Phil Castle, The Business Times

As both a member of the board of trustees that oversees Colorado Mesa University and business owner, Tim Fry hails a new initiative reducing community college tuition.

The initiative will not only make secondary education less costly and more accessible, but also bolster the work force and in turn economic development, Fry said. “I’m really excited about what’s happening here. It really is going to make a difference.”

Fry, president and chief executive officer of the Mountain Racing Products bicycle components manufacturer in Grand Junction, was among the speakers at a news conference announcing the Learn for Less initiative at Western Colorado Community College.

CMU trustees voted to lower tuition for career and technical education courses offered at WCCC. Set to begin for the fall 2022 semester, the initiative will lower tuition for in-state students from $321.45 a credit hour to $197 a credit hour.

The initiative is made possible in part by a gift from the estate of Tillie and Pat Bishop. Tillie Bishop was a former CMU trustee, county commissioner and state legislator. He also served as an administrator at CMU and taught in public schools. The campus at WCCC is named after him.

Fry said reducing tuition at WCCC will help in developing the local work force, which in turn will fill jobs with existing businesses and attract new businesses. “This will benefit every employer.”

CMU President John Marshall said the reduction will make tuition for career and technical education programs at WCCC at or below any other programs in Colorado.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis attended the news conference and also praised efforts to save students and their families money as well as promote careers and strengthen the economy.

The initiative adds to other efforts in Colorado in which students earn college credits at no charge while attending high school, Polis said.

Work force development will further speed in Colorado what’s been the fifth fastest economic recovery in the United States following the COVID-19 pandemic, Polis said. “We need people with strong technical skills to power our economy.”

Moreover, the Learn for Less initiative and other efforts at WCCC and CMU serve as model, he said. “They’re setting n example of bold innovation for others to follow.”

Brigitte Sundermann, vice president of community college affairs at Colorado Mesa University, said reducing tuition at WCCC builds on a mission to not only prepare students for careers, but also meet the work force needs of businesses. “Community, business and students. That’s why we’re here.”

Celia Russell, a student in the veterinary technology program at WCCC, said the lower tuition will help her as she pursues a vocation she said she enjoys as much as a vacation. The single mother of two said she’ll have more money for food and gasoline while also reducing college debt.

Marshall said a “sizeable” gift from the Bishop estate will help make up for the reduction in tuition.

Lena Elliott and Terry Farina, community leaders who knew and worked with Tillie Bishop, said the gift reflects his passion for education. “That good will live on for generations,” Farina said.