What is the Colorado ETPL?
The Colorado Eligible Training Provider List is the set of programs that WIOA money can pay for in the state. It is the Colorado ETPL, published at coloradoetpl.org. Colorado Department of Labor and Employment keeps it. A program has to be on the list, and lead to a job the local board calls in demand, before a Colorado Workforce Center will issue an Individual Training Account for it. 658 Colorado programs are on the federal index, including 41 CDL, 26 CNA, and 14 LPN programs.
Capstone Workforce's free navigator checks your WIOA eligibility door in two minutes, and the $5 apply guide lists the Colorado programs in your field with the documents the state asks for, so you walk into intake with the program already picked.
What is on the Colorado list
| Program type | Programs in Colorado | What that means for funding |
|---|---|---|
| All listed programs | 658 | Every program the state reported to the federal index |
| CDL (Class A and B) | 41 | See the CDL guide for what boards pay |
| CNA | 26 | The most-funded short healthcare program |
| Phlebotomy | 8 | Four to twelve weeks, funded nearly everywhere |
| LPN or LVN | 14 | Funded where the program fits the board's length cap |
| RN (associate degree) | 7 | Funded by boards that allow two-year programs |
| BSN | 9 | Rarely funded; four years exceeds most caps |
Counts from the DOL ETA-9171 index at TrainingProviderResults.gov, counted by program name and credential in September 2026. The state's own list is the one a counselor funds from; the two usually match but the state list updates first.
Colorado's public ETPL site is one of the easier ones to search without a counselor: filter by area and occupation, then read the program's reported outcomes before you book intake.
How to search the Colorado ETPL
- Use the state's own tool. Colorado's ETPL is published at coloradoetpl.org and searched with your counselor; programs must be in-demand for your local area. Start at coloradoetpl.org.
- Cross-check the federal index. TrainingProviderResults.gov lists the same programs with the completion rate, employment rate, and median earnings each provider reported. Two schools teaching the same credential can differ by 30 points on completion.
- Ask your counselor which listed programs the board funds. The list is statewide; the money is local. No statewide cap; each of the ten local areas sets its own. Ask your counselor for the area cap and whether funds remain this program year.
- Check the exact program, not just the school. A college can have four programs listed and six not. WIOA pays only for the listed one.
How WIOA pays for a program on the Colorado list
- Find your center. The Colorado WIOA guide covers intake, documents, and timing in the state.
- Register on Connecting Colorado; most local areas require it for WIOA intake.
- Find your Workforce Center at cdle.colorado.gov/workforce-centers and book intake.
- Complete the assessment and Individual Employment Plan with your counselor.
- Choose a program on the Colorado ETPL that is in-demand for your area and receive the ITA.
WIOA is a grant. You do not pay it back if you finish the program. The national application guide covers the six steps in detail, and the occupation guides cover what boards typically pay for CDL, CNA, LPN, phlebotomy, and the trades.
How a training provider gets on the Colorado ETPL
Providers apply online at coloradoetpl.org. The local workforce area where the program is delivered reviews the application against its in-demand list, and the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment approves the statewide listing.
Initial eligibility asks for the program's credential, length, cost, and the occupation it leads to. Continued eligibility asks for outcomes. Continued eligibility is reviewed every two years, with annual performance reporting on completion, employment in the second and fourth quarters after exit, median earnings, and credential attainment.
Registered apprenticeship sponsors are listed automatically on request in every state; the apprenticeship guide covers that path.
What staying on the list requires: the reporting
Every listed program reports the same federal measures each year: how many participants completed, how many were employed in the second and fourth quarters after exit, their median earnings, and how many earned the credential. States pull employment and earnings from wage records; providers supply completions and credentials. A program that misses the state's minimum levels comes off the list, and a provider that misses the reporting deadline comes off with it.
The two numbers providers most often cannot produce on demand are credential attainment inside the one-year window and a verified placement record. The credential attainment guide and the six-indicator guide cover what each requires.