Northern Virginia Community College
College Financial Aid Office

DC Tuition Assistance Grant Program (DC TAG)
DC TAG - is a grant that pays the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition for DC residents. This
means you pay the low in-state rate at participating public institutions.

Public College Option for Undergraduate Students: Provides up to $10,000 per year for five years. 
Funds the financial difference between in-state and out-state tuition at participating colleges 
throughout the U.S. Check Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC) Schedule of Classes for
current tuition and fee rates or visit our web page at www.nvcc.edu 

Private College Option: Provides up to $2,500 per year for up to five years towards tuition cost at DC area private colleges including the private historically black colleges and universities in the nation. 

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?

*    Permanent residents in the District of Columbia who establish residence for at least 12 consecutive months before enrolling at a college or university and consistently maintain status as a permanent resident.

*    U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens

*    Students who enrolled at least half-time in an undergraduate degree or certificate program at an eligible national public university, a metropolitan DC area private college, or a historically black college/university in the nation and make satisfactory academic progress.

*    Pursuing the first undergraduate baccalaureate course of study.

*    Students who graduated from high school or received a GED on or after January 1, 1998, and can provide domicile documentation for 12 months prior to the student’s freshmen year to the current date.

·    *    Students who graduated from high school or received a GED before January 1, 1998, and who was enrolled in an eligible institution during the Spring 2002 Semester.  Domicile documentation must be provided for five consecutive years prior to the application.

·    *    Students who have never graduated from high school or received a GED but have been accepted to a postsecondary institution, who can provide domicile documentation for 12 months prior to the freshmen year to the current date.

·    *    Students who are wards of DC Court, who can provide documentation of ward status.

HOW TO APPLY?
*    Complete a DC TAG application
*    Call the DC TAG Office at (877) 485-6751 or visit the DC TAG website at www.seo.dc.gov or NVCC's College Financial Aid website at www.nvcc.edu/finance, for application materials.

D.C. College Access Program (DC-CAP) Last Dollar Awards
DC CAP - provides college "last dollar" award scholarships of up to $2,000 per year (up to five years) to 
DC public high school student, to help make up the difference between a student's resources, 
financial aid, and actual college expenses.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?
*   All DC public high school students are eligible. Awards are based on demonstrating financial need.

HOW TO APPLY?
*   For more information, contact DC-CAP at 202-783-7933, or visit the DC-CAP website at www.dccap.org/financial or NVCC's web page at www.nvcc.edu/finance 
*   Register with DC-CAP Advisor 
*   Complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form
*   Provide DC-CAP with copies of your Student Aid Report (SAR) and Financial Aid Award Letter

D.C. Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership (DC LEAP)

DC LEAP- grants are need-based, federal awards of up to $1,000 per year for undergraduate study. 
Awards are pro-rated based on enrollment levels. These grants can be used at any eligible post-
secondary institution in the country. LEAP awards must be reapplied for each year.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?
Student must be:
*   An established DC resident for at least 18 months prior to filing the application for DC LEAP;
*   A U.S. citizen or a permanent resident alien,
*   Enrolled or accepted for enrollment in an undergraduate program in an eligible college or university on at least half-time basis.
*   Enrolled for a full academic year, have substantial financial need and be in good academic standing.

HOW TO APPLY?
*   Complete The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year.
*   Complete the DC LEAP application and submit it along with a copy of your Student Aid Report (SAR) to the college or university you plan to attend. The Student Aid Report is mailed to the applicant several weeks after submitting the FAFSA.
*   File a new application for DC LEAP every year; receipt of an award in a previous year does not automatically qualify the student for an award in a subsequent year.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: June 28 annually
*   Any applications received after that date will be awarded on a funds available basis. Because of limited funding, there is no guarantee that all otherwise eligible applications will receive a grant.

*   Contact the Office of Post-Secondary Education Research and Assistance (OPERA) at (202) 698-2400 for an application or call the College Financial Aid Office at 703-323-3199.