In late May of 2022, the Colorado Mesa University (CMU) Board of Trustees approved the Learn for Less initiative at Western Colorado Community College (WCCC) after a sizable donation from the Tillie Bishop estate. 

WCCC’s main campus–a division of CMU–is officially named The Tilman M. Bishop campus, in honor of the late philanthropist. Bishop has a long history in the Western Slope as a legislator and cherished member of the CMU community. 

Early in his political career, Bishop was set on making the Western Slope and CMU a more important and recognized aspect of Colorado. This donation to make two-year degrees for specialized jobs at WCCC more affordable proves his commitment to this community, even after his passing. The Learn for Less Initiative cuts tuition rates at WCCC by 40%. This is a massive aid in overcoming the biggest hurdle for many trying to receive an education: the cost. 

CMU President John Marshall, alongside Colorado Governor, Jared Polis, announced this exciting new initiative in late May, shortly after the initiative was approved. 

“It’s so important to break down that barrier and be able to get that degree,” Polis said in a previous statement. “There are just so many good job opportunities and to make that accessible to the lower class is a really big deal.” 

Sources at the announcement also report Polis voiced his beliefs that CMU is a very forward-thinking establishment. Marshall praised the Bishop estate for their generous donation, claiming that this new affordability initiative could never be possible without Tillie Bishop. 

As far as tuition goes for the CMU campus, there have not been drastic changes, as this donation was intended solely for WCCC. This is because the donation was meant to provide affordable two-year college degrees for students to enter straight into the workforce with better jobs than they could have gotten before.