Enrollment in DCTAG. DCTAG  program data indicate the majority of recipients over academic years  2007–2016 graduated from D.C.’s public high school system—both  traditional public schools and public charter schools. Although in  2007 federal law limited eligibility for DCTAG to students from families  with annual taxable incomes less than $1,000,000, DCTAG  enrollment data show the program made awards to students from  families with a wide range of household taxable incomes in academic  years 2009−2016. DCTAG program data indicate that  for academic years 2007−2016, about 50 percent of recipients came  from the three D.C. wards with the lowest median household incomes,  according to American Community Survey estimates (see fig. Specifically, OSSE officials told us they  determined out-of-state-tuition at 2-year public institutions attended by  DCTAG recipients exceeded in-state tuition by an average of $4,500  per year. DCTAG and Its Partners Help Recipients Prepare for College, Complete Applications for Financial Aid, and Stay on Track to Graduate

DCTAG partners with other entities to offer support services intended to  help D.C. students prepare for college, apply for financial aid, and stay on  track to graduate college. These partners include other entities within  OSSE, as well as partners in the broader community such as public and  private high school officials and college access providers. DCTAG  provides some support services directly to students, such as individual  counseling on how to complete a DCTAG application (see fig. OSSE’s Reporting to Key Stakeholders on DCTAG Does Not Include Program Performance Information

We found that although OSSE communicates DCTAG’s program data  and activities to internal stakeholders, Congress, and the public in various  formats, these reporting methods do not include the program’s four goals  (see textbox), relate performance information to these program goals, or  describe progress toward achieving them (see table 1). Federal standards for internal control state that program managers should  communicate necessary quality information so both internal and external  parties can help the program achieve its objectives. Unless DCTAG’s stakeholders have access to an annual report that  relates performance information to the program’s goals, they may be  limited in their ability to judge the significance of what is being reported,  determine whether the agency is making progress toward achieving its  goals, or make informed program management and funding decisions. However,  without annual reports that relate DCTAG’s performance information to  the program’s goals, it is difficult to assess the impact of the program and  its support services. (Recommendation 1)

	Agency Comments and Our Evaluation

We provided a draft of this report to the Mayor of the District of Columbia  for review and comment. In response to our recommendation, the Mayor stated that  OSSE plans to expand DCTAG’s current annual reports to Congress with  direct links to DCTAG’s annual strategic performance goals and the  reports will combine data points to illustrate the program’s performance. We are sending copies of this report to the appropriate congressional  committees, the District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent of  Education, and other interested parties.
Why GAO Did This Study

Congress funds DCTAG through an annual appropriation, which was $40 million in fiscal year 2018. DCTAG provides D.C. residents up to $10,000 per year to attend college.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017, included a provision for GAO to review DCTAG. This report examines, among other things, the characteristics of DCTAG recipients and steps taken by the program to support recipients, as well as the extent to which OSSE reports DCTAG's performance to internal and external stakeholders.
GAO assessed the most recent data available on DCTAG, covering academic years 2007–2016, as well as data on college graduation, tuition, and fees from the Department of Education's Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System for academic years 2007–2016, and data on enrollment in high schools and median household income in D.C. from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey for 2007–2016; interviewed representatives of DCTAG and the entities it partners with to support recipients; and reviewed relevant laws, the applicability of standards for internal control, and guidance on performance management.

What GAO Found

The federally funded District of Columbia Tuition Assistance Grant (DCTAG) program was created in 1999 to give college-bound District of Columbia (D.C.) residents greater choices among institutions of higher education. Since its creation, the DCTAG program has awarded over $440 million to more than 26,000 residents to defray costs charged to out-of-state residents at some of the nation's public colleges and universities. While the program serves students from families with a wide range of household incomes, about half the students receiving a DCTAG award in academic years 2007–2016 came from the three D.C. wards with the lowest household incomes, as the figure below illustrates. DCTAG coordinates with public and private partners in the community to help students prepare for college, complete financial aid applications, and stay on track to graduate college.
Although the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), which manages DCTAG on behalf of the Mayor of the District of Columbia, issues various annual reports, these reports do not relate program performance to the program's four goals. One of these goals is to help D.C. students make smarter college choices. OSSE officials stated that they regularly communicate information about DCTAG data and activities internally and externally. However, these efforts do not provide the context necessary for program managers, Congress, or the public to understand the program's goals, nor determine whether DCTAG is making progress toward meeting them. Standards for internal control state that program managers should communicate information that internal and external stakeholders need to help the program achieve its objectives. Absent an annual report relating performance to goals, DCTAG's stakeholders will be limited in their ability to assess the program's performance or identify opportunities to improve it.

What GAO Recommends

GAO recommends OSSE issue annual reports relating DCTAG's performance to program goals. In response to the recommendation, the Mayor stated that OSSE will expand annual reporting to include direct linkages and combine data points to better illustrate the program's performance.