The Constantly Evolving COF

Living by the Law

THE EVOLUTION OF COF

• Created by SB04-189 during FY04 legislative session• Revised the way colleges were funded for in-state, undergraduate students

from direct funding to the college based on institutional reporting to the student applying for the funding based on number of hours enrolled each term.

• Provided 145.00 undergraduate hours for students to receive funding at participating colleges for undergraduate courses

• Responsibilities for COF divided between two institutions• Colorado Student Loan Program (now College Assist) responsible for creating

and maintaining database and website• Allow students to apply• Allow colleges to receive funding on behalf of students

• Colorado Commission on Higher Education (now Department of Higher Education)• Allocation of funds appropriated to DHE• Provides policies and procedures to colleges and College Assist

THE EVOLUTION OF COF (cont.)

• October 1 2004 application process ready for students to apply• On-line process only way to apply• Student had to have a SSN

• Colleges advised students without SSNs would be eligible for COF• Paper application created• Database updated to manually import student information and create account• System updated to create COF Generated numbers for students without SSNs

• Fall 2005 – first semester COF was available to colleges• Students paid for Undergraduate hours only for FY06

• 2006 Legislative Session – SB06-132• Added remedial hours and PSEO or Fast Track Hours as eligible for funding

beginning Fall 2006• COF database and website had to be revised to accommodate this• File processing with colleges had to be revised to add new fields to bill

• PSEO hours count against allotted hours• Remedial (basic skills) hours do not

THE EVOLUTION OF COF (cont.)

• 2006 Emergency Legislative Session – HB06S-1023 – Restriction on Public Benefits• All persons 18 or older must provide proof they are lawfully present in the US

prior to receipt of certain public benefits• COF system needs to accommodate this beginning Fall 2006

• 2009 Legislative Session – HB09-1319 – Concurrent Enrollment Programs Act• Created two new high school programs beginning 2009

• Concurrent Enrollment Program (CE)• Ascent Program (A)

• Both programs eligible for COF and count against hours allotted• Students in CE and A programs need to have SASID on file with COF

• Students 18 and older in CE and A programs are excluded from lawful presence requirements.

• Students 18 and older in a PSEO program must provide proof of lawful presence

• PSEO/Fast Track phasing out by Fall 2010• COF system needs to accommodate these changes beginning Fall

2009

THE EVOLUTION OF COF (cont.)

• 2010 Legislative Session – SB10-064 – Allows colleges to apply for COF on behalf of an admitted student• STUAPP process created to allow colleges to submit information and accounts to

be created with student’s permission

• 2013 Legislative Session – SB13-033 - Allows in-state classification for students who do not have lawful immigration status• Eligibility Requirements:

• Student has to attend a public or private high school in CO for at least 3 years immediately preceding graduation or completion of a GED• Exception: student graduated from HS or received GED prior to September 1

2013, not admitted to college within 12 months after graduating, but physically present in Colorado for at least 18 months prior to enrolling in college

• Admitted to a Colorado institute• Not counted as a resident by the college for any other purpose other than

tuition classification

THE EVOLUTION OF COF (cont.)

• Pursuant to SB13-033 ASSET Students also eligible for COF

• Eligibility Requirements• Attend a Colorado college participating in COF;• Submit an affidavit to the college where the student is admitted stating

that the student has applied for lawful presence or will apply as soon as he or she is eligible to do so; • Collection of affidavit was changed from college to COF with approval

of Office of the Attorney General• Provide the student’s SASID (State Assigned Student ID) number provided

by the local education provider where the student graduated from high school or completed his or her GED (currently with the college)

• SB13-033 also removed the verification of lawful presence requirement• Changes were to be effective when Governor Hickenlooper signed the bill into law.

This occurred 4/29/2013.

• COF Database and website had to be revised again to implement these new changes.

• COF was in process of updating database and website at the time

• This was our website from October 1 2004 until June 17 2013

New COF website launched June 17 2013

Changes Made With New Website

• Students do not need a SSN to apply on the website. Three options:• I have a SSN – box provided for that number• I have a Permanent Resident Card Number – box provided beginning

with “A” prefilled• I do not have an ID – COF ID will be generated at end of application.

• Students no longer have to provide documentation proving lawful presence in the United States and do not have to sign an affidavit declaring citizenship status.

• Concurrent enrollment students can apply with or without SSN• Asset students can apply with or without SSN and provide high school

information and complete the Affidavit• COF is collecting Affidavits so students do not have to resubmit these

forms if they transfer to another college• None COF-eligible public colleges have access to see if their students

have provided this information to COF• Students must provide an e-mail address

• E-mail addresses are used to provide students log in information if they forget their user ID or password

Step One

Step Two:

Step Three:

Step Four:On Line Application Process

If student answers “Yes” to Step Four then the student is required to complete the Asset affidavit

Step Five:

Step Six:

Step Seven:

MISCELLANEOUS

• Students receive a set amount each year

• My account states I have received $145.00

• I need to transfer my COF funding to a new college and there is no place to do this on my COF account

• The college said to go to the website and authorize COF but there is no place to do that

• I don’t know my COF student ID

• I tried to sign up but my SSN was already in the system – I have not created an account

• The system does not allow me to re-apply

• QUESTIONS?