COSI Board
The Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative (COSI) Board serves as an advisory body under section 23-3.3-1004 C.R.S., guiding the development, administration, and sustainability of the Initiative. The Board is responsible for establishing rules, evaluating program effectiveness, and identifying funding sources. Its purpose is to advise on program growth to support Colorado students in accessing, persisting through, and succeeding in postsecondary education and the workforce. The Board also works to align public and private resources to build a sustainable scholarship fund, while advancing strategies that improve credential completion, foster community partnerships, and demonstrate impact through data-driven results.
The Board shall serve as an advisory board in accordance with section 23-3.3-1004 C.R.S.. The Board's responsibility is to carry out the following duties:
- Promulgate rules for administration of the Initiative. Including student and grantee eligibility, policies guiding the use of funds appropriated to the Initiative, and criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of the program
- Identify and consider the feasibility of potential funding sources for sustainability of the Initiative.
The purpose of the Board will be to advise direction of program development and growth in order to (1) foster the development of scholarships that promote the academic achievement and successful placement of Colorado students in the workforce; (2) develop connections and community partnerships to ensure that every Colorado student has the support needed to enter a postsecondary opportunity, persist and succeed in the workforce; and (3) to match non-profit and private financial resources with public resources from the Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Fund in order to create a sustainable corpus to fund scholarship awards in future years.
In addition, the Board agrees that the following goals are consistent with the Legislature's intent in enacting the Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative:
- Increase and improve the network of promising strategies aimed at postsecondary certificate and degree completion
- leverage state funds through community partnerships and build a sustainable corpus of future scholarship awards.
- deliver results through program progress data and demonstrate the compelling valued proposition for investors
- support communities with tools, resources, and assistance to help encourage coordinated efforts
The Board consists of fifteen members appointed as follows:
Seven persons to be appointed jointly by the executive director of the department of labor and employment or his or her designee and the executive director of the department of higher education or his or her designee, including:
- One person representing the four-year research institutions of higher education in the state;
- One person representing a four-year postsecondary institutions in the state;
- One person representing the community colleges and area technical colleges of the state;
- One person representing workforce centers;
- One person representing economic development corporations;
- One person who is a current or former participant of the initiative for a two year public institution of higher education; and
- One person who is a current or former participant of the initiative for a four year public institution of higher education; and
Four persons from the state work force development council created in section 24- 46.3-101, C.R.S., to be appointed by the executive director of the department of labor and employment or his or her designee; and
Four persons, either commissioners of the Colorado commission on higher education created in section 23-1-102, C.R.S., members of the advisory committee to the Colorado commission on higher education created in section 23-1-103, C.R.S., or any combination thereof, to be appointed by the executive director of the department of higher education or his or her designee.
 | Ana Temu-Otting Chair, Representing: Colorado Commission of Higher Education |  | Kim Woodworth Vice Chair, Representing: Economic Development Corporations |
 | Daniel Bala Representing: Current or former participant of a two-year institution |  | Dr. Ryan Barone Representing a four-year institution |
 | Chancellor Marielena DeSanctis Representing: Colorado Community College System |  | Lisandra Gonzales Representing: Colorado Commission on Higher Education |
 | Nahum Kisner Representing: a 4-year Institution |  | Suzie Miller Representing: Workforce centers |
 | Aaron Miltenberger Representing: Colorado Workforce Development Council |  | Angeles Ortega Representing: Colorado Workforce Development Council |
 | Dr. Dedrick Sims Representing: Colorado Workforce Development Council |  | Dr. Eric Tucker Representing: Colorado Commission on Higher Education |
The COSI Board is scheduled to meet on the following date. September meetings are full day from 9am-4 pm and all others are 8-10am.
2026:
- March 13, 2026
- June 26, 2026
- September 11, 2026
- December 11, 2026
2027:
- March 12, 2027
- June 25, 2027
- September 10, 2027
- December 10, 2027
2028:
- March 10, 2028
- June 23, 2028
- September 8, 2028
- December 8, 2028
The agenda for each board meeting, including meeting links and access to board preparation materials, will be posted in the link below approximately two weeks prior to the meeting.