“We can help you with your debt”: Phil Weiser pitches public-service path for community college students
The Democratic candidate for governor told FoxTalk that one of his signature proposals could provide community college stipends or debt assistance to young Coloradans who serve in high-need fields.
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said community college students who enter public-service careers could receive help paying for school or reducing their college debt under a program he would launch as governor.
“I’m going to launch something called ColoradoCorps,” Weiser said in a sit-down interview with FoxTalk.
The program would recruit young Coloradans into teaching, nursing, counseling, law enforcement, firefighting and other fields facing worker shortages, he said.
“Either you do it before community college, and then we give you stipend support for community college, or if you do it after, we can help you with your debt,” Weiser said.
The interview focused on what Weiser would do for community college students balancing classes with work, family responsibilities and Colorado’s rising cost of living.
It was produced through a question-sharing and distribution partnership between FoxTalk and The Metropolitan, Metropolitan State University of Denver’s student newspaper.
Public service in exchange for college support
Weiser’s campaign describes ColoradoCorps as a paid service, training and career-development program for people ages 18 to 26.
Participants would work in schools, clinics, fire departments, law enforcement agencies, conservation projects and other public-service settings while receiving career training, mentoring and opportunities to earn credentials or academic credit.
The campaign says the program would build on Serve Colorado and AmeriCorps and draw funding from state, local, federal and private sources.
Weiser’s education plan also proposes college loan forgiveness for people who earn a Colorado degree or certificate and commit to certain public-service or high-need jobs.
Earning while learning
Asked how he would make college more affordable for first-generation and transfer students, Weiser returned to ColoradoCorps and proposed expanding programs that allow students to earn money while completing their education.
“I want to set up programs where you can earn on the job while you’re learning,” he said.
Work-based programs could give students income while they develop career skills, Weiser said.
A guide for student entrepreneurs
Weiser also proposed creating a state Business Navigator to connect aspiring entrepreneurs with information, assistance and financing.
“When I’m governor, we’re going to create this Business Navigator and have the concrete goal of helping you start your own business,” he said.
The service would guide young people through the process of forming and growing a business and direct them toward available resources, Weiser said.
“I want you to feel the wind at your back,” he said.
His campaign blueprint calls for a Business Navigator, grants and microloans for new businesses and fewer regulatory barriers for entrepreneurs.
“Shady practices” in the rental market
When FoxTalk asked what his housing plan would do for renters and students, Weiser focused on landlord conduct rather than student housing construction or direct rental assistance.
“Renters are often finding themselves mistreated by landlords who engage in any number of shady practices,” he said.
Weiser pointed to actions taken during his time as attorney general against mandatory junk fees and the use of rent-setting algorithms by corporate landlords.
As governor, his campaign says he would seek stronger renter protections, legal support for tenants facing eviction and a ban on algorithmic price collusion.
The test at the end of his first term
Asked what community college students should examine after four years to determine whether he kept his promises, Weiser named a broader and politically difficult goal: changing Colorado’s Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights.
“The big question is going to be: Am I successful in changing TABOR?” Weiser said.
He argued that Colorado is underfunding education from early childhood through community college and career training.
“If I’m successful, I’ve changed TABOR, and we’re making investments from cradle to career, setting up young people for success,” Weiser said.
