Career and technical education certificate programs - tuition assistance - funding - definitions

(1) (a) The commission shall establish a tuition assistance program for students enrolled in qualifying career and technical education certificate programs. Subject to available appropriations, the commission shall allocate money to community colleges, Colorado Mesa university, area technical colleges, and local district colleges to provide tuition assistance for students who are enrolled in qualifying career and technical education certificate programs and meet the income eligibility requirements established in guidelines adopted by the commission. The department of higher education and the institutions that receive tuition assistance money pursuant to this section shall administer the program in accordance with policies and procedures that the commission establishes. (b) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires: (I) "Qualifying career and technical education certificate program" means a career and technical education certificate program that does not meet the minimum credit hour requirements for the federal Pell grant program. (II) "Tuition assistance" means money that a student may use to pay for tuition, fees, and course materials. (2) The general assembly may appropriate annually an amount for support of the program established pursuant to this section.