Sponsors (3)
Unused federal payments for D.C. resident tuition support lapse at fiscal-year end and D.C.'s CFO must report annually to Congress on payments and unobligated amounts.
The bill increases federal oversight, transparency, and budget discipline for D.C. resident tuition-support funds but raises the risk that students could lose aid at year-end and imposes administrative and privacy burdens on local officials and schools.
Congress, taxpayers, and schools will get clearer year-end visibility into unobligated tuition-support funds and related payment data, improving financial accountability and enabling reallocation or future funding adjustments.
Congress and the public will receive standardized data on how many student payments were made and the average federal assistance per payment, aiding oversight and budgeting decisions for the program.
D.C. students and families could see funds obligated and used more quickly within the fiscal year because the District can no longer carry forward unused tuition-support dollars.
D.C. students and families risk losing access to tuition support in some years if the District cannot obligate funds before the fiscal-year end.
The District may face pressure to rush obligations or shift spending late in the year, which could reduce program quality and careful oversight for affected students.
DC CFO staff and other local administrators will incur additional administrative burden to compile and submit the required reports within 60 days, diverting staff time and resources.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Official title: To prohibit the continuing availability of any portion of a Federal payment to the District of Columbia for a program of District of Columbia resident tuition support for a fiscal year which remains unobligated as of the end of the fiscal year, and for other purposes.
Introduced February 27, 2025 by Mike Flood · Last progress February 27, 2025
Prohibits any unobligated portion of federal payments made to the District of Columbia for a D.C. resident tuition support program from remaining available after the fiscal year ends, so unused amounts lapse at fiscal-year end. Requires the D.C. Chief Financial Officer to send an annual report to Congress (starting after FY2026) showing the number of payments made, average payment amount, and any unobligated federal funds at year-end. The lapse rule applies to funds appropriated for FY2016 and each fiscal year thereafter.