I’ve previously held a Pennsylvania license to carry firearms, and I now hold a Colorado concealed handgun permit. The app fee in PA is $20 and doesn’t require a handgun safety course as s prerequisite for the permit app. In CO you need a six hour classroom / range safety course as a prerequisite, in my case the course cost me $125.00 from a public range. The app fee for CO is $152.50, which is (CO Gov.) Hickenlooper’s way of saying how bad do you want this anyway.
Two ways to look at this, IMHO, good firearms training is always worthwhile if it’s well presented. However it is wrong when the state governments ratchet up the firearm licensing fees to discourage people from applying for the carry license in the first place.