. ▁ ▁U . S . ▁Senator ▁Wayne ▁Mor se ▁of ▁Oregon ▁and ▁Represent ative ▁An cher ▁N elsen ▁of ▁Minnesota ▁spons ored ▁the ▁District ▁of ▁Columbia ▁Public ▁Education ▁Act , ▁en act ed ▁on ▁November ▁ 7 , ▁ 1 9 6 6 , ▁as ▁( Public ▁Law ▁ 8 9 - 7 9 1 ), ▁which ▁established ▁two ▁additional ▁institutions . ▁Federal ▁City ▁College ▁was ▁created ▁as ▁a ▁four - year ▁liberal ▁arts ▁college . ▁It ▁was ▁originally ▁planned ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁small , ▁select ive ▁college ▁of ▁about ▁ 7 0 0 ▁students . ▁By ▁the ▁time ▁the ▁college ▁opened ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 8 , ▁however , ▁ad mission ▁was ▁open ▁and ▁applications ▁had ▁so ared ▁to ▁ 6 0 0 0 ; ▁students ▁were ▁placed ▁by ▁lot tery . ▁The ▁Washington ▁Techn ical ▁Institute ▁was ▁established ▁as ▁a ▁technical ▁school . ▁Both ▁institutions ▁were ▁also ▁given ▁land - gr ant ▁status ▁and ▁awarded ▁a ▁$ 7 . 2 4 ▁million ▁end ow ment ▁( US D ), ▁in ▁lieu ▁of ▁a ▁land ▁grant . ▁ ▁The ▁Middle ▁States ▁Association ▁of ▁Colleg es ▁and ▁School s ▁( MA CS ) ▁granted ▁educational ▁acc red itation ▁to ▁Washington ▁Techn ical ▁Institute ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 1 ▁and ▁to ▁Federal ▁City ▁College ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 4 . ▁ ▁E ff ort s ▁to ▁un ify ▁the ▁D . C . ▁Te ach ers ▁College , ▁Federal ▁City ▁College , ▁and ▁Washington ▁Techn ical ▁Institute ▁under ▁a ▁single