[House Report 108-527]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



108th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session                                                     108-527

======================================================================



 
  PERMANENT AUTHORIZATION OF DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA TUITION ASSISTANCE 
                                PROGRAMS

                                _______
                                

  June 8, 2004.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
              State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

  Mr. Tom Davis of Virginia, from the Committee on Government Reform, 
                        submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 4012]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

      The Committee on Government Reform, to whom was referred 
the bill (H.R. 4012) to amend the District of Columbia College 
Access Act of 1999 to permanently authorize the public school 
and private school tuition assistance programs established 
under the Act, having considered the same, report favorably 
thereon without amendment and recommend that the bill do pass.

                                CONTENTS

                                                                   Page
Committee Statement and Views....................................     2
Section-by-Section...............................................     2
Explanation of Amendments........................................     2
Committee Consideration..........................................     3
Rollcall Votes...................................................     3
Application of Law to the Legislative Branch.....................     3
Statement of Oversight Findings and Recommendations of the 
  Committee......................................................     3
Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives............     3
Constitutional Authority Statement...............................     3
Federal Advisory Committee Act...................................     3
Unfunded Mandate Statement.......................................     3
Committee Estimate...............................................     4
Budget Authority and Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate...     4
Changes in Existing Law made by the Bill as Reported.............     6

                     Committee Statement and Views


                          PURPOSE AND SUMMARY

    H.R. 4012 amends the District of Columbia College Access 
Act of 1999 to reauthorize the District of Columbia Tuition 
Assistance Grant Program.

                BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR THE LEGISLATION

    In 1999, Congress passed P.L. 106-98, the District of 
Columbia College Access Act, authorizing the establishment of a 
Tuition Assistance Grant Program in the Nation's Capital, 
providing limited financial assistance to D.C. high school 
graduates pursuing higher education opportunities in colleges 
and universities in other States. The legislation authorized 
funding for the Program for five years (FY00--FY05). H.R. 4012 
extends the authorization for the Program beyond the FY05 
expiration.

                          LEGISLATIVE HEARINGS

    On March 25, 2004, the Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Maintaining a Level Playing Field for D.C. Graduates: 
Legislation to Reauthorize the D.C. College Access Act.'' The 
purpose of the hearing was to assess the impact that the D.C. 
College Tuition Assistance Grant Program has had on high school 
graduates in the Nation's Capital. In addition to D.C. Mayor 
Anthony Williams, other witnesses at the hearing included Ms. 
Kelly Valentine, Acting Director of the District of Columbia 
Tuition Assistance Grant Program; Ms. Argelia Rodriguez, 
Executive Director of the District of Columbia College Access 
Program; Mr. Brian Ford a former DCTAG Recipient; and Mr. 
Anthony Talley, Director of Guidance and Counseling at 
Washington Math Science Technology Public Charter High School.

                           Section-By-Section


Section 1. Permanent authorization of tuition assistance programs

    This section amends the D.C. College Access Act of 1999 by 
striking ``each of the five succeeding fiscal years'' and 
inserting ``each succeeding fiscal year'' in section 3, the 
public school program section, and in section 5, the private 
school program section. Since the legislation authorizes such 
sums as may be appropriated for the Program on an annual basis, 
this report instructs the appropriations committee to consider 
(1) annual increases in tuition costs at the schools most 
commonly attended by D.C. high school graduates, (2) increases 
in the number of students participating in the Program, (3) the 
level of funding necessary to ensure that financial assistance 
to D.C. high school graduates participating in the Program will 
not need to be ratably reduced, to the extent practicable, as a 
result of increasing student enrollment, and (4) inflationary 
pressures that may impact the ability of District residents to 
cover costs associated with higher education.

                       Explanation of Amendments

    No amendments were adopted in committee.

                        Committee Consideration

    On April 1, 2004, the Committee met in open session and 
ordered reported favorably the bill, H.R. 4012, by voice vote, 
a quorum being present.

                             Rollcall Votes

    No rollcall votes were held.

              Application of Law to the Legislative Branch

    Section 102(b)(3) of Public Law 104-1 requires a 
description of the application of this bill to the legislative 
branch where the bill relates to the terms and conditions of 
employment or access to public services and accommodations. 
This bill provides limited financial assistance to D.C. high 
school graduates pursuing higher education opportunities in 
colleges and universities in other States. Legislative branch 
employees and their families, to the extent that they are 
otherwise eligible for the benefits provided by this 
legislation, have equal access to its benefits.

  Statement of Oversight Findings and Recommendations of the Committee

    In compliance with clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII and clause 
(2)(b)(1) of rule X of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives, the Committee's oversight findings and 
recommendations are reflected in the descriptive portions of 
this report.

         Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives

    Clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives requires a statement of general performance 
goals. The Committee expects that the bill will provide limited 
financial assistance to D.C. high school graduates pursuing 
higher education opportunities in colleges and universities in 
other States.

                   Constitutional Authority Statement

    Under clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House 
of Representatives, the Committee must include a statement 
citing the specific powers granted to Congress to enact the law 
proposed by H.R. 4012. Article I, Section 8, Clauses 17 and 18 
of the Constitution of the United States provide Congress the 
power to enact this law.

                     Federal Advisory Committee Act

    The Committee finds that the legislation does not establish 
or authorize the establishment of an advisory committee within 
the definition of 5 U.S.C. App., Section 5(b).

                       Unfunded Mandate Statement

    Section 423 of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment 
Control Act (as amended by Section 101(a)(2) of the Unfunded 
Mandate Reform Act, P.L. 104-4) requires a statement whether 
the provisions of the reported include unfunded mandates. In 
compliance with this requirement the Committee has received a 
letter from the Congressional Budget Office included herein.

                           Committee Estimate

    Clause 3(d)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives requires an estimate and a comparison by the 
Committee of the costs that would be incurred in carrying out 
H.R. 4012. However, clause 3(d)(3)(B) of that rule provides 
that this requirement does not apply when the Committee has 
included in its report a timely submitted cost estimate of the 
bill prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget 
Office under section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act.

     Budget Authority and Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate

    With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(2) of Rule 
XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 
308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 and with respect 
to requirements of clause (3)(c)(3) of Rule XIII of the Rules 
of the House of Representatives and section 402 of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has received 
the following cost estimate for H.R. 4012 from the Director of 
Congressional Budget Office:

H.R. 4012--District of Columbia College Access Act of 2004

    Summary: H.R. 4012 would reauthorize the District of 
Columbia (D.C.) resident tuition support program that was 
established in 1999. The program assists D.C. students who 
graduate from D.C. high schools and attend college by paying 
the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition at 
public institutions (up to $10,000 per year0 or up to $2,500 
annually for those attending private schools.
    Assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts, CBO 
estimates that H.R. 4012 would result in additional 
discretionary spending of $106 million over the 2006-2009 
period. The bill would not affect direct spending or receipts.
    H.R. 4012 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) 
and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal 
governments.
    Estimated cost to the Federal Government: The estimated 
federal budgetary impact of H.R. 4012 is presented in the 
following table. The costs of this legislation fall within 
budget function 500 (education, training, employment, and 
social services).

                                    ESTIMATED BUDGETARY EFFECTS OF H.R. 4012
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                  By fiscal year, in millions of dollars--
                                                           -----------------------------------------------------
                                                              2004     2005     2006     2007     2008     2009
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                        SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION

Spending Under Current Law:
    Estimated Authorization Level \1\.....................       17       17        0        0        0        0
    Estimated Outlays.....................................       17       17        0        0        0        0
Proposed Changes:
    Public institution tuition grants:
        Estimated Authorization Level.....................        0        0       20       22       23       25
        Estimated Outlays.................................        0        0       20       22       23       25
    Private institution tuition grants:
        Estimated Authorization Level.....................        0        0        2        2        2        2
        Estimated Outlays.................................        0        0        2        2        2        2
    Administrative costs:
        Estimated Authorization Level.....................        0        0        2        2        2        2
        Estimated Outlays.................................        0        0        2        2        2        2
Total changes:
    Estimated Authorization Level.........................        0        0       24       26       28       29
    Estimated Outlays.....................................        0        0       24       26       28       29
Spending Under H.R. 4012:
    Estimated Authorization Level \1\.....................       17       17       24       26       28       29
    Estimated Outlays.....................................       17       17       24       26       28       29
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The 2004 level is the amount appropriated for that year for the current tuition support program.
Notes.--Components may not sum to totals because of rounding.

    Basis of estimate: For this estimate, CBO assumes that H.R. 
4012 will be enacted in September 2004 and that the necessary 
amounts will be appropriated for each year.

                              CURRENT LAW

    Under current law, the D.C. resident tuition support 
program, administered by the Mayor provides financial 
assistance to D.C. residents who choose to attend public 
colleges outside of D.C., private postsecondary institutions in 
D.C. or in one of the surrounding jurisdictions in Maryland or 
Virginia, or historically black colleges or universities 
(HBCUs). The private-school tuition grants are restricted to 
nonprofit institutions. The overall program is currently 
authorized through 2005.
    The program received appropriations of $17 million annually 
for fiscal years 2000 through 2004, and is authorized to 
receive $17 million in appropriations in 2005. The amounts 
appropriated are paid in full to the District each year, 
regardless of when the grants are actually disbursed. For 
academic year 2003-2004, 4,086 students received grants 
averaging $5,377, for a total of $22 million. (The program drew 
on unused funds from previous years to make those grants.) The 
public school program awarded 3,111 grants averaging about 
$6,400; students in private institutions represented an 
additional 975 grantees with the average award amounting to 
about $2,100.
    Eligibility for the tuition support is limited to D.C. 
residents who graduate from high school or receive the 
equivalent of a secondary school diploma and reside in D.C. for 
at least 12 consecutive months prior to beginning the freshman 
year in an eligible institution. For those who wish to attend 
state-supported public institutions outside of the District, 
the program provides scholarships equal to the difference 
between the tuition paid by residents of the state in which the 
institution is located and the tuition charged to nonresident 
students, but not to exceed $10,000 annually, with a lifetime 
limit of $50,000. In addition, it provides a $2,500 maximum 
annual scholarship--with a lifetime limit of $12,500--for those 
who choose to attend a private institution in D.C. or in one of 
the surrounding jurisdictions in Maryland or Virginia. Private 
HBCUs are included regardless of where they are located. The 
assistance under each portion of the program is prorated if the 
student is enrolled in a less-than-full-time program. 
Administrative expenses of operating the program are limited to 
no more than 7 percent of the total tuition grants.

                           PROPOSED EXTENSION

    H. R. 4012 would permanently authorize the appropriation of 
such sums as may be necessary for the D.C. resident tuition 
support program. Based on data from the administrators of the 
program, the Bureau of the Census, and the U.S. Department of 
Education, CBO projects that about 3,725 students would receive 
tuition assistance during academic year 2005-2006 and that this 
number would climb to over 4,100 students by the 2008-2009 
academic year, if sufficient funds were available. CBO projects 
that the proportion of students attending public institutions 
would remain near its current 76-percent share. Assuming that 
out-of-state tuition at public institutions continues to rise 
at rates somewhat above overall inflation, CBO estimates the 
average public tuition assistance payment would rise from 
$6,925 in 2005-2006 to $7,790 by 2008-2009. The average grant 
in the private school program would grow more slowly--from 
$2,230 in 2005-2006 to nearly $2,400 by 2008-2009--because many 
grantees would be at the $2,500 maximum. Consequently, CBO 
estimates that the amount spent for grants would grow from 
about $22 million for the 2005-2006 academic year to about $27 
million for the 2008-2009 academic year, assuming appropriation 
of the necessary funds. Assuming that administrative costs 
equal 7 percent of the total costs, those expenses would climb 
from $1.7 million in 2006 to $2.1 million in 2009.
    Intergovernmental and private-sector impact: H.R. 4012 
contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as 
defined in UMRA and would impose no costs on state, local, or 
tribal governments.
    Estimate prepared by: Federal Costs: Paul Cullinan and 
Michael Carson; Impact on State, Local, and Tribal Governments: 
Sarah Puro; and Impact on the Private Sector: Nabeel Alsalam.
    Estimate approved by: Robert A. Sunshine, Assistant 
Director for Budget Analysis.

         Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported

  In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by 
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (existing law 
proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new 
matter is printed in italics, existing law in which no change 
is proposed is shown in roman):

            DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA COLLEGE ACCESS ACT OF 1999


(Sections 2702 and 2704 of title 38, District of Columbia Code)

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


SEC. 3. PUBLIC SCHOOL PROGRAM.

  (a) * * *

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

  (i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to 
be appropriated to the District of Columbia to carry out this 
section $12,000,000 for fiscal year 2000 and (subject to 
section 7) such sums as may be necessary for [each of the five 
succeeding fiscal years] each succeeding fiscal year. Such 
funds shall remain available until expended.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


SEC. 5. PRIVATE SCHOOL PROGRAM.

  (a) * * *

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

  (f ) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized 
to be appropriated to the District of Columbia to carry out 
this section $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2000 and (subject to 
section 7) such sums as may be necessary for [each of the five 
succeeding fiscal years] each succeeding fiscal year. Such 
funds shall remain available until expended.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


                                  
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