(1) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires, state institution of higher education or institution has the same meaning as provided in section 23-18-102 (10); except that state institution of higher education or institution includes each local district college that is part of a local college district organized pursuant to article 71 of this title 23 and the area technical colleges, as defined in section 23-60-103.
(2) On or before January 1, 2018, each governing board of a state institution of higher education shall adopt, make public, and implement a prior learning assessment policy for awarding academic credit for college-level learning acquired while in the military. The policy adopted by the governing board must require each campus of the institution to:
(a) Use the American Council on Education's recommendations on the joint services transcript, among other factors, to evaluate college-level learning acquired by a student while in the military and, at the discretion of the campus, assign appropriate prior learning assessment credit;
(b) Provide specific guidance to active duty and veteran military members in selecting a program of study and in optimizing the use of prior learning assessment credit to accelerate the student's path to degree or certificate completion in the chosen program of study; and
(c) Beginning June 1, 2018, accept in transfer from within the institution and from other state institutions of higher education prior learning assessment credit awarded for courses with guaranteed-transfer designation, unless the Colorado commission on higher education adopts a new policy prior to June 1, 2018, concerning the transfer of prior learning assessment credit for courses with guaranteed-transfer designation that requires each campus to accept in transfer credit awarded by a state institution of higher education pursuant to the provisions of subsection (2)(a) of this section. Each campus may also accept other prior learning assessment credit toward the student's program of study if the credit meets standards established by the campus.
(3) The state institution of higher education shall grant prior learning assessment credit free of tuition but may charge a reasonable fee for the prior learning assessment.
(4) Repealed.
Source: L. 2017: Entire section added, (HB 17-1004), ch. 274, p. 1510, � 2, effective June 1.
Editor's note: Subsection (4)(b) provided for the repeal of subsection (4), effective July 1, 2019. (See L. 2017, p. 1510.)
Cross references: For the legislative declaration in HB 17-1004, see section 1 of chapter 274, Session Laws of Colorado 2017.
23-5-145.5. Credit for work-related experience - plan - report - definitions - repeal. (1) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
(a) Commission on higher education or commission has the same meaning set forth in section 23-1-101.1 (1).
(b) Council means the council created and existing pursuant to section 23-1-108.5, convened by the commission on higher education.
(c) Guaranteed-transfer pathways or GT pathways means the statewide articulation matrix system of common course numbering for general education courses described in section 23-1-108.5 (3)(c).
(d) State institution of higher education or institution has the same meaning set forth in section 23-1-135 (2).
(e) Statewide degree transfer agreement means a statewide degree transfer agreement described in section 23-1-108 (7).
(f) Work-related experience means any experience acquired within the past ten years through paid or unpaid employment, including but not limited to self-employment, an internship, a residency, a pre-apprenticeship program, or an apprenticeship program that may lead to or result in a business credential, an industry credential, a technical certificate, or a professional license.
(2) (a) The department of higher education, in consultation with institutions, shall conduct a study concerning awarding academic credit for prior learning opportunities within all institutions. The study must examine:
(I) The processes by which a student can receive academic credit for any course in the undergraduate curriculum, free of tuition, through successful completion of a portfolio assessment, individual assessment, examination, or any combination thereof that is appropriate to the learning outcomes of the course;
(II) The potential benefits to a student, including but not limited to impact on a student's overall attendance cost, whether a policy would accelerate the time to complete a postsecondary credential, and the impact on the state's goal to increase credential attainment rates; and
(III) The costs to institutions to develop and maintain processes to grant academic credit to a student for prior learning and the ability to recover administrative costs from students requesting the prior learning assessment.
(b) On or before September 1, 2021, the commission shall report to the education committees of the senate and house of representatives, or any successor committees, the results of the study described in subsection (2)(a) of this section.
(3) (a) On or before January 1, 2022, the council, in collaboration with the commission, shall create, adopt, and implement a plan, referred to in this section as the plan, to award postsecondary academic credit for courses in GT pathways or a statewide degree transfer agreement for learning demonstrated from work-related experience. In creating the plan, priority may be given to work-related experience that is responsive to workforce demands and growing industries identified by the most recent Colorado talent pipeline report prepared pursuant to section 24-46.3-103 or identified in consultation with the state work force development council in section 24-46.3-101.
(b) The council, commission, or department of higher education, or any combination thereof, may seek, accept, and expend gifts, grants, or donations from private or public sources for the purposes of creating, adopting, and implementing a plan pursuant to this section. The plan shall not be created, adopted, or implemented unless sufficient money is available from gifts, grants, or donations to cover the costs of creating, adopting, and implementing a plan pursuant to this section.
(4) The plan must include:
(a) A process for assessing and aligning work-related experience to the knowledge and competencies required for awarding postsecondary academic credit for courses in GT pathways or a statewide degree transfer agreement, which credit granted must be transferable to another institution pursuant to commission policy regarding GT pathways or a statewide degree transfer agreement; and
(b) A process for evaluating credentials earned by a student at an area technical college pursuant to section 23-60-802 and determining how postsecondary academic credit will transfer from area technical colleges, if appropriate, to public two-year and four-year state institutions of higher education.
(5) The council, in creating the plan, shall consult with:
(a) Representatives of institutions, including, but not limited to, faculty members and registrars;
(b) Representatives of organizations that represent students in Colorado;
(c) Representatives of the Colorado work force development council;
(d) Representatives of industries with high workforce demand and growing industries identified in the most recent Colorado talent pipeline report and organizations representing them; and
(e) Representatives selected by the commission.
(6) Upon completion of the plan, the council, in collaboration with the representatives described in subsection (5) of this section, shall continue to work toward expanding opportunities for awarding postsecondary academic credit for learning acquired from work-related experience not otherwise addressed in this section.
(7) Beginning in the 2022-23 academic year, unless the plan is implemented prior to the beginning of the 2022-23 academic year, an institution shall accept in and transfer within the institution and to other institutions postsecondary academic credit awarded for work-related experience for a course that is GT pathways designated or part of a statewide degree transfer agreement.
(8) Repealed.
(9) (a) On or before March 1, 2024, and on or before March 1 of each year thereafter, the council shall report to the education committees of the senate and house of representatives, or any successor committees, regarding the continued implementation of this section. The report must include, at a minimum:
(I) The number of students who were awarded credits and who transferred credits to or from an institution pursuant to this section;
(II) Data regarding the age and demographics of students who were awarded credits and who transferred credits to or from an institution pursuant to this section;
(III) The implementation challenges of this section;
(IV) The fee established and charged by institutions, if any, to administer a portfolio assessment, individual assessment, examination, or any combination thereof;
(V) The direct costs imposed on institutions to implement this section; and
(VI) Any recommended statutory revisions to this section.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 24-1-136 (11)(a)(I), the reporting requirement pursuant to this subsection (9) continues until the repeal of this subsection (9).
(c) This subsection (9) is repealed, effective July 1, 2029.
Source: L. 2020: Entire section added, (HB 20-1002), ch. 255, p. 1241, � 2, effective July 8. L. 2024: (3)(a) amended, (HB 24-1450), ch. 490, p. 3416, � 44, effective August 7.
Editor's note: Subsection (8)(b) provided for the repeal of subsection (8), effective July 1, 2022. (See L. 2020, p. 1241.)
Cross references: For the legislative declaration in HB 20-1002, see section 1 of chapter 255, Session Laws of Colorado 2020.
23-5-145.6. Opportunities for credential attainment - fund - report - definitions - repeal. (1) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
(a) Apprenticeship certificate means verification of completion of an apprenticeship program. Apprenticeship certificates are applicable to industry trades and professions.
(b) Colorado talent report means the report prepared pursuant to section 24-46.3-103.
(c) Commission on higher education or commission has the same meaning as set forth in section 23-1-101.1 (1).
(d) Department means the department of higher education created and existing pursuant to section 24-1-114.
(e) Guaranteed-transfer pathways or GT pathways means the statewide articulation matrix system of common course numbering for general education courses described in section 23-1-108.5 (3)(c).
(f) Industry certification means a credential awarded by an industry-recognized third-party or industry-governing board based on an individual demonstrating by assessment that the individual has acquired the designated knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform a specific occupation or skill. Industry certifications may be time-limited dependent upon the occupation or industry.
(g) Nondegree credential means a postsecondary certificate, apprenticeship certificate, professional license, or industry certification.
(h) Postsecondary certificate means a credential awarded by an institution of higher education at an undergraduate level based on completion of all requirements for a program of study, including course work and exams. Postsecondary certificates are not time-limited and do not require renewal. Postsecondary certificate does not include a degree and does not include a credential awarded by an institution of higher education after completion of a bachelor's degree in the same pathway.
(i) Stackable credential pathway means a sequence of credentials earned through various means, including through assessment of prior learning, that may be accumulated over time and move an individual along a career pathway or up a career ladder.
(j) State institution of higher education or institution has the same meaning as set forth in section 23-1-135 (2).
(k) Statewide degree transfer agreement means a statewide degree transfer agreement described in section 23-1-108 (7).
(2) By June 15, 2023, the department, in consultation with institutions and at least one business organization or representative of industry, shall develop and implement a process that encourages institutions to identify incremental achievements on the path to degree completion and organize stackable credentials that build upon each other toward degrees and may articulate to pathways in high-demand industries. The department and institutions shall collaborate to identify how credentials may be evaluated for their component skills, competencies, and learning outcomes, and then may become stacked into a stackable credential pathway to provide increased access to employment and may result in a degree. As a part of the process, the department and institutions shall:
(a) Evaluate the quality of nondegree credentials that are currently available that lead to in-demand living wage jobs identified in the most recent Colorado talent report and respond to critical job shortages in Colorado. The department, in collaboration with institutions, shall evaluate the quality of nondegree credentials using the framework and process created in this subsection (2) and informed by one or more quality standards frameworks developed by national organizations.
(b) (I) Identify where alignment currently exists along a degree pathway between nondegree and degree credentials and work-based learning and apprenticeships; and
(II) Identify opportunities to develop where further alignment may be created between nondegree and degree credentials and work-based learning and apprenticeships; and
(c) Articulate where the various alignments identified in subsection (1)(b) of this section may incorporate into stackable credential pathways that may lead to a degree and opportunities for credits to be transferred in order for persons to be able to attain nondegree or degree credentials that lead to in-demand or living wage jobs.
(3) By January 1, 2024, the department, in consultation with the representatives described in section 23-5-145.5 (5), shall facilitate the creation of stackable credential pathways for at least three growing industries identified by the most recent Colorado talent report. By January 1, 2025, the department, in consultation with the representatives described in section 23-5-145.5 (5), shall facilitate the creation of stackable credential pathways for at least two additional growing industries identified by the most recent Colorado talent report. The department shall facilitate the creation of at least two stackable credential pathways for each industry. The stackable credential pathways must include:
(a) A competency framework that articulates the knowledge, skills, learning outcomes, nondegree credentials, and degrees associated with the pathway and identifies the career and professional development opportunities associated with the pathway;
(b) [Editor's note: This version of subsection (3)(b) is effective until July 1, 2026.] An inventory of credentials that are a part of the pathway, offered by accredited and nonaccredited providers, including training and industry credential providers, high schools, programs recognized by the career development success program pursuant to section 22-54-138, postsecondary institutions, and nonprofit organizations;
(b) [Editor's note: This version of subsection (3)(b) is effective July 1, 2026.] An inventory of credentials that are a part of the pathway, offered by accredited and nonaccredited providers, including training and industry credential providers, high schools, and nonprofit organizations;
(c) Credentials that are a part of the pathway evaluated pursuant to section 23-5-145.5 (3), including credit awarded for courses in GT pathways or a statewide degree transfer agreement; and
(d) Credits that are awarded for other courses with a career and technical education focus in a postsecondary degree, noncredit program, or industry certification program.
(4) The stackable credential pathways must be approved by the commission, in consultation with the Colorado work force development council.
(4.5) The stackable credential pathways must meet the quality standards required pursuant to section 23-5-145.8 (2)(c).
(5) (a) The credentials to support the Colorado jobs cash fund, referred to in this section as the fund, is created in the state treasury. The fund consists of money credited to the fund pursuant to subsection (5)(b) of this section and any other money that the general assembly appropriates or transfers to the fund.
(b) For the 2022-23 state fiscal year, the general assembly shall appropriate one million dollars to the department from the workers, employers, and workforce centers cash fund created in section 24-75-231. The department shall use this appropriation for the purposes described in this section.
(c) The state treasurer shall credit all interest and income derived from the deposit and investment of money in the fund to the fund.
(d) Subject to annual appropriation by the general assembly, the department may expend money from the fund for the purposes described in this section.
(6) On or before December 29, 2023, and on or before December 31, 2025, the department of higher education shall submit a report to the education committees of the senate and house of representatives, or any successor committees, regarding the implementation of this section. The report must include data collected by institutions to measure the total number of credits, credentials, certificates, and professional licenses earned in each pathway at each institution, as practicable. The report must include the data for the state as a whole and for each institution, in total and disaggregated by race, ethnicity, and gender.
(7) (a) Nothing in this section supersedes or replaces the curriculum or program standards of a construction industry registered apprenticeship program that is registered and approved by the United States department of labor or the state apprenticeship agency.
(b) Nothing in this section supersedes or replaces any statutory or regulatory training requirement for a professional license or credential regulated by the department of regulatory agencies.
(8) This section is repealed, effective July 1, 2026.
Source: L. 2022: Entire section added, (SB 22-192), ch. 227, p. 1681, � 2, effective May 26. L. 2024: (4.5) added, (SB 24-143), ch. 162, p. 768, � 5, effective August 7. L. 2025: (3)(b) amended, (SB 25-315), ch. 237, p. 1198, � 19, effective July 1, 2026.
Cross references: For the legislative declaration in SB 22-192, see section 1 of chapter 227, Session Laws of Colorado 2022. For the legislative declaration in SB 24-143, see section 1 of chapter 162, Session Laws of Colorado 2024.
23-5-145.7. Funding for nondegree credential programs - duty - policy - appropriation - report - definitions - repeal. (Repealed)
Source: L. 2022: Entire section added, (SB 22-192), ch. 227, p. 1684, � 3, effective May 26.
Editor's note: Subsection (7) provided for the repeal of this section, effective July 1, 2024. (See L. 2022, p. 1684.)
Cross references: For the legislative declaration in SB 22-192, see section 1 of chapter 227, Session Laws of Colorado 2022.