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DENVER, CO – The House Education Committee today passed legislation to save teachers money through loan forgiveness and stipends by expanding the pool of student educators who qualify for these state programs.
“Colorado’s teacher shortage is dire and eliminating financial barriers to entering the profession is one of the proven ways to get more qualified teachers in classrooms,” said Rep. Cathy Kipp, D-Fort Collins. “Under this new bill, more educators than before will be able to take advantage of loan forgiveness programs and student educator stipends. Our bill saves educators money and sets students across the state up for success.”
“Addressing our teacher shortage means breaking down financial barriers to entering the profession,” said Rep. Barbara McLachlan, D-Durango. “Just this week, teachers voiced once again that they are facing critical challenges in the classroom and are feeling considerable burnout as a result. Building upon the work of last year, our bill expands the applicant pool of new teachers who can apply for loan forgiveness and stipends. Investing in our teachers creates stronger schools, more workforce retention and better prepared students.”
HB23-1001 passed committee unanimously and is part of the Colorado House Democrats' first five bills. HB23-1001 builds upon last year’s work to save student educators money by expanding eligibility for financial assistance and offering loan forgiveness to a larger pool of educators who qualify for these state programs.
This includes more than $52 million in federal pandemic relief funds for the student educator stipend program, the educator test stipend program, and the temporary educator loan forgiveness programs made possible through HB22-1220.