IHE and Educational Partner Resource Page
This page is designed to support institutions and educational partners in understanding and implementing the Colorado Promise tax credit, a statewide initiative to expand access to higher education for Colorado residents. Here, you'll find guidance, resources, and updates to help ensure eligible students receive the financial support they need. Whether you're navigating eligibility, reporting requirements, or outreach strategies, this page is your go-to source for information and collaboration.
The documents on this page should be considering “living” resources, meaning they will be updated and revised as the program implementation continues to move forward. If you have additional questions or need support please reach out to Dr. Mark Baccei (coloradoPromise@dhe.state.co.us), Senior Policy and Data Analyst who oversees Colorado Promise for CDHE.
Current Documents and Resources
Data and Eligibility Determination
Colorado Promise Guidance and Data Definitions
- The document provides detailed guidance and standardized data definitions to help Colorado public institutions consistently identify and report students eligible for the Colorado Promise tax credit across differing institutional databases and data structures. It outlines eligibility criteria, reporting requirements, and data elements aligned with SURDS (as possible) to ensure reliable implementation and compliance across institutions. Updated 12/15/2025 - pdf has been replaced with drop-down webpage. Updated points have been noted for individual topics.
- A clearinghouse of questions submitted to CDHE related to the implementation, eligibility determination, and data reporting for the program.
- Provides essential tools and guidance for delivering clear, consistent, and impactful messages. The Colorado Promise Toolkit includes talking points, social media graphics, presentation slides and FAQ.
SURDS Documentation
CDHE intends to utilize the Student Unit Records Database System (SURDS) as the primary tool for data collection. The documents provided below follow the same format and structure as other SURDS reporting materials.
SURDS Tax Credit File Description
The document outlines the data reporting requirements for Colorado public IHEs related to the Colorado Promise tax credit. This is an overview of the student eligibility requirements, submission timeline, and an introduction for the data collection process. Updated 12/29/2025
The table lays out the nine (9) data elements required by the Colorado Department of Higher Education in order to submit the final file to the Colorado Department of Revenue. Links to current SURDS Fields are provided. Updated 11/5/2025
SURDS Tax Credit Field Definitions
The table follows the SURDS field definitions layout for each field required in the report. Updated 11/5/2025
A sample table to show what the file layout should look like. Please note that per the request of IHE staff, the final file will be term based, which will create duplicate rows for multiple fields (student name, tax id, etc.). However the term should be unique and the tax credit amount should be associated with the specific term. Updated 11/5/2025