District of Columbia College Access Improvement Act of 2002
PL 107-157 (H.R.1499), enacted 04/04/2002

116 STAT. 118 
PUBLIC LAW 107-157—APR. 4, 2002 
Public Law 107-157 
107th Congress 
An Act 
To amend the District of Columbia College Access Act of 1999 to permit individuals 
who enroll in an institution of higher education more than 3 years after graduating 
P^" ' 
from a secondary school and individuals who attend private historically black 
[H.R. 1499] 
colleges and universities nationwide to participate in the tuition assistance pro-
grams under such Act, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 
of 
District of 
the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
Coliunbia College 
Access 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
of 2002^"^^° ^ 
This Act may be cited as the "District of Columbia College 
Access Improvement Act of 2002". 
SEC. 2. PUBLIC SCHOOL PROGRAM. 
Section 3(c)(2) of the District of Columbia College Access Act 
of 1999 (sec. 38-2702(c)(2), D.C. Official Code) is amended by 
striking subparagraphs (A) through (C) and inserting the following: 
"(A)(i) in the case of an individual who begins an 
undergraduate course of study within 3 calendar years 
(excluding any period of service on active duty in the armed 
forces, or service under the Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 
2501 et seq.) or subtitle D of title I of the National and 
Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12571 et seq.)) 
of graduation from a secondary school, or obtaining the 
recognized equivalent of a secondary school diploma, was 
domiciled in the District of Columbia for not less than 
the 12 consecutive months preceding the commencement 
of the freshman year at an institution of higher education; 
"(ii) in the case of an individual who graduated from 
a secondary school or received the recognized equivalent 
of a secondary school diploma before January 1, 1998, 
and is currently enrolled at an eligible institution as of 
the date of enactment of the District of Columbia College 
Access Improvement Act of 2002, was domiciled in the 
District of Columbia for not less than the 12 consecutive 
months preceding the commencement of the freshman year 
at an institution of higher education; or 
"(iii) in the case of any other individual and an indi-
vidual re-enrolling after more than a 3-year break in the 
individual's post-secondary education, has been domiciled 
in the District of Columbia for at least 5 consecutive years 
at the date of application; 
"(B)(i) graduated from a secondary school or received 
the recognized equivalent of a secondary school diploma 
on or after January 1, 1998; 
PUBLIC LAW 107-157—APR. 4, 2002 
116 STAT. 119 
"(ii) in the case of an individual who did not graduate 
from a secondary school or receive a recognized equivalent 
of a secondary school diploma, is accepted for enrollment 
as a freshman at an eligible institution on or after January 
1, 2002; or 
"(iii) in the case of an individual who graduated from 
a secondary school or received the recognized equivalent 
of a secondary school diploma before January 1, 1998, 
is currently enrolled at an eligible institution as of the 
date of enactment of the District of Columbia College Access 
Improvement Act of 2002; 
"(C) meets the citizenship and immigration status 
requirements described in section 484(a)(5) of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1091(a)(5));". 
SEC. 3. PRIVATE SCHOOL PROGRAM. 
Section 5(c)(1)(B) of the District of Columbia College Access 
Act of 1999 (sec. 38-2704(c)(l)(B), D.C. Official Code) is amended 
by striking "the main campus of which is located in the State 
of Maryland or the Commonwealth of Virginia". 
SEC. 4. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS. 
Section 6 of the District of Columbia College Access Act of 
1999 (sec. 38-2705, D.C. Official Code) is amended— 
(1) by striking subsection (b) and inserting the following: 
"(b) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.— 
"(1) IN GENERAL.—The Mayor of the District of Columbia 
may not use more than 7 percent of the total amount of Federal 
funds appropriated for the program, retroactive to the date 
of enactment of this Act (the District of Columbia College 
Access Act of 1999), for the administrative expenses of the 
program. 
"(2) DEFINITION.—In this subsection, the term 'administra-
tive expenses' means any expenses that are not directly used 
to pay the cost of tuition and fees for eligible students to 
attend eligible institutions."; 
(2) by redesignating subsections (e) and (f) as subsections 
(f) and (g); 
(3) by inserting after subsection (d) the following: 
"(e) LOCAL FUNDS.—It is the sense of Congress that the District 
of Columbia may appropriate such local funds as necessary for 
the programs under sections 3 and 5."; and 
(4) by adding at the end the following: 
"(h) DEDICATED ACCOUNT FOR PROGRAMS.— 
"(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—^The District of Columbia govern-
ment shall establish a dedicated account for the programs 
under sections 3 and 5 consisting of the following amounts: 
"(A) The Federal funds appropriated to carry out such 
programs under this Act or any other Act. 
"(B) Any District of Columbia funds appropriated by 
the District of Columbia to carry out such programs. 
"(C) Any unobligated balances in amounts made avail-
able for such programs in previous fiscal years. 
"(D) Interest earned on balances of the dedicated 
account. 
"(2) USE OF FUNDS.—^Amounts in the dedicated account 
shall be used solely to carry out the programs under sections 
3 and 5.". 
116 STAT. 120 
PUBLIC LAW 107-157—APR. 4, 2002 
SEC. 5
. CONTINUATION OF CURRENT AGGREGATE LEVEL OF 
AUTHORIZATION 
OF 
APPROPRIATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The District of Columbia College Access Act 
of 1999 (sec. 38-2701 et seq., D.C. Official Code) is amended by 
adding at the end the following new section: 
"SEC. 7. LIMIT ON AGGREGATE AMOUNT OF FEDERAL FUNDS FOR 
PUBLIC SCHOOL AND PRIVATE SCHOOL PROGRAMS. 
"The aggregate amount authorized to be appropriated to the 
District of Columbia for the programs under sections 3 and 5 
for any fiscal year may not exceed— 
"(1) $17,000,000, in the case of the aggregate amount for 
fiscal year 2003; 
"(2) $17,000,000, in the case of the aggregate amount for 
fiscal year 2004; or 
"(3) $17,000,000, in the case of the aggregate amount for 
fiscal year 2005.". 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
(1) PUBLIC SCHOOL PROGRAM.—Section 3(i) of such Act (sec. 
38-2702(1), D.C. Official Code) is amended by striking "and 
such sums" and inserting "and (subject to section 7) such sums". 
(2) PRIVATE SCHOOL PROGRAM.—Section 5(f) of such Act 
(sec. 38-2704(f), D.C. Official Code) is amended by striking 
"and such sums" and inserting "and (subject to section 7) such 
sums". 
Approved April 4, 2002. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 1499: 
SENATE REPORTS: No. 107-101 (Comm. on Governmental Affairs). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD: 
Vol. 147 (2001): June 30, considered and passed House. 
Dec. 12, considered and passed Senate, amended. 
Vol. 148 (2002): Mar. 12, House concurred in Senate amendments with an 
amendment pursuant to H. Res. 364. 
Mar. 14, Senate concurred in House amendment.