News from NASFAA:
CONGRESS PASSES DISTRICT'S BUDGET; TUITION AID INCREASED IN $8.3 BILLION PLAN (WASHINGTON POST) — On Oct. 7 Congress approved the 2005 D.C. budget, increasing funds for the D.C. Tuition Assistance Program by $8.6 million. Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) objected to the increase "while the four-year-old program carries a $9 million surplus," the Washington Post reports. D.C. officials faulted "growing student participation and nationwide tuition increases" for driving up costs. According to D.C. officials, they must “obligate funds one year in advance to guarantee financial aid levels to students, who apply for assistance in the fall before the school year in which they enroll.” DC TAG provides up to $10,000 a year, or $50,000 over a lifetime, for D.C. high school graduates to attend participating public colleges and universities at in-state or discounted tuition rates. Students at private institutions in Maryland and Virginia or at historically black colleges and universities can receive up to $2,500 a year, or a total of $12,500.