Beginning this fall, Colorado will spend $26 million to provide free community college education to students looking to work in health care.

The new program, dubbed Care Forward Colorado, launched last week as part of a $61 million investment in expanding Colorado’s health care workforce using federal COVID-19 relief funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. The Legislature approved the investment this year through Senate Bill 226.

“We are saving Coloradans money and making sure students can get the skills and training they need to build up our health care workforce for the future,” said Gov. Jared Polis, who signed the bill into law in May.

“Colorado has one of the most highly educated and talented workforces in the country, and we are taking action to develop more talent right here at home.”

From 2022 through 2024, community college students will be reimbursed for tuition, fees and materials if they’re enrolled in any of the following health care certificate programs: certified nursing assistant, emergency medical technician, phlebotomy technician, pharmacy technician, medical assistant and dental assistant.

Across the state, 19 community and technical colleges are participating in the program, including the Colorado Community

College System, Aims Community College, Colorado Mesa University, Colorado Mountain College and Colorado’s area technical colleges.

“Even before the pandemic, Colorado faced shortages in critical entry-level health care positions, and our colleges are committed to filling these gaps through affordable, accessible training,” said Landon Pirius, vice chancellor for academic and student affairs at the Colorado Community College System. “We can bolster our work to transform lives and train the next generation of health care leaders.”

SB 226 was the state’s largest investment in the health care profession to date, Polis said. The bill enjoyed bipartisan sponsorship and support in the Legislature, passing the Senate unanimously and receiving 4619 approval from the House.

In addition to making community college free for aspiring health care workers, the bill also creates multiple grants and engagement programs to bolster education, training, recruitment and retention of health care workers.

“I saw firsthand the burnout, stress and anguish felt by so many of our first responders during the pandemic,” said Rep. Kyle Mullica, D-thornton,

an emergency room nurse who sponsored the bill.

“SB 226, and the free community college programs it’s creating, will boost our health care workforce and create new, free options for students to complete the degrees they need to build their careers.”