Colorado Community College System Chancellor Joe Garcia is trying to break the stigma of two-year schools. But more importantly, at least to him, he’s trying to build a pathway to bachelor’s degrees for those that make it through CCCS programs.
While the nationwide average of two-year students that go onto four-year institutions is around 16%, that number lags in Colorado.
Western Governors University, a private nonprofit four-year university, has partnered with CCCS on what is called the Bridge to Bachelors program for every community college in the state.
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Jade Jacobson isn’t a guaranteed scholarship recipient but is the type of student that WGU and CCCS think embodies what this program could be. She has an associate’s degree and is a student at WGU pursuing a bachelor’s in advanced education.
“The passion in the phone call made me realize I can make this change,” she said about being selected as a student who could be a model for the initiative.
Western Governors University Director of Regional Operations Ismar Vallecillos believes it’s making good on the promises of providing education to those who need it.
“We want to literally put our money where our mouth is,” he said.
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“Students like her can really demonstrate that you can begin at a community college and you can go anywhere,” echoed Garcia.
The Bridge to Bachelors program pairs a student with a potential in-state four year university and guarantees admission should they complete their Associates and enroll in the school itself.
WGU upped the ante by adding a guaranteed scholarship to the program for those who select it as the school they want to go to when their time in community college is up.
“They can make it and that’s what we want to encourage them to do,” explained Garcia. “[WGU] stepped up and said we want to be a part of that too and we’ll sweeten the pot for your students by giving them a guaranteed scholarship if they complete their associates degree before they enroll.”
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Vallecillos believes that it’s a long term investment in the state, of which one of its’ founders was a former Colorado Governor in Ray Romer, and that it’s meant to help bridge education opportunities and provide social mobility.
They see first generation college students, those from marginalized communities or financial backgrounds and those changing careers in middle age as those that would benefit the most from these scholarships, the Bridge to Bachelors program and WGU education as a whole.
“We are investing in Colorado through this scholarship program to ensure that we are removing the financial barrier,” Vallecillos said.
“It definitely took the weight off being able to focus more on my studies and get to my future in the profession,” added Jacobson.
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So, there can be more students like Jade Jacobson and more individuals that can find ways to continue to excel.
Andrew Haubner
Andrew Haubner is a reporter for CBS News Colorado who formerly worked at CBS Sacramento. Read his latest reports or check out his bio and send him an email.
Colorado’s best ski deal? Maybe one that costs nothing at all. At Steamboat Springs’ Howelsen Hill, “Sunday Funday is taken to an entirely new level,” reads the city webpage for Ski Free Sundays. Yes, on Sundays throughout the season, visitors need only to walk into the ticket office to grab a pass at no charge. […]
While Colorado ranks near the middle of U.S. states for carbon emissions per capita, it still produces enough CO2 per person to rival countries on the World Bank’s list of top emitters internationally.
In 2023, Colorado produced 13.9 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions per capita. If it had been ranked by the World Bank during the same year, Colorado would have placed 14th among the more than 200 countries on the list, just behind Canada, at 14.1, and just ahead of the U.S. as a whole, at 13.7.
Among U.S. states, Colorado ranked 26th in carbon emissions per capita. Wyoming had the highest per capita emissions in the country, at 92.9 metric tons, while Maryland had the lowest, at 7.8.
Most of Colorado’s emissions come from energy production and consumption, primarily natural gas and oil production and electric power production and consumption.
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This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
The Colorado Sun partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. Read our methodology to learn how we check claims.
Sources
References:
Colorado State Energy Profile, U.S. Energy Information Administration, accessed in December 2025. Source link
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2023 Colorado Statewide Inventory of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks, pg. 128, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, November 2024. Source link
Senate Bill 24-230 Oil and Gas Production Fees, Colorado General Assembly, accessed in December, 2025. Source link
Senate Bill 23-016 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Measures, Colorado General Assembly, accessed in December 2025. Source link
Carbon dioxide emissions, World Bank Group, 2024, accessed in December 2025. Source link
Energy-related CO2 emission data tables, U.S. Energy Information Administration, accessed in December 2025. Source link
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Type of Story: Fact-Check
Checks a specific statement or set of statements asserted as fact.
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Cassis Tingley is a Denver-based freelance journalist. She’s spent the last three years covering topics ranging from political organizing and death doulas in the Denver community to academic freedom and administrative accountability at the…
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Just a few short days after landing tight end Houston Thomas from the NCAA transfer portal, Mike Elko and the Texas A&M Aggies have now added reinforcements on the opposite side of the line of scrimmage.
Former Colorado Buffaloes safety Tawfiq Byard has officially announced his move from the Big 12 to the SEC, just a handful of days after entering the portal himself.
After A&M safety Bryce Anderson’s recent announcement of his own portal entry, Byard could be just the replacement that Elko and new defensive coordinator Lyle Hemphill need in the “Wrecking Crew’s” defensive backfield.
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A&M Lands Safety Tawfiq Byard From Colorado
Byard will now play football for his third school in his college career, having also spent some of his playing days with the South Florida Bulls before making the move to Boulder to play for NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes.
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Colorado Buffaloes defensive back Tawfiq Byard (7) reacts in the first quarter against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
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Byard’s sophomore campaign in 2025 was much more telling than that of his previous efforts with the Bulls, appearing in all 12 games for the Buffs while starting in eight of those games.
The defensive back would lead the Colorado defense with 85 tackles and was tied for 26th in the nation in the solo tackles category, with 57, and his eight tackles for loss were the third-most by a safety in the history of the program.
His performance, which also included two forced fumbles, an interception, and 0.5 sacks, earned him an honorable mention on the All-Big 12 team.
For a Texas A&M team that has struggled with injuries in recent years, including one to Anderson, a head injury during the win over Notre Dame, Byard’s durability is exactly what Texas A&M needs on defense, and his efficiency will help tie together what should be a younger A&M secondary in the 2026 season.
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During his pair of years in South Florida, Byard appeared in 16 games while starting 10, all of which came in his redshirted freshman season, where he finished with 54 tackles (34 solo), eight tackles for loss, two sacks, one interception, and a fumble recovery before transferring to Colorado.
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The Buffaloes had a rough ride of a season in their first without quarterback Shedeur Sanders and former Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, with only a 3-9 record (1-8 conference) to show for in 2025, their lone conference win coming against a ranked Iowa State Cyclones team.
With the defensive backfield back in decent order, the Aggies now look ahead to a grinding offseason before starting their third season under head coach Mike Elko with a hosting of the Missouri State Bears at Kyle Field on September 5.
