Section 23-3.3-1001 - Legislative declaration - repeal(1) The general assembly hereby declares that the Colorado opportunity scholarship initiative created in this part 10 is intended to:(a) Award scholarships or grants based upon a rigor-based method that emphasizes student commitment to academic achievement and successful placement in the workforce and ensuring that participating students and institutions be held accountable through measurable outcomes; and(b) Develop the connections and community partnerships necessary to ensure that every Colorado student has the support needed to enter a postsecondary opportunity, persist and succeed, and enter his or her desired position in the workforce.(2) It is the intent of the general assembly to match nonprofit and private financial contributions to the Colorado opportunity scholarship initiative with annual contributions from the general fund so that a sustainable corpus is created to fund scholarship awards in future years. Whenever practicable, the annual match should be in an amount that is significant enough to attract continued investment by community partners.(3)(a) The general assembly further declares that:(I) The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant disruption to the lives of students and their families, the operations of the public institutions of higher education in Colorado, and the state's workforce and economy;(II) While the pandemic has affected the entire state, it has disproportionately impacted low-income families and communities of color, exacerbating systemic economic inequities;(III) The crisis has had a disproportionate impact on front-line workers, those who earn low wages, and those who lack a postsecondary credential or degree; and(IV) An equitable economic recovery from the pandemic depends on having robust pathways for workers to obtain new skills, earn higher wages, and be prepared for the in-demand careers of the future.(b) The general assembly therefore finds that it is an appropriate, necessary, and lawful use of the money received through the federal "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021", Pub.L. 117-2, to appropriate a portion of said money to the Colorado opportunity scholarship initiative to address the significant decline in enrollment in the public institutions of higher education, high rates of job loss, and continuing unemployment and the overall disruption to the workforce caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has resulted in significant economic harm to individuals and businesses, by quickly and effectively providing support for students to return to the public institutions of higher education to complete their postsecondary credentials and help to rebuild and revitalize the workforce of Colorado and by assisting students to complete the free application for federal student aid and the Colorado application for state financial aid.(c) It is the intent of the general assembly that institutions use the allocations distributed pursuant to section 23-3.3-1006 to provide direct and indirect support to students to re-enroll and complete postsecondary credentials. It is further the general assembly's intent that the institutions provide this direct and indirect student support through programs that incentivize students to return and complete degree and credential programs, assist students in navigating their options for how to return and complete degrees and credentials efficiently, address equity gaps in higher education and the workforce, provide training for industry-recognized certificates and skill development for traditional and non-traditional students and members of the workforce, support workforce development for significantly impacted job sectors, and support and improve overall student success in completing postsecondary credentials and entering the workforce.(d) This subsection (3) is repealed, effective July 1, 2026.Amended by 2021 Ch. 377, § 2, eff. 6/29/2021.Added by 2014 Ch. 347, § 1, eff. 8/6/2014.L. 2014: Entire part added, (HB 14-1384), ch. 1554, p. 1554, § 1, effective August 6. L. 2021: (3) added, (HB 21-1330), ch. 2493, p. 2493, § 2, effective June 29. For the legislative declaration in HB 21-1330, see section 1 of chapter 377, Session Laws of Colorado 2021.