You provided either an Uncertified or Customer Service Stamped D-40 but not the required Certified Stamped D-40 DC D-40 Income Tax Return. A D-40 without a ‘Certified True’ stamp from the Office of Tax & Revenue is not a sufficient District of Columbia tax return for the DCTAG Application

If you filed an extension for last year’s taxes, a certified District of Columbia extension along with a Certified Stamped D-40 from the previous year will satisfy the Certified Stamped D-40 requirement. However, a copy of the return for which an extension was granted will be required with the next year’s DCTAG Application.

A Social Security statement that covers only one month is not sufficient; the SSI document must include the12 months of continuous benefits for the previous calendar year (January-December).

Please contact your assigned Postsecondary Education counselor to discuss acceptable sources of documentation.

You may provide a Notarized Statement from your grandmother stating that your parent/guardian(s) live with her and a copy of one current utility bill, phone bill (land line not cell phone) bank statement, and/or pay stub (less than 45 days old) reflecting your grandmother’s name and address. The Notarized Statement will be accepted only after a Notary Public signs and stamps the statement.

Yes. If your grandmother provides more than fifty percent of your support and you are 24 years of age or younger, she can claim you as a dependent on her tax return. However, your grandmother must be your legal guardian in order to be eligible for DCTAG.

To learn if the institution(s) you are considering are eligible to participate in the DC TAG, visit www.osse.dc.gov and follow the link to ‘Postsecondary Education’. Chose the grant(s) you believe you are eligible for and click on that grant(s) ‘Eligible Institutions’ link.

Most programs that offer study outside the U.S. for one or two semesters are not eligible for funding as they do not have either an in or out-of-state tuition charge or it's at another college or university. Students in a study-abroad program must be enrolled at the eligible home institution and there must be both in and out-of-state tuition charges for all participating students. If you are attending your home institution and there is both an in and out-of-state tuition charge, the program would be DCTAG eligible. As very few such programs are eligible, please confirm the program's eligibility with the Postsecondary Education Office.

The DCTAG Participation Agreement (PPA) entered into by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) and a participating institution states that if a student is eligible for DCTAG funding, the institution must consider the funding amount when determining a student’s balance due. An eligible student will not be held liable for forthcoming DCTAG funds. If the only outstanding balance on a student’s account is forthcoming DCTAG funds, an institution cannot drop that student’s classes. *Note: balances due beyond DCTAG funds are the student’s responsibility and an institution has the discretion to treat that balance due in accordance with its rules and regulations.

DCTAG is a federally funded programs and therefore the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) complies with recommendations set forth by the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO). To ensure compliance with federal eligibility requirements, such as citizenship, selective service registration (for males 18 years of age and over) valid social security numbers, student loan default status, as a result, OSSE requires all applicants complete the FAFSA and provide a valid SAR.

After completion of the FAFSA, you will immediately be able to access a ‘Print Summary’ of the information you submitted. This is not the same document as the ‘SAR’. The ‘SAR’ documents validation by the U.S. Department of Education that the information submitted through FAFSA is accurate. Once you complete the FAFSA and it is processed by the U.S. Department of Education, a SAR will be the output document that is provided to you.

Please visit https://studentaid.ed.gov if you are having difficulties with your FSA ID. The log-in page will have links that give you the option of retrieving your FSA ID through your verified e-mail address or by successfully answering your challenge questions.

A ‘C’ after your ‘Estimated Family Contribution’ (EFC) figure is a flag informing you that a correction and/or clarification is required. Your FAFSA will provide an explanation of the correction(s) needed under the section titled ‘Corrections That Need to Be Made.’ You must make the correction(s) and/or provide the clarification to FAFSA either online or by contacting FAFSA at 800-433-3243. Until the “C” Flag has been resolved, it is not a valid SAR.

Your EFC figure has no impact on your award priority or funding for DCTAG as DCTAG is not a need based grant. The EFC is part of the process to determine how much federal or institutional assistance you will receive from your college or university.

The U.S. Department of Education uses the information included in the FAFSA to determine the ‘Estimated Family Contribution’ (EFC). For more information, please contact FAFSA at 800-433-3243 or visit the US Department of Education’s Website, which is https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/.

Individuals who receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP or “Food Stamps”) can request for DCTAG to verify your receipt of TANF or SNAP benefits with the District’s Department of Human Services.

DCTAG uses this information solely for the purpose of District residency verification to determine DCTAG eligibility. If you would like to request for DCTAG to pull your TANF/SNAP benefits, please download this form.

OSSE-DHS Release of Information 2021 PDF Document

Once you have completed the form, please upload to the DCONEAPP portal by clicking on Upload Documents.

Indicates where the Applicant and Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s) physically reside

These documents must be no more than 45 days old and reflect the applicant's name and address or the dependent applicant's parent/guardian name and address.

What to verify:

  Personal Information

  Washington, DC address

  Date of Issue

  No more than 45 days old

Important Notes:

•Documents are in a name other than the applicant's or the dependent applicant's parent/legal guardian, a Notarized Statement must be provided by the individual on the Proof of Domicile document (including utility bill) explaining that the applicant or the dependent applicant's parent/guardian resides with the individual on the utility bill.

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•DCTAG does not accept cell phone bills.