FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 27, 2022
Contact: Juan Ramiro Sarmiento
(785) 760-6567 | JuanRamiro.Sarmiento@younginvincibles.org

Colorado House Approves ASCENT Program for High School Students

Fifth-Year High School Concurrent Enrollment Will Save Students Thousands and Jump Start Their College Education

(Denver, CO) – Today, the Colorado General Assembly approved a bill for Colorado students to jumpstart their college degrees and save thousands in tuition dollars by taking college classes in high school.

The ASCENT program, part of a broader component of school finance legislation, is a fifth-year high school program that allows students to attend college full-time for one year after high school for free. However, this program has limits on the number of program participants admitted. HB22-1390 not only removes this limit, allowing each qualified student to participate in the program, but it also reduces the number of postsecondary credits a qualified student must complete prior to participation.

In response, Kyra deGruy Kennedy, Rocky Mountain Regional Director for Young Invincibles issued the following statement.

“Everyone deserves access to quality higher education, and this legislation enables young people across our state to realize their full potential. Expanding funding for programs like ASCENT and concurrent enrollment gives young people who do not have the privilege of college savings accounts the opportunity to begin their college journey without the burden of student loan debt for remedial or exploratory courses.

This is a significant step toward equitable access to a college education in our state. We are grateful to Representatives Weissman and Bacon, and Senator Buckner for their steadfast commitment to young adults and their access to higher education.”

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