[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 12 (Monday, January 22, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S830-S831]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. VOINOVICH (for himself, Mr. Brownback, Mr. Akaka, and Ms. 
        Landrieu):
  S. 343. A bill to extend the District of Columbia College Access Act 
of 1999; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
Affairs.
  Mr. VOINOVICH. Mr. President, today I am pleased to introduce 
legislation to reauthorize the District of Columbia Tuition Assistance 
Grant (D.C. TAG) program for an additional five years. This successful 
program, which began in 2000, has produced dramatic results in higher 
education in the District of Columbia by enabling District students to 
choose a college that best suits their educational needs.
  One of the most worthwhile things I have done during my time in the 
Senate was to sponsor the legislation that created the D.C. TAG 
program. The aim of this program is to assist District students who do 
not have access to State-supported education systems. Originally, the 
D.C. TAG program provided District residents with grant funding to pay 
the difference between in-State and out-of-State tuition at State 
universities nationwide. D.C. TAG participants are eligible for up to 
$l0,000 per student per school year, capped at $50,000. Since March 
2002, District students attending private institutions in Maryland and 
Virginia, as well as Historically Black Colleges and Universities 
nationwide are eligible to receive tuition grants of $2,500 per student 
per school year, capped at $12,500.
  Since the programs inception, more than 26,000 grants have been 
dispersed to 9,769 District students, amounting to approximately $141 
million. As a result, the District has seen a 50 percent increase in 
college attendance. Our States have benefited from having these 
talented students attending their universities. In Ohio, District 
students attend nine of our colleges and universities with grants 
valued at $500,000. Reauthorizing this successful program will ensure 
that D.C. TAG grants are available for future generations of deserving 
District high school students.
  As the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Oversight of Government 
Management, the Federal Workforce and the District of Columbia, I am 
committed to ensuring quality educational opportunities for District 
residents. I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                 S. 343

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. 5-YEAR REAUTHORIZATION OF TUITION ASSISTANCE 
                   PROGRAMS.

       (a) Public School Program.--Section 3(i) of the District of 
     Columbia College Access Act of 1999 (sec. 38-2702(i), D.C. 
     Official Code) is amended by striking ``each of the 7 
     succeeding fiscal years'' and inserting ``each of the 12 
     succeeding fiscal years''.
       (b) Private School Program.--Section 5(f) of such Act (sec. 
     38-2704(f), D.C. Official

[[Page S831]]

     Code) is amended by striking ``each of the 7 succeeding 
     fiscal years'' and inserting ``each of the 12 succeeding 
     fiscal years''.
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