the federal and state financial aid applications;(II) Training school counselors and other educators on best practices to support students and families with filling out federal and state financial aid applications with an emphasis on supporting communities that have historically low completion rates of federal and state financial aid applications;(III) Organizing and hosting opportunities for students and families to meet with stakeholders who assist in completing the FAFSA or applications for state student aid; and(IV) Updating the local education provider's individual career and academic plan process with financial aid information and completion of the application forms.(7) The department may expend no more than ten percent of the money annually appropriated for the program to offset the costs incurred in implementing the program, including the provision of technical assistance to rural local education providers, grant-related professional development, training, and reporting activities.(8) On or before September 1, 2023, and on or before September 1 each year thereafter for the length of the grant, each local education provider receiving grant money pursuant to this section shall report the following information to the department:(a) A comparison of the dropout rates, and the college matriculation and remediation rates, if applicable, at the high schools served by the grant for the years prior to receipt of the grant and the years for which the local education provider receives the grant; and(b) A comparison of the number of students who completed federal and state financial aid applications for the year prior to which the local education provider received the grant, if available, and the number of students who completed federal and state financial aid applications for each of the three years the education provider receives the grant.(9) Notwithstanding section 24-1-136 (11)(a)(I), on or before October 15, 2023, and on or before October 15 each year thereafter for the length of the grant, the department shall submit to the education committees of the senate and the house of representatives, or any successor committees, a report that, at a minimum, summarizes the information received by the department pursuant to subsection (8) of this section and that the department receives from the department of higher education pursuant to section 23-1-113 (9). The department shall also post the report to its website.(10) For the 2022-23 state fiscal year, the general assembly shall appropriate to the department one million one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars from the general fund for the grant program pursuant to this section. Any unexpended money remaining at the end of the 2022-23 state fiscal year from this appropriation: (a) Does not revert to the general fund or any other fund;(b) May be used by the department in the 2023-24 or 2024-25 state fiscal year without further appropriation; and(c) Must not be used for any other purpose other than the purposes set forth in this section.(11) This section is repealed, effective September 1, 2027.Added by 2022 Ch. 244, § 2, eff. 5/26/2022.