revive and Reclaim DC TAG
A Brief history …
Institutions for higher education in America are not without a significant financial burden. To combat the money that is needed to fund a student’s pursuit of higher education, in and out-of-state tuition was designed to properly compensate students whose taxes directly funded their respective flagship college. However, DC doesn't have a state flagship college, since it’s a district, thus all colleges that a student wants to attend would be at full price. Thus, following the District of Columbia College Access Act of 1999, the DC Tuition Aid Grant (DC TAG) was created as a means to fill the growing gap between in-state and out-of-state tuition for DC students.
At the time $10,000 was the difference between the two tuition options and functioned well. However, due to inflation over the past 2 decades, the gap has grown to an average of $30,000-$40,000 between tuition values (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). Even with this steady growth in out-of-state tuition, DCTAG has not adjusted for inflation and stays at an inconsequential $10,000.
Data courtesy of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Visuals courtesy of visualcapitalist.com
Reality & Results
The average DC student has a family household income of $100,000. On paper, this may seem like a bunch of money; however, let's look at the average annual tuition of some common state flagship schools that DC students may apply to.
While some public institutions, such as Ohio State University, offer lower prices than those mentioned above, the difference between the two metrics still falls within the $30,000 - $35,000 range. These prices are not only exorbitantly high, but the difference between in-state and out-of-state costs is often double, and sometimes triple, the amount of DC TAG.
Realistically, the average DC student cannot allocate up to 70% of their family’s income each year for college. As a result, students are compelled to take out loans with amounts higher than they have likely ever encountered before. This situation is all too familiar for students in DC, which has the highest average student debt rate, with a gap of nearly $15,000 from the second highest.
Average Difference between In & out of state tuition
What you can do
To properly correct the mistakes made by the federal government in the upkeep of DC TAG, the most direct form is to appeal to the DC City Council, which oversees the direct budgeting of the federal government’s funding for all of DC.
By bringing this resounding issue to the Counsil’s attention, not only will students in DC be able to break free from the looming burdens of student debt, but it will also aid in the development of the nation as a whole— enabling students from every major city in the US to attain their right to a higher education.
Sign the petition
By signing this petition, not only are you fighting for the rights of every single student in the District of Columbia, but you are also aiding in the development of the United States for the better.