WASHINGTON, D.C. – Eshauna Smith, CEO of Urban Alliance, a national youth development nonprofit, today responded to the White House FY2019 budget proposal released this week that seeks to eliminate all federal funding for the D.C. Tuition Assistance Grant (DCTAG) program. DCTAG helps District students cover the cost of tuition when attending colleges or universities outside Washington, D.C.
“At Urban Alliance (UA), we believe in equal access – to employment, to education, to opportunity. When UA students graduate from our High School Internship Program, the vast majority go on to college – and nearly every one of our Washington, D.C. students who attend school out of state use the D.C. Tuition Assistance Grant program (DCTAG) to help fund their education. DCTAG brings public and private universities outside the District within reach for students from underserved communities – evening the playing field with students from large states who can choose from dozens of colleges offering in-state tuition. Our students often have to cobble together funding from loans, grants, and scholarships to afford their education, and DCTAG plays an important role in making a quality higher education possible. We strongly support continued federal funding for DCTAG. Budget cuts should not punish D.C. students who dare to dream of a brighter future.” – Eshauna Smith, CEO of Urban Alliance