HB 24-1393 Summary

• Adds new eligibility requirements for ASCENT program participants: students must complete and submit either a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or Colorado Application for State Financial Aid (CASFA) to be designated by their local education provider.

• Limits growth of ASCENT program participation by freezing the number of participants each school district can designate beginning in the 2025-26 fiscal year at the 2024-25 level.

• Freezes extended high school funding for ASCENT participants at 2023-24 budget year levels starting in 2024-25, preventing increases in per-pupil funding for this cohort while other extended high school funding continues to increase.

• Requires the Department of Education to submit a report by December 1, 2024, analyzing ASCENT program expenditures including tuition, fees, textbooks, transportation, counseling, and overhead costs.

• Decreases extended high school appropriations by $1,081,762 and appropriates $45,600 to the Department of Education for fiscal year 2024-25 to conduct an ASCENT program study.