Tuition for D.C. Students to Remain Unchanged Despite Budget Deadlock
By Charles Dervarics
Despite budget stalemates on other budget issues, tuition breaks for District of Columbia high school graduates should remain unchanged in 2003.
House and Senate panels have approved bills providing $17 million for these tuition credits, which allow D.C. graduates to pay in-state tuition rates at any public college or university nationwide. High school graduates also can get tuition discounts at Black colleges nationwide and at private colleges in the Washington area.
The provisions are part of a D.C. spending bill for 2003 that appears headed for approval in Congress. But the outlook for other higher education programs remains unclear as House and Senate members continue to bicker about an education spending bill for next year. The Senate favors a small Pell Grant increase and moderate increases for many K-12 programs. Many House members favor the Bush administration's budget request, which has no Pell increase and smaller K-12 gains.
As a result of the disputes, education programs have been operating with temporary funds since the Oct. 1 start of the new fiscal year. Lobbyists say Congress may need to provide short-term funds through January, with lawmakers focused largely on foreign policy issues.
© Copyright 2005 by DiverseEducation.com
