DCTAG Expands Educational Opportunities for DC Residents

Northern Virginia Community College

Not to be confused with the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant (VTAG), the DC Tuition Assistance Grant (DCTAG) was created by Congress to expand higher education choices for District residents by providing grants of up to $10,000 per academic year toward the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition at public four-year colleges and universities in the U.S., Guam, and Puerto Rico for a lifetime maximum of $50,000.

And lucky for DC residents, DCTAG also provides up to $2,500 per academic year toward tuition at private colleges in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, private Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU’s), as well as two-year colleges nationwide.  Community college reimbursement is capped at $10,000, but students attending authorized private colleges may receive up to $12,500.

To be eligible, applicants must:

• be a U.S. citizen or have eligible non-citizenship status;
• be a D.C. resident for at least 12 consecutive months prior to the applicant’s first time in college;
• continuously reside in the District throughout college matriculation;
• not be in default status with federal student loans:
• be a high school graduate or GED recipient accepted for enrollment in, or working towards a first undergraduate degree on at least a half-time basis; 
• meet and maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) as defined by the college/university:
• be 24 years of age or younger; and
• not have DC taxable income exceeding $1 million annually.

By any standard, this has been an enormously successful program.  Over 16,000 students have benefited from DCTAG in the last ten years—effectively doubling the District’s college-going rate.

According to DCTAG, included among the most popular participating colleges for DC residents are Bowie State University, Coppin State University, Frostburg State University, George Mason University, George Washington University, Hampton University, Howard University, Marymount University, Montgomery Community College, Morgan State University, Norfolk State University, Northern Virginia Community College, and Prince George’s Community College.

Other popular colleges include College of Charleston, Delaware State University, Morehouse College, Pennsylvania State University, and Rutgers State University.

For more information on the application process and a complete list of DCTAG eligible institutions, visit the webpages posted on the DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education.