The District of Columbia Tuition Assistance Grant will pay up to $10,000 of the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition per year for a D.C. resident to attend a public college or university in the U.S., Guam or Puerto Rico, up to a lifetime maximum of $50,000. The program will pay up to $2,500 of the tuition at Historically Black Colleges and Universities nationwide, and at private colleges and universities in the D.C. metropolitan area, which includes Virginia and Maryland. The schools are not granting in-state tuition to D.C. residents; it is the D.C. government that is paying part of the student's tuition.
To be eligible for tuition assistance under the DCTAG program, the student must be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen, have been a resident of D.C. for at least 12 months, have a high school diploma or GED, be accepted to a college or university to work on a first undergraduate degree, maintain satisfactory academic progress as defined by the college or university, attend college at least half-time, be no older than age 24, have a household income less than $1 million, and not have defaulted on previous school loans.
Apply for the program using the DC OneApp online application. This also submits your application to DCLEAP, a need-based grant of $950 to help low-income students with the total costs of going to college. You will also need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as FAFSA, which is a required federal form used to determine level of need when requesting financial aid for college, and submit supporting documentation.
Applying for the DCTAG requires submitting documents that prove eligibility: the Student Aid Report provided after completing the FAFSA, a certified copy of the previous year's D.C. tax return, a current utility bill, pay stub or bank/mortgage statement listing the applicant or parents/guardians showing name and address, proof of high school completion, and the Affirmation and Legal Disclaimer Statement found in the OneApp. All supporting documents must be mailed together or hand delivered at the same time.