DC TAG Increase to 15,000?!
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Anonymous
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Just received this email from Mayor Bowser's office:
January 16, 2026 Letter from the Mayor Dear Washingtonians, For the past 25 years, the DC Tuition Assistance Grant program (DCTAG) has helped nearly 40,000 Washingtonians afford college and earn degrees. In that time, DC residents have attended more than 700 colleges and universities nationwide. Just this school year, 5,057 students were approved for DCTAG — the highest number of eligible students in over five years. Last school year, more than 4,500 students received DCTAG tuition assistance. We also know, however, that in the years since the program was founded in 2000, the cost of attending college has skyrocketed. So, for the past decade, we have advocated and worked with our partners in Congress to increase the annual award as well as the lifetime cap. This week, we got some good news out of Congress: the initial draft of the bipartisan Financial Services and General Government spending bill includes the first-ever and much-needed increases for DCTAG, raising the maximum annual award from $10,000 to $15,000 and the lifetime cap from $50,000 to $75,000. These increases are a critical step toward addressing rising college costs and expanding access to affordable higher education for even more DC residents. The bill also includes protections for our local funds to prevent what we experienced last year when we essentially lost a billion dollars in the middle of the fiscal year. It also includes $90 million for the Emergency Planning and Security Fund. As federal activity increases and more visitors come to our nation’s capital for the yearlong celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, this funding is essential for ensuring that Washington, DC can continue to support our federal partners in keeping our streets and public spaces safe. We thank our partners in Congress for including these critical provisions that will benefit Washington, DC – residents and visitors alike. We are grateful to the House of Representatives for approving this measure and we urge the Senate to act swiftly to pass it. Sincerely, Muriel Bowser As the mom of a HS junior, this would be wonderful. |
Anonymous
| The one good thing from the Hill as of late. Pretty cool! |
Anonymous
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Yeah, I actually thought it was an email about sunsetting DC TAG or program reductions when I saw the title.
- OP |
Anonymous
| Do we know how the means testing works under the new rules? |
Anonymous
| Somebody should look up the language. |
Anonymous
| I’m glad it’s not going away but jfc the bar is so low. $15k is still not putting us on par with in-state tuition costs. |
Anonymous
Depends on the school. Either way an extra $5k is getting closer. As the mom of a HS junior I am grateful this is a possibility. |
Anonymous
| Does lifetime cap mean per family or per student? |
Anonymous
per student |
Anonymous
| It’s a draft of a bill. Nothing more. She introduces this every year. It won’t pass Congress |
Anonymous
And it's available at any state school. Others are limited to the state schools in the state where they live. That's a huge benefit for DC residents. |
Anonymous
That is completely incorrect. It absolutely covers most instate tuition. Not room and board. |
Anonymous
Where? |
Anonymous
| The income threshold is so high, how could only 5,057 students have used this last year? Do they cap the # of kids that can use this? |
Anonymous
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https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/7006/text
Sec. 820. The District of Columbia College Access Act of 1999 (sec. 38–2701 et seq., D.C. Official Code), is amended— (1) in section 3— (A) in subsection (a)(2)(A), by striking “$10,000” and inserting “$15,000”; (B) in subsection (a)(2)(B), by striking “$50,000” and inserting “$75,000”; |