Colorado National Guard State Tuition Waiver

Colorado waives up to 100 percent of in-state tuition for eligible Colorado Army and Air National Guard members at state-approved public Designated Institutions of Higher Education. The Department of Military and Veterans Affairs runs it. The program has been rewritten twice in two years, so anything written before mid-2026 describes a different benefit. Senate Bill 25-247, signed May 1, 2025, replaced the old State Tuition Assistance program with a true tuition waiver effective July 1, 2025. House Bill 26-1386 then replaced SB25-247 effective July 1, 2026. HB26-1386 changed two things that matter. The waiver is now last-dollar: institutions must apply all private, state, and federal tuition assistance to the tuition bill first, and the waiver covers what remains. And per-institution enrollment caps are removed, so a member is no longer competing against others at the same school for a limited allocation. The cost of what remains is split evenly. The institution absorbs 50 percent as a direct waiver and the Department reimburses the other 50 percent from the Colorado National Guard Tuition Fund, appropriated by the General Assembly. What is not covered is substantial and catches people out. Mandatory fees, textbooks, and other educational expenses are excluded, as are professional or standalone licensures, out-of-state tuition, and non-credit or non-degree-related courses. A member has to establish and document in-state residency with the institution's registrar before applying, and is encouraged to use federal tuition assistance, GI Bill benefits, or financial aid for the gap. The application discipline is the thing to get right, because the failure modes here are administrative rather than about eligibility. A new and separate application is required for every semester; approval for one term reserves nothing for the next. Open enrollment runs June 1 to 20 for fall, November 1 to 20 for spring, and April 1 to 20 for summer, shortened from 30 days to 20. Miss a window and the member pays full tuition for that term. A FAFSA or CASFA has to be submitted, though no particular award amount is needed, and proof of submission uploaded. If the Department requests more information there is a three business day limit to respond before denial. On approval, an Award Letter and FERPA form has to reach the institution's bursar before the add or drop date, or the waiver is cancelled. Credit hour limits apply across an academic career: up to 65 hours for an associate degree, 130 for a bachelor's, 145 combined, and full tuition for one certificate program. Postgraduate use needs Department approval, at up to 60 hours for a master's, 90 for a doctoral, and 150 for a professional degree. Hours used under the old Tuition Assistance program do not count against these caps, so a longtime Guard member starts fresh. Priority goes to a first degree at a given level over a duplicate. Other eligibility gates are membership in the Colorado Army or Air National Guard in good standing, completion of basic training, completion of any additional training the military occupational specialty requires, and documentation of an ETS or mandatory retirement date, with re-enlistment paperwork or a commander's memo if the ETS falls inside the semester. Transfers from another state or from active duty need enlistment documentation such as an NGB 22-5. There are 31 designated institutions, covering essentially the whole Colorado public system from the research universities through the community and technical colleges, including CSU Global for online study. The waiver is not transferable. A 2024 bill, HB24-1226, would have extended tuition assistance to spouses and children of Guard members with six years of service, and it was lost in appropriations in May 2024.