{"data":{"id":"us-co/c.r.s.-23-3.9-101","jurisdiction":"us-co","citation":"C.R.S. § 23-3.9-101","heading":"Definitions.","body":"As used in this part 1, unless the context otherwise requires:\n\n(1) \"Approved program of preparation\" means a program of study for preparation that is approved by the department of education pursuant to section 22-60.5-121 and that upon completion leads to a recommendation for licensure.\n\n(2) \"Commission\" means the Colorado commission on higher education.\n\n(2.5) \"Educator\" means a teacher, principal, or special services provider, as those terms are defined in section 22-60.5-102; except that a special services provider need not be employed by a school district.\n\n(3) \"Facility school\" means an approved facility school as defined in section 22-2-402 (1), C.R.S.\n\n(3.5) Repealed.\n\n(3.7) \"Qualified loan\" means an educational loan incurred while completing a program of preparation, including an alternative preparation program approved pursuant to article 60.5 of title 22, that leads to educator licensure pursuant to article 60.5 of title 22, or a bachelor's or master's degree in the area in which the educator is employed in a qualified position. The commission shall determine if a loan is a qualified loan for purposes of the educator loan forgiveness program created in section 23-3.9-102.\n\n(4) \"Qualified position\" means:\n\n(a) A hard-to-staff educator position in a rural school or rural school district or in a facility school that is in a rural school district identified by the department of education pursuant to section 23-3.9-102 (6); or\n\n(b) A hard-to-staff educator position in a Colorado public school, a school operated by a board of cooperative services created pursuant to article 5 of title 22, or a facility school in a content shortage area identified pursuant to section 23-3.9-102 (6).\n\n(5) \"Rural school\" or \"rural school district\" means a public school or school district identified by the department of education pursuant to section 23-3.9-102 (6).\n\n(6) \"School\" or \"public school\" means a public school as provided in section 22-1-101, including a charter school authorized by a school district pursuant to part 1 of article 30.5 of title 22, an institute charter school authorized by the state charter school institute pursuant to part 5 of article 30.5 of title 22, or a school operated by a board of cooperative services created and operating pursuant to article 5 of title 22.","path":["Title 23 - POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION","Article 3.9 - Educator Recruitment and Retention Programs","Part 1 - TEACHER LOAN FORGIVENESS PROGRAM"],"source_url":"https://olls.info/crs/crs2026-title-23.htm","current_through":"Colorado Revised Statutes 2026","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:37:45Z","sha256":"9fdf48bb31018fbe1480daf38c126d404db004a3ffcae4ea9cb39a1b0542b531","source_id":"us-co","stale":false,"prev":"us-co/c.r.s.-23-3.9-100.2","next":"us-co/c.r.s.-23-3.9-102"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}