An evaluation of the District of Columbia College Access Act of 1999 and the College Access Improvement Act of 2002

In the 1990s a few state legislatures passed laws intended to reduce the rate of students dropping out of school; close the educational gaps among the races; help make college affordable, and reward the college-bound to remain in-state. Congress wanted to do all of the above and more. Public Law 106-98 established a tuition subsidy program and Public Law 107-157 expanded the eligibility for both D.C. residents and participating institutions of higher education. This study is an evaluation of the effects of these laws, to determine in part whether the availability of a tuition assistance grant has, in fact "leveled the playing field" for D.C. residents who are seeking a college education. Since 2000, these laws have permitted eligible D.C. residents to apply to public colleges and universities anywhere in the United States, and if admitted, attend by paying the prevailing in-state rates. The difference between the in-state and out-of-state rates is paid for (up to $10,000 per year) by the federally-funded D.C. Tuition Assistance Grant (TAG) program. The evaluation of the documents and the data available from the office of the Mayor of D.C., indicates that this program operates effectively as a tuition subsidy. What is less clear, however, is whether more D.C. residents are attending college because these grants are available. Furthermore, this program is not managed as cost-efficiently as statutory requirements intended. Participation in the program across all of the city's wards which represent a broad socio-economic spectrum suggests equity in implementation practices. After four years, the outcomes are still uncertain for the D.C. TAG program which provides funds for college tuition, but for which academic proficiency is not considered---either at the K--12 level or at the postsecondary level.