Proposed Cuts Would Slash Rural Teacher Pipeline, Medical Education Funding
University of Northern Colorado officials warned Jan. 12 that two proposed budget cuts would eliminate a $1.2 million rural teacher recruitment program and slash $20 million in medical education funding. The cuts would trigger a combined $45 million loss when federal matching funds are factored in, according to UNC officials.
The eliminations would dismantle statewide teacher recruitment efforts and shrink residency slots for medical students, threatening critical pipelines as rural Colorado faces acute shortages in both fields.
UNC lobbyist Kayla Tibbals told attendees at UNC's 2026 Legislative Preview that a Department of Higher Education proposal would cut the Rural Teacher Recruitment and Retention Program. "The cut would effectively defund the Center for Rural Education, which is housed at UNC, and its related programs, eliminating critical teacher recruitment and retention efforts in rural communities across the state," Tibbals said.
The warnings came as legislators confront a projected budget shortfall of just under $850 million for fiscal year 2026-27, following $1.2 billion in cuts the previous year. "Hospitals, counties and higher education were not safe," said Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, a Joint Budget Committee member.
The impact would reach 146 rural school districts, 16 rural Board of Cooperative Educational Services (regional cooperatives that pool resources for rural districts), and hundreds of school executives statewide.
The center funds stipends for rural student teachers, professional development for rural educators, and recruitment programs. According to research in UNC's Journal of Educational Research & Innovation, stipends are correlated with significantly higher educator retention in the field. UNC previously announced a $2.2 million award to support rural teacher recruitment and retention efforts that the state and partners had invested in.
The second proposal would eliminate $20 million in state funding for hospital residency programs. The state's $20 million cut would trigger a $44 million loss in federal matching funds—a 66% federal match. Tibbals said the proposal would indirectly impact the availability of residency placements in rural communities for students in UNC's College of Osteopathic Medicine, which trains primary-care physicians for rural areas.
Tibbals argued the rural teacher cut is in conflict with the state's priorities for K-12 education, workforce development and affordable college access.