Editorial: State’s investment in CSU, UNC will reap dividends

Leaders at the University of Northern Colorado and Colorado State University hailed the passage of House Bill 24-1231, and its subsequent signing by Gov. Jared Polis, but it’s the people of Colorado who should be celebrating.

More than half of the $247 million bill will go toward funding UNC’s new College of Osteopathic Medicine, with the rest going toward expansion of CSU’s veterinary school and two other projects.

The funds will help ensure CSU’s place among the nation’s top veterinary colleges for years to come, and will open a new, exciting chapter for UNC as it seeks to fill the void for doctors and nurses in the state.

Gov. Jared Polis signed the legislation into law, May 1, hailing the new law on X, formerly Twitter.

“Today I signed a new law that will help Colorado train more world-class doctors, nurses, veterinarians, and other health care professionals to provide Coloradans with the care they need,” Polis wrote. “From Denver to Fort Collins, Greeley, and Trinidad, these new opportunities will attract students from Colorado and across the country to our communities including to (the University of Northern Colorado) for our new medical school we are building!”

UNC’s new osteopathic school is expected to enroll 150 medical students annually, with an inaugural class anticipated to begin as early as fall 2026. It will be only the second public medical school in the state, after the University of Colorado School of Medicine, and the third medical school overall. The private Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine operates in Englewood.

Approved funding for UNC’s new school includes $127.5 million toward its construction, startup and accreditation expenses. The state also will use approximately $41 million of its statutory reserve to strategically invest in the escrow needs of the project, as required by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation.

This investment in CSU’s new Veterinary Health and Education Complex will transform the university’s already world-renowned veterinary medical program.

“With the new complex, we will be able to bring excellent education, ground-breaking research and accessible patient care together into state-of-the art facilities,” CSU president Amy Parsons said in a prepared statement. “CSU will increase veterinary student enrollment, enhance the experiential education we deliver and provide top-quality care to a growing number of patients from across the state.”

CSU last year announced its plan to expand the veterinary education facility, and the bill approved Friday will provide $50 million to incorporate more modern equipment and update teaching methods.

UNC and CSU play critical roles in the Northern Colorado — and the state — economy. And those roles will be magnified by this latest round of state funding, something that should be celebrated by all residents.

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