Washington, D.C. Scholarships & Grants (2027–2028): DCTAG, Mayor’s Scholars & DC-CAP Deadlines
Last updated: October 29, 2026 · Facts verified against the DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education (osse.dc.gov/dctag) and the DC College Access Program
DC has no state university system, so the District does something no state does: it pays part of the out-of-state bill when your student leaves. That program, the DC Tuition Assistance Grant (DCTAG), got its first raise in 25 years in 2026, and most handouts in circulation still carry the old numbers. This page is written for the Class of 2027, students starting college in fall 2027, which is the 2027–28 aid year. Start with the rule families get wrong most.
The one thing to know first
DCTAG has no GPA requirement, no test score, and an income limit of $642,544.
It is not a need grant and it is not a merit scholarship. If your family has lived in DC for a year before your student starts college, earns under that limit, and your student is headed to an approved school, DCTAG pays up to $15,000 a year toward the gap between in-state and out-of-state tuition at public colleges across the country, including community colleges. At private four-year HBCUs nationwide and private nonprofit colleges in the DC area, it pays up to $3,750 a year. More DC families talk themselves out of this grant than are ever turned down for it.
See who qualifies, what it pays, and how the gap is calculated ↓
And the date: August 21 is the deadline. February is the plan.
The 2026–27 DCTAG application stayed open until August 21, 2026, at 3 p.m., and that late date is why families wait. Do not. Your DCTAG award letter is what turns an out-of-state price into a real number before you pay a deposit. DC-CAP asks the students it selects to apply for DCTAG by mid-April. The Mayor’s Scholars program pays new applicants in the order their complete applications arrive. And OSSE can take up to seven business days to review each document you upload. File in February, the week the application opens. Here is the full calendar.
⏰ Where we are in the cycle (as of October 29, 2026)
- FAFSA, 2027–28: ✅ Open since September 23, 2026. DCTAG cannot be approved without it.
- DC-CAP University Partner Scholarship, Class of 2027: ✅ Registration open since October 15, 2026. The application opens January 4, 2027 and closes March 1, 2027, at 11:59 p.m.
- DCTAG, 2027–28 award year: ❌ Not open yet. OSSE has not announced dates. The last two windows opened in the first week of February, and DC-CAP’s calendar lists February 1, 2027.
- Mayor’s Scholars, 2027–28: ❌ Not open yet. The 2026–27 application ran on the same February 2 to August 21 window as DCTAG.
- DCTAG, 2026–27 (current college students): ❌ Closed August 21, 2026. Payments to colleges began October 1. Every current recipient has to reapply in February 2027 to be paid for 2027–28.
- DC-CAP Ward 7 & 8 Scholarship: ❌ Closed permanently. Students who entered college in fall 2026 were the last cohort.
- DC Futures: ❌ Closed to new applicants for 2026–27 because of funding limits. No 2027–28 announcement.
Seniors: two college deadlines land on November 1, 2026 (American University Early Action and Early Decision I, and Howard University Early Action). If either school is on the list, that date matters more than any DC program date in the fall.
- How DC aid works (the front doors)
- DCTAG: who qualifies and what it pays
- The address rule
- Major programs (DCTAG, Mayor’s Scholars, DC-CAP)
- The gap math: where DCTAG goes furthest
- Deadlines (simple table)
- Free printable cheat sheet (PDF)
- How DC aid stacks with college aid
- Common ways DC aid gets lost
- Who benefits most (reality check)
- Colleges and pathways
- Smaller programs worth checking
- FAQs
- ✅ Keep one folder, paper or digital, with your DC residency documents. DCTAG asks for them every single year.
📌 What to do right now
- Create FSA IDs for both parent and student at studentaid.gov/fsa-id, then file the 2027–28 FAFSA. DCTAG requires a processed FAFSA Submission Summary showing your Student Aid Index (SAI), the number the FAFSA produces to measure what your family can pay. New to this? Start with FAFSA 101 for Parents.
- Seniors (Class of 2027): look up your top colleges on OSSE’s DCTAG college list before you apply. A public college that is not on the list pays nothing until it signs an agreement with OSSE.
- Seniors at a DC public or public charter high school: register with DC-CAP at apply.dccap.org and check whether any of its partner colleges belong on your list. You must be admitted to a partner to be considered.
- Start the residency folder now: the documents on OSSE’s supporting documents checklist. DCTAG wants them uploaded all at once, as PDF or JPEG files.
- Juniors (Class of 2028): if your family is thinking about moving, read the address rule first. DC residency has to start a full 12 months before your student’s first day of college.
- Current college students on DCTAG: mark the first week of February. There is no automatic renewal.
Looking beyond DC aid? Browse every college on our College Scholarships hub, compare awards using the CRP Scholarship Search Tool, or see how aid works elsewhere on the State Scholarships & Grants hub.
How DC Aid Actually Works
DC aid runs through three doors, and they do not talk to each other. The FAFSA feeds all three, but filing the FAFSA alone gets your student nothing from the District.
Door 1: The FAFSA
Required by every DC program on this page.
Drives: Pell, federal loans and work-study, the Mayor’s Scholars income check for most applicants, and the Pell eligibility DC-CAP requires.
Door 2: The DC OneApp
OSSE’s portal for DCTAG, at dconeapp.dc.gov.
A new application every year, plus residency and income documents uploaded together. Your award letter lives in the Correspondence tab.
Door 3: OSSE’s scholarship portal
A separate OSSE system for Mayor’s Scholars, at scholarships.osse.dc.gov.
Same window as DCTAG, different login. If you were found eligible for DCTAG, you do not resubmit residency documents here.
DC-CAP, the nonprofit DC College Access Program, has its own application at apply.dccap.org, and it is only for seniors at DC public and public charter high schools.
🔒 DC OneApp setup (don’t skip this)
- OSSE says to use Google Chrome for the DC OneApp.
- Use a personal email the student will still have after graduation. School addresses get shut off, and you will need this account for up to six years.
- Enter the student’s name exactly as it appears on the Social Security card, so it matches the FAFSA.
- Upload every supporting document at the same time, before the deadline. Review takes up to seven business days, and a rejected document can be re-uploaded only while the window is open.
- Write the login where a parent can find it. The DCTAG award letter, payment history, and school transfers all live in this one account.
What changed in 2026, and why old advice is wrong now
DCTAG got its first-ever increase through the federal appropriations law signed February 3, 2026, and the new amounts took effect with the 2026–27 award year. If a handout or website is older than that, assume these things are wrong on it. Even some current partner pages still say $10,000.
- The public-college award went from $10,000 to $15,000 a year, and the lifetime cap from $50,000 to $75,000.
- The private-college award went from $2,500 to $3,750 a year, with an $18,750 lifetime cap.
- There is no July 1 or May deadline. The 2026–27 window ran February 2 to August 21, closing at 3 p.m.
- There is no age cutoff for first-time applicants. The current rule is that the high school diploma, GED, or NEDP credential was earned within 15 years of the first DCTAG award.
- DC-CAP no longer offers its Last Dollar Award or the Ward 7 & 8 Scholarship to new students. Its one open award is the University Partner Scholarship.
- DC Futures is not taking new students. Only current participants could apply for 2026–27.
Three DC myths that cost real money
- Myth: “DCTAG is for low-income families.”
Reality: The 2026–27 income limit is $642,544 in taxable income for students who started college in 2019–20 or later. There is no GPA and no test score. Nearly every DC family qualifies on income. - Myth: “DCTAG pays $15,000 a year at any college.”
Reality: At public colleges it pays the difference between the in-state and out-of-state price, up to $15,000. At private colleges it is $3,750, and only at private HBCUs anywhere or private nonprofits in the DC area. It pays nothing at the University of the District of Columbia, which OSSE lists as ineligible. - Myth: “We have until August, so there is no rush.”
Reality: August 21 is when OSSE stops accepting applications. The award letter you need for comparing offers, the DC-CAP requirement, and the Mayor’s Scholars line all reward February.
DCTAG: Who Qualifies and What It Pays
A student qualifies for DCTAG when every one of these is true:
- The family has been domiciled in DC for at least 12 consecutive months before the student’s first year of college, and stays domiciled in DC through college. Domicile means where you actually live and intend to stay. A DC post office box does not count.
- The student earned a high school diploma, GED, or NEDP credential within 15 years of the first DCTAG award.
- The student is a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen, is not in default on a federal student loan, and does not already hold a bachelor’s degree.
- The student is enrolled at least half time in a first undergraduate degree at an eligible college and keeps the college’s satisfactory academic progress standard.
- Family taxable income is under the limit: $642,544 for 2026–27, for students who started college in 2019–20 or later. OSSE adjusts it for inflation each year.
DCTAG takes residency and a diploma. That is the whole academic bar.
What DCTAG actually pays (2026–27 rules)
The money goes straight to the college, never to the family, and it pays tuition. It is not refunded to the student, and it does not pay for housing.
| Type of college | Per year | Per semester | Lifetime cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public two-year and four-year colleges in any state, Puerto Rico, or Guam | Up to $15,000, the in-state vs. out-of-state tuition gap | Up to $7,500 ($5,000 per quarter on a quarter system) | $75,000 |
| Private four-year HBCUs nationwide, and private nonprofit colleges in the DC area | Up to $3,750 | Up to $1,875 | $18,750 |
- Six years of awards, maximum, in every situation.
- Part-time students get a reduced award. OSSE does not publish the formula, so ask a DCTAG advisor before choosing a half-time load.
- Summer can be paid if the student has not used the year’s maximum. Mini-terms and non-accredited online classes are not.
- The DC area, for the private award, means DC; the cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, and Fairfax; Arlington and Fairfax counties in Virginia; and Montgomery and Prince George’s counties in Maryland. A private college outside that area pays nothing unless it is an HBCU.
- For-profit colleges are never eligible, and a college must sign a participation agreement with OSSE before it can be paid. OSSE publishes a new list each year.
The translation
“Up to $15,000 toward the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition” means this: DCTAG tries to make your student look like an in-state student. If a public university charges its own residents $11,000 and out-of-staters $26,000, the gap is $15,000 and DCTAG covers all of it. If the gap is $8,000, DCTAG pays $8,000. If the gap is $30,000, DCTAG pays $15,000 and your family covers the other $15,000. The cap is a ceiling, not a promise. Here is how to use that when building a list.
⚠ What we do not know yet. DCTAG is federally funded, and OSSE states that applying does not guarantee funding because awards depend on annual appropriations. The 2026 increase came through the federal appropriations law signed February 3, 2026. We have not been able to confirm the 2027–28 appropriation or whether the final law includes a rule for reducing awards if money runs short, so we are not going to guess. Confirm current amounts with the DCTAG office at (202) 741-6406.
The Address Rule (DC’s Most Expensive Fine Print)
Most DCTAG money is lost for a reason that has nothing to do with the student. It is lost when the family’s address changes.
The residency rule, in plain English:
- The 12 months come before college, not before applying. The family must be domiciled in DC for 12 consecutive months before the student’s first year of college. A family that moves into DC in the spring of senior year misses the fall start.
- For a dependent student under 24, the parent’s address is the student’s address. Residency runs through the parent or legal guardian, not through where the student sleeps.
- DC residency has to last through all of college. OSSE re-checks it every year as part of the new application.
- If the parent moves to Maryland or Virginia during college, DCTAG ends. For a student at a public college, that can be up to $75,000 over the full award.
Families make this move for good reasons: a cheaper rent, a house, a job. Nobody at the closing table mentions a tuition grant. The domicile requirement comes from federal law and DC regulations, and because it is checked with each new application, a family can learn about the loss months after the move is done.
⚠ Two smaller traps on the same theme
- The college list. A public college can be a great fit and still pay $0 in DCTAG if it has not signed OSSE’s participation agreement. Check the list before the application, not after the acceptance. A college that fits an eligible category but is missing can be raised with the DCTAG Director.
- UDC. The University of the District of Columbia, DC’s public university, is not eligible for DCTAG. It is on the Mayor’s Scholars list.
Your move: before any move, lease, or custody change while your student is in college, call a DCTAG advisor at (202) 727-2824 or 1-877-485-6751 and ask one question: “If we move, does my student keep DCTAG?” Divorce, shared custody, and guardianship situations have their own answers, and you are allowed to ask before you sign anything.
Major DC Programs
Read DCTAG even if you assume you make too much. Its income limit is above $640,000. The other two programs are need-based and tied to DC public and public charter high schools.
DCTAG at Public Colleges
- Award: up to $15,000 a year, the in-state vs. out-of-state tuition gap; $75,000 lifetime; six years maximum
- Who it’s for: DC residents of 12 months or more, any GPA, family taxable income under $642,544 (2026–27)
- Deadline: the 2026–27 window closed August 21 at 3 p.m.; reapply every year
- Trap: the college must be on OSSE’s list, and the gap, not the cap, sets the check
DCTAG at Private HBCUs and DC-Area Privates
- Award: up to $3,750 a year; $18,750 lifetime
- Who it’s for: the same DCTAG-eligible students, at private four-year HBCUs anywhere in the country or private nonprofit colleges in the DC area
- Deadline: same DC OneApp window as the public award
- Why file anyway: some DC colleges require a DCTAG application before they will award their own DC-student money
Mayor’s Scholars Undergraduate Program
- Award: up to $4,000 a year for tuition and fees; $24,000 lifetime over six years for a bachelor’s, $16,000 over four years for an associate
- Who it’s for: DC public or public charter graduates with a 2.5 final GPA, or recent GED and NEDP earners, with household income under 300% of the poverty line ($99,000 for a family of four in 2026–27), at an approved college in the DC area
- Deadline: same February to August 21 window as DCTAG, through OSSE’s scholarship portal
- Gotcha: it is last-dollar, which means it pays only what other grants and scholarships leave unpaid. New applicants are funded in the order complete applications arrive.
DC-CAP University Partner Scholarship
- Award: $5,000 to $7,500 a year, renewable up to five years, plus a success coach; partner colleges may add their own money
- Who it’s for: DC residents who are seniors at a DC public or public charter high school, with a 2.5 GPA, eligible for both DCTAG and Pell, and admitted to one of 13 partner colleges
- Deadline: March 1, 2027, at 11:59 p.m.; decisions March 29; accept and apply for DCTAG by April 13
- Trap: the award is tied to one partner college and cannot move with the student, and decisions cannot be appealed
Closed programs you will still see on old handouts
- DC-CAP Ward 7 & 8 Scholarship: closed. The freshman class entering in fall 2026 was the last cohort.
- DC-CAP Last Dollar Award: no longer offered to new students. The University Partner Scholarship is DC-CAP’s only award.
- DC Futures: OSSE accepted only current participants for 2026–27 because of funding limits. It has not said whether new students will be taken for 2027–28. Questions go to the DC Futures team at (202) 727-2824.
The 13 DC-CAP partners: Alabama A&M, American University, ASU Local (Arizona State), The Catholic University of America, Florida A&M, George Mason, Kent State, Marshall, Marymount, North Carolina A&T, SUNY Oswego, Trinity Washington, and UMass Lowell.
Want to compare scholarships across colleges?
Use the CRP Scholarship Search Tool to filter and compare awards quickly.
The Gap Math: Where DCTAG Goes Furthest
The best DCTAG college is a public one whose out-of-state premium is close to $15,000. Below that, DCTAG covers the whole premium and your student pays the in-state price. Above it, every dollar past $15,000 is yours.
- For each public college on the list, find two numbers on its tuition page: the in-state tuition and the out-of-state tuition. Subtract. That is the gap.
- Gap of $15,000 or less: your student pays roughly what a resident of that state pays in tuition. This is the sweet spot.
- Gap above $15,000: the extra is on you, unless the college adds its own nonresident scholarship. Many flagships fall here.
- Private college in the DC area or a private HBCU: DCTAG is $3,750, so the college’s own aid decides the price.
The DMV stack
Eight public colleges sit on both the DCTAG list and the Mayor’s Scholars approved list: Bowie State, the College of Southern Maryland, George Mason, Montgomery College, Northern Virginia Community College, Prince George’s Community College, the University of Maryland College Park, and University of Maryland Global Campus. For a DC public or charter graduate who meets the Mayor’s Scholars income limit, that means DCTAG closes the out-of-state gap and Mayor’s Scholars can fill what is left of tuition and fees, up to $4,000, after other grants. The student can commute and live at home.
The honest caveats. OSSE’s posted Mayor’s Scholars college list is labeled for the 2025–26 award
year, so confirm the 2027–28 list with the program at (202) 741-6406 before counting on it. Mayor’s Scholars is
last-dollar, so a student whose Pell Grant and DCTAG already cover tuition and fees receives $0 from it, which is
a good outcome, not a rejection. And at a community college, check the in-state and out-of-state rates directly:
Maryland and Virginia community colleges price by county and state, and DCTAG pays only the in-state to
out-of-state gap.
Your move: build a two-column list before applications go in: the college, and its tuition gap. It takes one
evening and it will tell you more about your real price than any ranking.
DC Aid Deadlines
The DC programs close late. The money that rewards early filing closes earlier.
| Program | Deadline | Where you apply |
|---|---|---|
| FAFSA | Opens in the fall (September 23 for 2027–28). DCTAG needs a processed summary before you submit. | studentaid.gov |
| DC-CAP University Partner | March 1, 11:59 p.m. Apply to partner colleges by their own deadlines. | apply.dccap.org |
| DCTAG | Opens early February. Closed August 21 at 3 p.m. in 2026. A new application every year. | DC OneApp + FAFSA + documents |
| Mayor’s Scholars | Same window as DCTAG. Funded in order of complete applications, returning students first. | OSSE scholarship portal + FAFSA |
| College merit and need aid | November 1 to February 1 at the DC universities in our database, tied to the admission application and the CSS Profile where required | Each college |
The Class of 2027 milestone chain
DC-CAP dates are from its 2027–28 cycle calendar. OSSE has not announced 2027–28 DCTAG or Mayor’s Scholars dates; the February dates below are DC-CAP’s listing and match the last two OSSE windows.
| When | What has to happen |
|---|---|
| November 1, 2026 | Early deadlines at many colleges, including American University and Howard University. |
| January 4, 2027 | DC-CAP application opens. |
| February 1, 2027 (expected) | DC OneApp opens for DCTAG. File the same week, with every document uploaded together. Open the Mayor’s Scholars application in OSSE’s portal too. |
| March 1, 2027 | DC-CAP application due at 11:59 p.m. |
| March 29 to April 13, 2027 | DC-CAP decisions arrive. Selected students accept the partner college, apply for DCTAG, and accept the scholarship by April 13. |
| Before your deposit | DCTAG award letter in hand from the Correspondence tab. Send it to the college’s financial aid office. |
| August 2027 (expected) | OSSE’s final DCTAG and Mayor’s Scholars deadline. Treat it as the last resort, not the plan. |
| October 1, 2027 | DCTAG begins paying colleges. The fall bill may arrive first. Colleges that take DCTAG agree not to charge late fees or block classes over a delayed DCTAG payment. |
Verify current dates at OSSE and DC-CAP before relying on them. If a college sends a late-fee notice while DCTAG is pending, you’re allowed to ask the bursar to remove it.
Free counselor resource
The DC State Aid Cheat Sheet, two printable pages
Everything on this page condensed for a desk or a bulletin board: every program at a glance, the deadline table, the DCTAG eligibility checklist and award table, a month-by-month counselor calendar, the address rule, and the mistakes that cost DC students money. Built for counselors to copy and hand out, and just as useful on the family fridge. No email, no signup, no data collection. Just the PDF.
Download the DC State Aid Cheat Sheet (PDF) →
2 pages · Free to print, copy, and distribute · Verified against OSSE and DC-CAP, October 2026 · Questions or corrections: leo@collegereadyparent.org
How DC Aid Stacks With College Aid
DC does not write one stacking order into law the way some states do. Each program sets its own rule, and the three rules that matter are short.
- DCTAG pays tuition, straight to the college. It is not refunded to the student, so it never becomes book or rent money.
- Mayor’s Scholars pays last. OSSE’s policy defines last-dollar as funding paid after other resources are used: federal grants, college aid, and scholarships count against it, and student loans do not.
- DC-CAP holds steady. If a student later loses DCTAG, DC-CAP keeps paying the same amount as long as its own rules are met, but it does not grow to cover the lost DCTAG.
Every college also caps total aid at its Cost of Attendance (COA), the official yearly budget for tuition, fees, housing, food, books, and transportation.
Example A: out-of-state public university, on campus, Pell-eligible (illustrative)
| Out-of-state tuition & fees | $33,000 |
| DCTAG (gap is $22,000, so DCTAG pays its cap) | − $15,000 |
| Pell Grant | − $6,000 |
| University need-based grant | − $4,000 |
| Tuition still owed | $8,000 |
| Housing & meals | + $13,000 |
| What the family actually faces | $21,000 |
DCTAG cut the bill by $15,000, but this school’s gap was $7,000 more than the cap. At a public university with a $15,000 gap and the same other aid, tuition owed would have been $1,000, not $8,000. Housing is the real fight, and no DC program pays for it.
Example B: suburban community college, commuting from home, DC charter graduate, Pell-eligible (illustrative)
| Out-of-state tuition & fees | $10,000 |
| DCTAG (the in-state vs. out-of-state gap) | − $4,500 |
| Pell Grant | − $5,500 |
| Mayor’s Scholars (last-dollar) | $0 |
| Tuition owed | $0 |
Mayor’s Scholars showing $0 is not an error and not a rejection. It means the other aid already covered tuition and fees. In a year when Pell is smaller, or the student moves to a four-year school, the same approval can start paying. Keep reapplying.
The CRP move: do not stop at DC aid. Open each college’s scholarship page and see what the institution adds on top, then compare schools side by side in the CRP Scholarship Search Tool. Our guide to comparing aid offers walks through reading the letters side by side.
Common Ways DC Aid Gets Lost
These are the patterns that cost DC families money. None of them are about a student’s ability. They are process problems, and process problems are fixable.
1. Not reapplying
DCTAG and Mayor’s Scholars are new applications every year, with new documents. A sophomore who skips February has no award in the fall.
2. Moving out of DC mid-college
For a dependent student, the parent’s domicile decides eligibility. A move to Maryland or Virginia ends DCTAG at the next annual review.
3. Documents uploaded in pieces
OSSE asks for every supporting document at the same time. Review takes up to seven business days, and fixes are possible only before the window closes.
4. Choosing a college that is not on the list
For-profit schools never qualify, and a public college must have a signed agreement. Check OSSE’s list for the right award year.
5. Dropping below the credit line
DCTAG needs at least half time and reduces part-time awards. Mayor’s Scholars requires 24 earned credits a year for a bachelor’s (12 for an associate) and satisfactory academic progress.
6. Running out the clock
DCTAG pays for six years at most, and Mayor’s Scholars for six years on a bachelor’s. A slow start with transfers and stop-outs uses both clocks.
Who Benefits Most (Reality Check)
Low-income families
The strongest position in DC, because every program is open to you. A DC public or charter graduate with a 2.5 GPA can hold DCTAG, Pell, Mayor’s Scholars, and a DC-CAP partner award at the same time, and DC colleges target their own DC-student money at families like yours. The thing to guard is the calendar, not the eligibility.
Middle-income families
DCTAG is the one DC program built for you, since its income limit is above $640,000. Your best lever is the gap math: a public college whose out-of-state premium is near $15,000 prices like an in-state school. That one choice moves your bill more than any scholarship search.
High-achieving students
DCTAG does not reward grades, so the colleges have to. A strong DC student’s real upside is in college merit and in the DC-only programs at DC universities, described in the colleges section. Some out-of-state public universities add nonresident merit on top of DCTAG. Check each one.
Students who test poorly
DCTAG does not ask for a test score, and neither do Mayor’s Scholars or DC-CAP. If the score is holding your student back, it is holding them back only at the colleges that use it for admission or merit.
Adult and returning students
This one is for the parents reading. DCTAG accepts anyone working on a first bachelor’s degree at least half time whose diploma, GED, or NEDP credential is within 15 years. Mayor’s Scholars takes recent GED and NEDP earners with a recommendation letter, though adults outside the recent-graduate group are funded last when money is tight.
First-gen families
Same eligibility as everyone else, higher risk of losing it to a missed step. DC aid is paperwork aid: two OSSE portals, a residency folder, a February window, and an annual reapplication. If you feel behind, you are not. You need a checklist, not a miracle. Start with our First-Gen Parent Guide and the grade-level checklists.
Colleges and Pathways for DC Students
DC is the only place where the District’s own grant gets smaller when your student stays home. DCTAG pays up to $15,000 at a public college in another state and $3,750 at a private college inside the city. So for a DC student who wants a DC campus, the question is which university adds money of its own, and the answer is in programs written only for District students.
The finding most DC families never hear
At DC’s private universities, the money for DC students is tied to being a DC student, not to test scores.
None of the three DC universities in our database publishes an automatic merit grid with dollar amounts. What they do publish are programs only District students can get:
- American University’s District Scholars Award covers full tuition plus room and board for DC residents at DC public and public charter high schools with strong academics. There is no separate application: apply for admission and file the FAFSA and CSS Profile by January 15.
- George Washington University’s District Scholars Award adds $7,500 a year in GW grant money, with the rest of the package meeting full need, for DC students from families earning $75,000 or less. One condition matters here: the student must apply for DCTAG and Mayor’s Scholars, even though DCTAG pays only $3,750 at GW.
- Georgetown University meets 100% of demonstrated need for eligible undergraduates and keeps a President’s Scholarship for students from DC high schools, awarded from the financial aid application.
The pattern: at these schools, a DC student’s best tool is a complete need-based application filed on time, plus the DC applications, not a higher SAT.
DC-student programs at DC universities
- American University: merit is decided from the admission application with no separate scholarship form, so the admission deadline is the scholarship deadline: November 1 for Early Action or Early Decision I, January 15 for Early Decision II or Regular Decision. District Scholars uses January 15 with the FAFSA and CSS Profile. American is also a DC-CAP partner.
- Georgetown University: need-based aid rather than merit. File the FAFSA and CSS Profile by February 1. The President’s Scholarship for D.C. Students comes from that same application.
A different model entirely
- Howard University (HBCU): seven automatic award levels, four set by grades and test scores and three by the FAFSA Student Aid Index, but Howard does not publish dollar amounts or cutoffs. No separate application: submit the Common App by November 1 for Early Action or Early Decision with test scores if you have them and the FAFSA. The Karsh STEM Scholars and Humanities and Social Sciences Scholars programs are separate, competitive applications. DCTAG pays the private-college $3,750 here.
Not yet in our database. We have not verified the scholarship tiers at The Catholic University of America, Gallaudet University, George Washington University (beyond the District Scholars Award above), Trinity Washington University, or the University of the District of Columbia, DC’s only public university. We would rather leave them without numbers than publish a guess. Catholic, Gallaudet, GW, and Trinity Washington are on the DCTAG list at the private rate; Catholic and Trinity Washington are DC-CAP partners; UDC is on the Mayor’s Scholars list but not the DCTAG list. Check each college’s own aid page directly.
The two-year and transfer pathway
Community colleges count as public colleges for DCTAG, in any state. A DC student at Montgomery College, Prince George’s Community College, or Northern Virginia Community College gets DCTAG for the gap between that college’s in-state and out-of-state rate, and those three are also on the Mayor’s Scholars list. On transfer to a four-year public, DCTAG follows the student to the new school’s gap. Transfers inside the DC OneApp are allowed after the student has been found eligible.
Three cautions. DCTAG’s six-year clock and $75,000 cap count every year, two-year and four-year combined. Mayor’s Scholars caps an associate degree at four years and $16,000, then moves the student to the bachelor’s limits of six years and $24,000 total. And the student must stay at least half time for DCTAG, and earn 12 credits a year on an associate track to keep Mayor’s Scholars.
What travels when your student leaves DC
DCTAG is the rare grant that is built to travel. It pays at eligible public colleges in every state, Puerto Rico, and Guam, and at private HBCUs nationwide. Mayor’s Scholars and the DC-area private award do not travel; they stay in the DC region. DC-CAP’s partners include colleges in nine states plus DC.
Tip: confirm DC programs here, then open each college’s scholarship page to see what the school adds. You can compare schools side by side using the CRP Scholarship Search Tool, or look up your student’s numbers in the scholarships-by-GPA guide.
Smaller DC Programs Worth Checking
These are not tuition grants, but each one can change what your student pays or how prepared they arrive.
| Program | Who it’s for |
|---|---|
| DCTAG advisors | Any DC family with a question about residency, the college list, or documents. OSSE assigns advisors and runs in-person outreach events. Free. (202) 727-2824 or 1-877-485-6751. |
| DC-CAP College Navigator | Seniors at DC public and public charter high schools. Registration opened October 15 and takes under five minutes at apply.dccap.org, according to DC-CAP. |
| OSSE Scholars Summer Enrichment Program | High-achieving DC high school students with financial need, placed in selective summer programs at universities around the country, some with college credit. More than 350 students apply each year. |
| OSSE’s DC scholarship list | A rotating list of local scholarships opening or closing within a couple of months, linked from OSSE’s Scholarships and Grants page. |
DC State Aid FAQs
How much is the DC Tuition Assistance Grant?
Starting with the 2026–27 award year, DCTAG pays up to $15,000 a year at eligible public colleges, with a $75,000 lifetime cap. At private four-year HBCUs nationwide and private nonprofit colleges in the DC area, it pays up to $3,750 a year, with an $18,750 lifetime cap. At public colleges the award is the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition, so a smaller gap means a smaller award. Awards are limited to six years.
Does DCTAG have an income limit or a GPA requirement?
There is no GPA or test score requirement. There is an income limit: for 2026–27, family taxable income must be under $642,544 for students who began college in 2019–20 or later, and OSSE adjusts it for inflation each year. The student must also have lived in DC for 12 consecutive months before the first year of college and keep satisfactory academic progress at the college.
When is the DCTAG deadline for 2027–28?
OSSE has not announced 2027–28 dates. The 2026–27 application opened February 2, 2026 and closed August 21, 2026, at 3 p.m., and DC-CAP’s calendar lists February 1, 2027 for the next opening. File in February anyway: your award letter is needed to compare college offers, DC-CAP requires the DCTAG application by April 13, and document review can take up to seven business days.
Can you use DCTAG at a private college or at UDC?
At some private colleges, yes, at a lower amount. DCTAG pays up to $3,750 a year at private four-year HBCUs anywhere in the country and at private nonprofit colleges in the DC area. Other private colleges and all for-profit colleges are not eligible. The University of the District of Columbia is not eligible for DCTAG, though it is on the Mayor’s Scholars list.
Can you lose DCTAG if your family moves out of DC?
Yes. DC domicile must be maintained throughout college, and OSSE reviews it every year with the new application. For dependent students under 24, residency is established through the parent or legal guardian, so a parent’s move to Maryland or Virginia can end the award. Call a DCTAG advisor at (202) 727-2824 before any move.
Does DC state aid cover housing?
No DC program pays for housing directly. DCTAG pays tuition straight to the college and is not refunded to the student, and Mayor’s Scholars pays tuition and fees. Housing has to come from Pell, college grants, outside scholarships, family funds, or living at home, which is why commuting to a DC-area college can change the math.
Can you get both DCTAG and the Mayor’s Scholars award?
Yes, at a college that appears on both approved lists, which includes several DC-area public and private colleges. Mayor’s Scholars is a last-dollar award, so it pays only what remains of tuition and fees after federal grants, college aid, and scholarships, up to $4,000 a year. New applicants must be DC public or public charter graduates with a 2.5 GPA, or recent GED or NEDP earners, and meet the program’s income limit.
Does DC-CAP still give the Last Dollar Award?
No. DC-CAP’s only current scholarship is the University Partner Scholarship, which pays $5,000 to $7,500 a year, renewable for up to five years. It is competitive and open to DC public and public charter seniors with a 2.5 GPA who are eligible for DCTAG and Pell and admitted to one of 13 partner colleges. The application deadline is March 1 at 11:59 p.m.
Prefer a printable version? Download the DC State Aid Cheat Sheet (PDF), two pages, free to copy, print, and share.
Most families build a college list first and think about scholarships second, which is backwards. This free four-part series shows you where the money actually comes from, and how to build a list around it. After the series, about once a month, sometimes twice during application season. No drip funnels, no affiliate pitches, and we never sell your information. Unsubscribe anytime.Your kid did everything right. That does not mean the money follows.
I started CollegeReadyParent while working through college costs for my own kid, and quickly figured out that the number a school advertises and the number a family actually pays are two very different things. Since then I've gone school by school pulling apart award letters, scholarship pages, and cost sheets to find what families are supposed to just know. This site is the version of that research I wish someone had handed me. More about Leo →
Sources & verification
Program rules, amounts, and deadlines verified October 29, 2026 against the DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education: DCTAG · DCTAG awards, funding, and disbursement · DCTAG colleges and universities · DCTAG maximum income · 2026–27 DCTAG college list · 2026 award increase · February 2026 application release (prior amounts) · Mayor’s statement on the 2026 appropriations law · Mayor’s Scholars for students · Mayor’s Scholars approved colleges · Mayor’s Scholars policy · DC Futures. DC College Access Program: FAQ and calendar · University Partners · Ward 7 & 8. Colleges: AU District Scholars · GW District Scholars Award · Georgetown undergraduate scholarships.
College scholarship details for American, Georgetown, and Howard come from the CollegeReadyParent scholarship database, verified October 2026. See our data methodology. DCTAG is federally funded and its amounts depend on annual appropriations, and OSSE posts new college lists and income limits every year. Always confirm current details on the official pages and with the college’s financial aid office before making financial decisions.
Looking beyond DC? Visit the State Scholarships & Grants hub. One note for DC families reading other state pages: another state’s grants are for that state’s residents, so the DC programs on this page are the ones that travel with your student.
If you are reading this and thinking “we’re late,” you’re not. Most families don’t learn any of this until senior year. The win is doing the next right step.