Colorado

Over the next year, we plan to examine a riddle at the center of any conversation about education in Colorado: Why are there such large disparities among different groups of students? It's a story that's personal for Jason Gonzales.

Enrollment, though, still remains well below pre-pandemic levels.

To make the transition easier, college leaders extended the deadline for students to withdraw from any class without penalty. They also called students who didn’t register for classes to see how they could get them back on track.

Colorado’s FAFSA completion numbers dropped again this year because of the pandemic. The most pronounced downturns occurred in cities and among low-income communities and students of color.

The community college system projects enrollment to drop 6.2%. That follows a 10% dip in enrollment last year.

State leaders hope to promote a more diverse pool of students to enroll at Mines or become interested in science and engineering fields. 

The state is one of the first to put in place a statewide law like this.

The fall semester at Colorado universities promises a return to normal, prompting some to revisit college plans that the pandemic delayed.