Lawmakers extend teacher preparation program amid pleas from parents and students

“Sign up for our free monthly newsletter Beyond High School to get the latest news about college and career paths for Colorado’s high school grads. Colorado lawmakers plan to allow a last batch of high school seniors to take part in a statewide teacher preparation program before it’s eliminated. The Teacher Recruitment Education and Preparation program , or TREP, allows students to stay enrolled in high school after graduation for up to two years while their school district pays for college classes. Colorado lawmakers on the budget committee decided to eliminate TREP to help balance a 2026-27 state budget that could have a shortfall reaching $1.5 billion. But amid pleas from parents and students, lawmakers amended House Bill 1357 to allow h igh school seniors who were set to begin the program this spring to enroll for one year instead of two. The program will end in July 2027. Parent Stephanie Christian, who rallied a small coalition of parents and students to save the program, thanked state Sens. Janice Marchman, a Loveland Democrat, and Byron Pelton, a Sterling Republican, for the amendment to extend the program. “While we had hoped for a full pathway allowing these students to complete the program, the one-year extension provides a critical bridge,” Christian said in a text message. “Because of this effort, hundreds of future teachers will still have the opportunity to begin their journey into education, and that impact will be felt in classrooms across Colorado.” The amendment cleared the House and Senate this week, and the powerful Joint Budget Committee agreed to the plan last week. The bill will now head to the governor’s desk. The state created TREP in 2021 to help grow the educator workforce. It has a statewide cap of 250 students a year. The program’s elimination will save the state about $3 million a year. Parents argued that some high school seniors had based many of their financial aid decisions on using the program, which doesn’t allow students to use federal aid. Students also don’t qualify for most scholarships because they’re still considered high school students. Jason Gonzales is a reporter covering higher education and the Colorado legislature. Chalkbeat Colorado partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage. Contact Jason at jgonzales@chalkbeat.org .

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