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At the end of December, the U. S. Department of Education is releasing a new version of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The new application is intended to be shorter and easier to fill out than previous iterations. Jason Gonzalez of Chalkbeat joined us to talk about the details and look ahead to possible impacts on Colorado.

The Colorado Sun Editor Lance Benzel joined us to talk about an effort by the state to create more college opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities.

Several universities in the Mountain West are competing this weekend in an international competition focused on building zero-energy homes.

The NCAA Tournament is returning to the Mile High City for the sixth time, offering visitors and ticket holders opportunities to take in the First and Second Rounds of play.

CSU Spur is a free, public educational campus in Denver where visitors can learn about water, food and health through real-world experiences. The first building opened in January — it’s called Vida and focuses on animal and human health. The second building, Terra, is opening on June 8 and will focus on community food systems and food innovation.

The Colorado Community College System has selected Dr. Colleen Simpson as the new president of Front Range Community College. She will be the first African American to lead the three-campus college when her tenure starts on Aug. 1. She is also the second Black woman president in the statewide college system. KUNC’s Samantha Coetzee spoke to CCCS Chancellor Joe Garcia and Dr. Simpson to talk about the college's next steps.

The price of college continues to rise, and for many prospective students, figuring out how to pay for their education only adds to the stress of the admissions process. Some schools in Colorado are looking to bridge the gap by providing more grants and scholarships to students.

Auraria Campus is home to a community college and two universities. When the campus was built, hundreds of families living the neighborhood were displaced. As part of the compensation, the institutions pledged to give scholarships to those displaced. They recently expanded this promise.

State officials have set a goal to boost the post-high school attainment rate. In order to reach it, getting more Hispanic men into school and back out again with degrees in hand is essential.

Science, technology, engineering and math jobs are booming in Colorado. Last year, the state had the fourth highest concentration of STEM workers in the country. To help prepare more homegrown talent, including women and people of color, the state is increasing access to bachelor’s degrees.