Tuition

Sales and Use Tax Holiday for Textbooks for Use
at an Institution of Higher Education

HB13-1151

Testimony to the House Finance Committee
George Awuor, Policy Analyst
Feb. 14, 2013

Senate Bill 12-015

Oral Testimony to the House Education Committee
Frank Waterous, Senior Policy Analyst
April 23, 2012

My name is Frank Waterous, and I am a senior policy analyst with the Bell Policy Center. The Bell is a nonpartisan, nonprofit research and policy organization founded on progressive values and dedicated to expanding opportunity for all Coloradans.

The Colorado General Assembly will take up the state's budget this week. The so-called Long Bill (HB 1335) started in the House on Monday and is expected to move to the Senate by the end of the week.

The legislature's Joint Budget Committee (JBC) on Monday approved its proposed budget for higher education for the coming fiscal year. The JBC recommends cutting total General Fund appropriations for higher education by $29 million over the current level. This represents a 4.6 percent cut and is $142 million below the appropriation for FY 2007-08 ­– the year before the Great Recession hit Colorado. To make up for the cut in state support, students and their families will have to pay more in tuition and fees.

On a cold, snowy day in Denver, we're glad to see attention focused on the "hot topics" of escalating college costs and student loan debt. We've long pointed out that the rising costs of post-secondary education and the amount of debt incurred by many students represent daunting obstacles to opportunity for low- and middle-income Coloradans.

Two annual reports released by the College Board – and a plan by President Obama unveiled during his speech in Denver – address these important issues.

Three bills we think are important for Colorado's future went the wrong way in the legislature this week, one because it failed and two others because they passed.

Senate Bill 126 would have offered college tuition at an unsubsidized, in-state rate to qualifying Colorado high school graduates who are not documented citizens. We believe in education for all Coloradans, and we believe the bill was good education policy, good workforce development policy and good economic development policy.

Senate Bill 11-126
Testimony to the House Education Committee
Frank Waterous, Senior Policy Analyst
April 25, 2011

My name is Frank Waterous, and I am a senior policy analyst with The Bell Policy Center. The Bell is a nonpartisan, nonprofit research and policy organization dedicated to expanding opportunity for all Coloradans.

Senate Bill 11-126
Testimony to the Senate Finance Committee
Rich Jones, Director of Policy and Research
Feb. 22, 2011

My name is Rich Jones, and I am the Director of Policy and Research with The Bell Policy Center. The Bell is a non-partisan, non-profit research and policy organization dedicated to expanding opportunity for all Coloradans.

The Bell testified in favor of Senate Bill 126 before the Senate Education Committee today. The bill would allow qualified undocumented high school graduates to pay unsubsidized in-state tuition to attend state colleges and universities. Here is our testimony:

My name is Frank Waterous, and I am a senior policy analyst with The Bell Policy Center. The Bell is a nonpartisan, nonprofit research and policy organization dedicated to expanding opportunity for all Coloradans.

Senate Bill 11-126
Testimony to the Senate Education Committee
Frank Waterous, Senior Policy Analyst
February 17, 2011

My name is Frank Waterous, and I am a senior policy analyst with The Bell Policy Center. The Bell is a nonpartisan, nonprofit research and policy organization dedicated to expanding opportunity for all Coloradans.