Private university students in Colorado could see reduced state financial aid under newly passed legislation

Colorado bill raises aid concerns

Colorado lawmakers passed House Bill 1345, which could remove state need-based financial aid and work-study funding for students attending private colleges and universities during the fiscal year 2026-27 in Colorado.

Supporters called the change a difficult budget decision meant to protect public higher education, while critics warned it would cut support from low-income students at private institutions.

Bill clears final legislative votes

House Bill 1345 cleared its final legislative votes after the Colorado House approved Senate amendments, moving the higher education funding measure through the legislature in May 2026.

The House voted 51-13 to repass the bill after a separate 43-21 vote to concur with Senate changes affecting higher education funding rules for Colorado students directly.

Amendment changed the stakes

The base bill changes Colorado’s funding model for public colleges and universities, but the added amendment created a sharper dispute over student financial aid access for private institutions.

The amendment would bar the Colorado Commission on Higher Education from allocating state financial aid money to private, nonpublic, or proprietary institutions during fiscal 2026-27 budget planning.

Thousands of students face cuts

Data provided by Regis University showed the funding change would affect 2,043 students and more than $14 million in aid across nine private Colorado institutions in total.

The affected group includes private universities, nonprofit colleges, career-focused programs, and art schools, showing how the amendment reaches several types of nonpublic higher education providers in Colorado.

Regis faces the largest hit

Regis University said 587 students would be affected, and the school stands to lose more than $5.5 million in aid, the largest single-institution impact reported by officials.

The University of Denver would lose about $3.2 million for 508 students, while Colorado Christian University would lose about $3.5 million for 464 students under current estimates.

Public colleges shaped the decision

Representative Emily Sirota said the amendment was not an ideal choice, but lawmakers were working through difficult budget limits affecting higher education spending tied to the 2026 cycle.

She said budget committee discussions led lawmakers to make public institutions the first funding priority, even as private college students faced losing state aid next school year.

Fun fact: Colorado has the highest mean altitude in the United States, averaging 6,800 feet above sea level across the state.

Critics say students pay the price

Representative Cecelia Espinoza opposed the amendment, saying the change would take money from students rather than private institutions or their operating budgets during the aid process itself.

She argued the cut would fall heavily on first-generation and minority students whose families may not have enough resources to cover private college costs without aid support.

Little-known fact: Colorado’s College Opportunity Fund may sound like a student payment, but the stipend goes directly to the college per credit hour.

A smaller cut was discussed

Critics argued lawmakers could have spread the reduction across all colleges and universities instead of removing aid completely from one group of students at Colorado institutions under the bill.

Espinoza said her understanding was that a broader reduction would have cost each student about $500, instead of leaving one group without funding entirely under the amendment.

Work study helped college feel possible

Regis student Zoe Josifek said she initially did not plan to consider college because the cost felt far beyond her family’s financial budget before financial aid arrived.

After receiving aid, Josifek said Regis became realistic, and Colorado Work-Study helped her earn money through a campus job while continuing her degree there successfully at Regis.

Campus jobs offered needed flexibility

Josifek has worked at the financial aid office front desk for three years, using Colorado Work-Study while completing her studies and helping students navigate aid questions at Regis.

She said the campus job fits around classes more easily than many off-campus jobs, which may not accommodate full-time students who commute to school regularly each week.

Students are asking hard questions

From behind the financial aid desk, Josifek said students are already asking whether they will receive work-study funding for the next school year at Regis University in Colorado.

She said the uncertainty feels stressful because she is answering worried students while facing the same concern about her own job and final year at Regis University.

Aid officials defend school choice

Catherine Rohde, interim associate vice president of admissions and financial aid at Regis University, said state financial aid is awarded to students based on demonstrated need.

She said many recipients are first-generation and low-income Colorado residents who qualify through FAFSA, making the proposed loss serious for students with high financial need across Colorado.

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Regis plans a temporary response

Regis officials said the university plans to use institutional money to temporarily cover some lost grant funding for students during the next school year at Regis University.

Rohde said the short-term plan has limits, and the university will need to reassess whether future budgets can keep filling student funding gaps over time for families.

Want to read more about the latest developments? Take a look at what Connecticut’s new graduate student loan initiative could mean for higher education funding.

What stands out more in Colorado, the effort to protect public college funding, or concerns about private university students losing critical financial aid? Share your thoughts.

This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.

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