Colorado awards associate’s degrees to 300 students who dropped out close to the finish line

Colorado state leaders on Monday celebrated the first 300 students to receive an associate degree through a program meant to award students who earned at least 70 college credits but never finished their four-year degree. Colorado is believed to be one of the first states in the country to offer this type of program, which was launched in 2021 through $1 million in pandemic relief funds. The state estimates that more than 25,000 former college students statewide may be eligible for an associate degree under the Colorado Re-Engaged Initiative, or CORE. Several thousand students are also expected to become eligible to take part in the program each year, according to a news release from Gov. Jared Polis’ office.