SB 17-174: National Guard Tuition Assistance

• Colorado Commission on Higher Education must allocate no more than $800,000 annually from the financial assistance program for tuition assistance to National Guard members under section 23-5-111.4.

• Eligible institutions include all public universities, community colleges, technical colleges, and private institutions in Colorado that offer accredited certificate or degree programs in homeland security.

• For National Guard members at private institutions, tuition assistance is limited to homeland security programs and provided at the discretion of the adjutant general of the department of military and veterans affairs.

• The Colorado National Guard tuition fund is continuously appropriated for tuition payments, with unexpended funds retained in the fund rather than reverting to the general fund of the state.

• Updates statutory language to use consistent terminology ("money" instead of "moneys") and clarifies that the fund consists of appropriated funds and repayments of tuition assistance.