Off-campus courses face accreditation and funding rules for enrollment

Off-campus courses are subject to concurrent enrollment rules only when they meet the program's requirements and recognized accreditation standards. This applies to courses offered through off-campus instruction programs established under state law. The course must meet all requirements of the concurrent enrollment article and the requirements of an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

The Department of Education may not approve additional eligible courses unless funding is sufficient for course audits and oversight. This applies to additional courses eligible for concurrent enrollment under this section. Courses approved before July 1, 2028, keep their approved status. The limit applies after July 1, 2028. Starting with the 2028–29 state budget, the legislature must use a budget footnote to say whether funding is sufficient for additional approvals.

The law reduces two 2026–27 higher education budget amounts by $80,178 each, subject to the stated budget conditions. One reduction is from the general fund amount for College Opportunity Fund contracts with state colleges; the other is from the University of Colorado's matching reappropriated funds. The reductions do not apply if the 2026–27 budget provides less than the required general fund amount for the College Opportunity Fund contracts, or provides no such appropriation. These adjustments apply to the 2026–27 state budget only if that budget becomes law.

The law provides $66,056 from the general fund to the Department of Education for administration. The appropriation is for the Colorado Department of Education. The amount includes $21,685 for school finance operations and $44,371 for student pathways administration, based on staffing assumptions of 0.2 and 0.4 additional full-time equivalent positions. The appropriation is for the 2026–27 state fiscal year.