Low-income

SB 07-059 represents a net opportunity gain for Colorado. It will make it more affordable for low-income students to participate in the school breakfast program. Research has consistently found that students who participate in the program have more nutritious diets, do better academically and have fewer behavioral problems. Initial data shows that eliminating the co-pay for reduced price breakfasts has proven effective at expanding access to school breakfasts in Washington state.

HB 07-1271 represents a net opportunity gain for Colorado. Adult education and family literacy programs can often be the starting point for many low-income individuals and families trying to get ahead.

Colorado should work with federal, local and private partners, and it should greatly increase its own investment so Colorado???s housing trust fund can provide a level of assistance that will truly make a difference for low and moderate-income families seeking affordable housing. Ultimately, the state government and its partners should collectively provide at least $25 million annually to the fund.

This brief examines overall college enrollment in Colorado and the United States, and shows the disadvantages low-income and minority students face in going to college.

This white paper is the third in a seven-part series that uses state and national data to evaluate Colorado???s performance in educating young adults, and to identify promising remedies for improvement. It also compares the graduation rates for public, private nonprofit and private for profit colleges, and the range of degrees that Colorado students earn.

This brief uses state and national statistics from the federal Pell Grant program to determine how many low-income students are attending college, and at which institutions.

Articles: Leg. Works to Restore Medicaid Prenatal Care, Closing Achievement Gap Commission Releases Interim Report, ACE Cites Best Ways to Improve College Access for Low-Income, Minority Students, Bell Urges CCHE to do More to Improve College Access in CO, The State of CO's Working Poor Families

The Montrose Daily Press reports on the effects of Amendment 42, which increased the minimum wage state-wide and indexed it to inflation, in the Montrose area.

HB 06-1024 represents a net opportunity gain for Colorado. It establishes an accountability mechanism within the state's higher education performance contracts that specifically addresses institutional commitment to, and support for, retention and success of low income and minority students.

DENVER ??? A new study by The Bell Policy Center has found that more than 150,000 active duty members of the armed forces, including an estimated 3,640 in Colorado, are eligible for tax relief through the Earned Income Tax Credit program.