	Background

The District of Columbia Tuition Assistance Grant (DCTAG) program was created in 1999 to address concerns about the public postsecondary education offerings available to District of Columbia residents. Legislation

On November 12, 1999, the District of Columbia College Access Act ( P.L. Congress defined the program's purpose as "enabl[ing] college-bound residents of the District of Columbia to have greater choices among institutions of higher education." The DCTAG program provides grants to District residents, regardless of need or merit, to attend eligible public and private not-for-profit IHEs in the United States. In May 2000, Mayor Anthony Williams exercised this administrative authority and expanded the program to provide up to $10,000 per student per year (with a cumulative cap of $50,000) toward the difference between in-state and out-of-state undergraduate tuition and fees at all public colleges and universities nationwide. Student

To become and remain eligible for a grant under the DCTAG program, a student must
be a resident of the District of Columbia; be a citizen, national, or permanent resident of the United States; be able to provide evidence from the Immigration and Naturalization Service that he or she is in the United States for other than a temporary purpose with the intention of becoming a citizen or permanent resident; or be a citizen of any one of the Freely Associated States; be enrolled or accepted for enrollment, on at least a half-time basis, in a degree, certificate, or other program (including a study-abroad program approved for credit by the student's home institution) leading to a recognized educational credential at an eligible institution; maintain satisfactory progress in his or her course of study, as defined by Section 484(c) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended; not be in default on a federal student loan; be 24 years of age or younger at the time of initial application, unless enrolled in the program prior to the 2006–2007 academic year; have either graduated from a secondary school or received the equivalent of a secondary school diploma or have been accepted for enrollment as a freshman at an eligible institution; and be domiciled in the District of Columbia for not less than the 12 consecutive months preceding enrollment at an eligible IHE, if undergraduate study is started within three calendar years (excepting periods of National Service or service in the Armed Forces or the Peace Corps) of high school graduation or its equivalent or be domiciled in the District of Columbia for not less than five consecutive years preceding enrollment at an eligible IHE, if undergraduate study is started more than three calendar years after high school graduation or its equivalent. Post-baccalaureate students who have already earned a bachelor's degree or students whose family's federal taxable income equals or exceeds $1,000,000 annually are ineligible to participate in the DCTAG program. Students Served

As of April 2013, a total of 19,664 students have received approximately $317.5 million in DCTAG awards and have attended over 600 IHEs in 49 states. Analysis of Grant Benefits

While there has been a substantial increase in the amount appropriated for the DCTAG program from its inception (see Table 2 ), there has been no change to the maximum award size in response to the trend of rising postsecondary education costs, which may be leaving many program participants paying more per year for their education than in previous years or possibly limiting their choices of which institution to attend. This section of the report examines the extent to which the maximum award may be bridging the gap between in-state and out-of-state tuition. Individuals who receive DCTAG assistance are also eligible to receive Mayor's Scholars Undergraduate Fund grants.
To address concerns about the public postsecondary education offerings available to District of Columbia residents, the District of Columbia College Access Act of 1999 (P.L. 106-98) established the District of Columbia Tuition Assistance Grant (DCTAG) program. The program is meant to provide college-bound DC residents with a greater array of choices among institutions of higher education by providing grants for undergraduate education. Grants for study at public institutions of higher education (IHEs) nationwide offset the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition and fees, up to $10,000 per year and a cumulative maximum of $50,000. Students may also receive grants of up to $2,500 per year and a cumulative maximum of $12,500 for undergraduate study at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) nationwide and private IHEs in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area.
DCTAG program grants are provided regardless of need or merit. However, to be eligible to receive a program grant, individuals must, among other criteria, be District of Columbia residents; be enrolled or accepted for enrollment on at least a half-time basis in a degree, certificate, or credential granting program; maintain satisfactory progress in their course of study; be 24 years of age or younger; and have received a secondary school diploma or its equivalent. Post-baccalaureate students who have already earned a bachelor's degree or students whose family's federal taxable income equals or exceeds $1 million annually are ineligible to participate.
As of February 2012, a total of 18,663 students have received a total of $307 million in DCTAG awards and have attended over 600 institutions of higher education (IHEs) in 49 states. There has been a substantial increase in the amount appropriated for the DCTAG program since its inception (from $17 million in FY2000 to $28.4 million in FY2013), but there has been no change to the maximum award size in response to rising postsecondary education costs, which may be leaving many program participants paying more per year for their education than in previous years or possibly limiting their choices of which institution to attend.
This report first discusses the history of the DCTAG program and the events and legislation leading up to its passage. It then describes the program's administration, including recipient eligibility and the amount of award available based on the type of institution attended, award interaction with federal student aid, and funding. Next, the report presents DCTAG performance data, such as the types of institutions DCTAG recipients primarily attend and the types of students served by the program (e.g., the number of grants received, by DC ward). Finally, the report provides an analysis of grant benefits and discusses the extent to which DCTAG awards may be bridging the gap between in-state and out-of-state tuition.