JANUARY 27, 2005

College Opportunity Fund Will Provide Tuition Vouchers for Colorado Undergraduate Students

Grand Junction, CO -As part of a state-wide initiative to boost higher education participation, Mesa State College is encouraging all current and future in-state undergraduate students to sign up for a College Opportunity Fund voucher.

"The College Opportunity Fund will provide vouchers to every in-state undergraduate and college-bound student," said Tim Foster, president of Mesa State College. "It's Colorado's way of showing its citizens that the state cares about their educational future enough to specifically set aside money in each of their names."

In addition, the voucher program is designed to increase public awareness that the state helps offset the full cost of undergraduate tuition at public colleges and universities. To be fully implemented in fall 2005, the College Opportunity Fund allows individuals to sign up for a voucher through the College Access Network web site, https://cof.college-access.net/cof/. The application only has to be completed once in an individual's lifetime.

The voucher, estimated to be $80 per credit hour for the 2005-2006 academic year, will not decrease the student's share of tuition. Instead, it is intended to replace the per-student subsidy that Colorado has previously paid to its public colleges and universities. However, students who do not sign up for the voucher will be responsible for paying both their share of tuition and the portion the voucher would have covered. The actual amount of the voucher will be determined on an annual basis by the Colorado Legislature.

"It's important that students take advantage of the voucher program and that they understand that they must sign up for it or they will pay the full cost of their tuition," said Foster. "It's a quick and easy process and everyone who meets Colorado's residency requirements, regardless of age, income or financial aid status, is eligible."

The vouchers can be applied to up to 145 undergraduate credit hours, which is more than is required to complete a bachelor's degree at Mesa State College and most other public institutions. The Colorado Commission on Higher Education will track each student's hours over all Colorado institutions. CCHE will also estimate the number of eligible hours remaining for students who were enrolled before the 2005 fall semester. Graduate, advanced placement, remedial and continuing education courses will not be covered by the voucher program.

While the vouchers will be specifically designated for individual students, checks will not be sent directly to the students. Instead, voucher funds will be directed in each student's name to the public higher education institution he or she chooses to attend.

In addition to raising awareness of how the state funds public higher education, the College Opportunity Fund will also help public higher education institutions attain enterprise status. This will provide colleges and universities, which have weathered significant state funding cuts in recent years, with some freedom from the tuition restrictions of the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights. In exchange for enterprise status, Mesa State College and other public institutions are being required to enter into performance contracts with the Colorado Commission on Higher Education. These contracts are intended to provide institutional accountability in exchange for state financial support and increased administrative flexibility.

A list of frequently asked questions about the College Opportunity Fund is available on the Mesa State College web site, www.mesastate.edu/opportunity/index.htm, or through the College Access Network, https://cof.college-access.net/cofapp/FAQs.jsp.

Individuals can sign up for a Colorado Opportunity Fund voucher at www.collegeincolorado.com.

For more information, contact the Publicity Coordinator at 970.248.1371.

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