IB
Union Calendar No. 88
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 974
[Report No. 106–158, Part I]
To establish a program to afford high school graduates from the District
of Columbia the benefits of in-State tuition at State colleges and univer-
sities outside the District of Columbia, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 4, 1999
Mr. DAVIS of Virginia (for himself, Ms. NORTON, Mrs. MORELLA, Mr. HOYER,
Mr. WYNN, Mr. HORN, Mr. CUNNINGHAM, Mr. EHRLICH, and Mr.
MORAN of Virginia) introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee
on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within
the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
MAY 24, 1999
Additional sponsors: Mr. SHAYS, Mr. LEWIS of California, Mr. BOUCHER, Mr.
SCARBOROUGH, and Mrs. MALONEY of New York
MAY 24, 1999
Reported from the Committee on Government Reform
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic]
MAY 24, 1999
Referral to the Committee on Ways and Means extended for a period ending
not later than May 24, 1999
MAY 24, 1999
The Committee on Ways and Means discharged; committed to the Committee
of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on March 4, 1999]
A BILL
To establish a program to afford high school graduates from
the District of Columbia the benefits of in-State tuition
at State colleges and universities outside the District
of Columbia, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘District of Columbia
College Access Act’’.
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.
There is hereby established the District of Columbia
College Access Scholarship Program (hereafter in this Act
referred to as the ‘‘Program’’) under which the Mayor of
the District of Columbia shall award scholarships in ac-
cordance with section 4 using amounts in the District of
Columbia College Access Fund established under section 3.
SEC. 3. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA COLLEGE ACCESS FUND.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is hereby established on
the books of the government of the District of Columbia the
District of Columbia College Access Fund (hereafter in this
Act referred to as the ‘‘Fund’’), which shall consist of the
following amounts:
(1) Amounts appropriated to the Fund under
law.
(2) Gifts and bequests.
(3) Refunds paid under section 4(b)(4).
(4) Interest earned on the balance of the Fund.
(b) ADMINISTRATION.—The Mayor of the District of
Columbia shall administer the Fund, in consultation with
the Secretary of Education.
(c) USE OF FUND.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Amounts in the Fund shall be
used solely to award scholarships in accordance with
section 4, except that not more than 10 percent of the
balance of the Fund with respect to a fiscal year may
be used for the administration of the Fund during
such year.
(2) DETERMINATION OF AMOUNT AVAILABLE FOR
SCHOLARSHIPS.—With respect to each academic year
for which scholarships may be awarded under this
Act, the Mayor shall determine the amount available
from the Fund for awarding scholarships.
(d) INVESTMENT.—The Mayor shall invest such por-
tion of the Fund as is not in the judgment of the Mayor
required to make current payments for scholarships. Such
investments shall be in such form as the Mayor considers
appropriate.
SEC. 4. ADMINISTRATION OF SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.
(a) APPLICATIONS.—Any qualified graduate seeking a
scholarship under the Program shall submit an application
to the Mayor in such form and containing such information
as the Mayor may prescribe by regulation. The Mayor shall
make applications for scholarships under the Program
available not later than October 1 of the academic year pre-
ceding the academic year for which the scholarships will
be awarded, and shall announce the recipients of scholar-
ships under this section not later than a date determined
by the Mayor in consultation with the Secretary of Edu-
cation.
(b) AWARDS AUTHORIZED.—
(1) AWARDS TO EACH QUALIFIED GRADUATE.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—From the amount avail-
able from the Fund under section 3(c)(2) for any
academic year, the Mayor shall award scholar-
ships to each qualified graduate submitting an
application that is approved pursuant to sub-
section (a).
(B) AWARDS
TO
STUDENTS
AT
ELIGIBLE
PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS BASED ON IN-STATE TUI-
TION.—Subject to subparagraph (D) and para-
graph (2), such scholarship shall provide, for at-
tendance at an eligible public institution located
outside the District of Columbia, an amount
equal to the difference between—
(i) the amount of the tuition normally
charged by that institution to a student who
is not a resident of the State in which that
institution is located for the program of in-
struction in which the qualified graduate is
enrolled or accepted for enrollment; and
(ii) the amount of the tuition normally
charged by that institution to a student who
is a resident of such State for such program
of instruction, or the amount of the tuition
normally charged by that institution to a
student who is a resident of the county in
which the institution is located for such
program of instruction, whichever is less.
(C) TUITION ASSISTANCE GRANTS TO STU-
DENTS AT ELIGIBLE PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS.—
Subject to paragraph (2), such scholarship shall
provide, for attendance at an eligible private in-
stitution, a tuition assistance grant in a uni-
form amount determined by the Mayor, not to
exceed $3,000 for the academic year.
(D) CAP
ON
AMOUNT
PROVIDED.—The
amount of a scholarship provided to an indi-
vidual under subparagraph (B) for an academic
year may not exceed $10,000.
(2) RATABLE
REDUCTION
IF
FUNDS
INSUFFI-
CIENT.—If the amount available from the Fund under
section 3(c)(2) for any academic year is not sufficient
to pay the scholarship amount determined under
paragraph (1) for each qualified graduate submitting
an application that is approved pursuant to sub-
section (a), the amount of such scholarships shall be
ratably reduced. If additional sums become available
for such academic year, such reduced scholarships
shall be increased on the same basis as they were re-
duced (until the amount allotted equals the amount
determined under paragraph (1)).
(3) DISBURSEMENT.—The scholarships awarded
under this section shall be disbursed to the eligible in-
stitution at which the qualified graduate is enrolled
or accepted for enrollment by check or other means
that is payable to and requires the endorsement or
other certification by such graduate.
(4) REFUNDS.—The Mayor may prescribe such
regulations as may be necessary to provide for the re-
fund to the Fund of a portion of the amount awarded
under this section in the event a recipient of a schol-
arship under this section withdraws from an institu-
tion during a period of enrollment in which the re-
cipient began attendance.
(c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this Act
shall be construed to require an institution of higher edu-
cation to alter the institution’s admissions policies or
standards in any manner in order for a qualified graduate
to receive a scholarship to attend such institution under this
Act.
(d) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section:
(1) QUALIFIED GRADUATE.—The term ‘‘qualified
graduate’’ means an individual who—
(A) has been a resident of the District of
Columbia for not less than the 12 consecutive
months preceding the academic year for which
the scholarship is sought;
(B) begins his or her undergraduate course
of study within the 3 calendar years (excluding
any period of service on active duty in the
Armed Forces of the United States, in the Peace
Corps or Americorps) of graduating from a sec-
ondary school, or receiving the recognized equiva-
lent of a secondary school diploma;
(C) is enrolled or accepted for enrollment in
a degree, certificate, or other program (including
a program of study abroad approved for credit
by the institution at which such student is en-
rolled) leading to a recognized educational cre-
dential at an eligible institution;
(D) if the student is presently enrolled at
an institution, is maintaining satisfactory
progress in the course of study the student is
pursuing, as determined under section 484(c) of
the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1091(c));
(E) is a citizen or national of the United
States, a permanent resident of the United
States, able to provide evidence from the Immi-
gration and Naturalization Service that he or
she is in the United States for other than a tem-
porary purpose with the intention of becoming a
citizen or permanent resident, or a citizen of the
Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated
States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau;
(F) does not owe a refund on grants pre-
viously received under title IV of the Higher
Education Act of 1965, and is not in default on
any loan made, insured, or guaranteed under
such title;
(G) has not completed his or her first un-
dergraduate baccalaureate course of study; and