Councilmember David Catania (I-At Large) (SFS ’90, LAW ’94) introduced a proposal last week that would create one of the nation’s most aggressive college tuition assistance programs for low-income public school students.

Under the bill, titled the D.C. Promise Establishment Act, eligible students could qualify for up to $20,000 annually or $100,000 over five years of college, depending on their family’s annual income.

To be eligible, students must graduate from a D.C. public school or obtain an equivalent secondary school diploma on or after Jan. 1, 2015 and enroll in an institution of higher education, at least on a half-time basis, within three years of graduation or diploma obtainment. Students’ family income must be $250,000 or less.

The amount of assistance that a student receives would depend on the length of time that a student was enrolled in a D.C. public school and their family’s annual income.

Catania emphasized the importance of a college education to expanding District economic opportunities and reducing income inequality.

“Great communities invest in their people,” Catania said in a press release. “In every corner of our city, we have incredible talent waiting to be unlocked. The D.C. Promise represents an unprecedented opportunity to invest in our city’s future.”

Catania’s Chief of Staff Ben Young (GRD ’03) stressed the importance of providing low-income families with access to higher education, especially as District living costs continue to rise.

“The cost of college tuition is rising far faster than family incomes. Research shows that students from low-income households are more likely to forgo higher education due to a perceived inability to pay,” Young said. “Research also shows that a person’s ability to enter the middle class is dramatically improved if they have a college education.”

Young admitted, however, that the bill would incur a massive cost to the District government. The appropriations process to fund the bill is still ongoing and will continue for the next few months
“The District … has an $11 billion annual budget and investing in our next generation of residents and taxpayers must be one of our top priorities,” Young said.

The D.C. Council will officially hear the bill Nov. 13, and Young said he hoped the voting process would be completed by early 2014. Chairman Phil Mendelson and mayoral candidate andcouncilmember Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) are current supporters of Catania’s bill.

“Higher education is increasingly important in our society,” Mendelson told The Hoya. “This bill will enable more D.C. residents to access higher education and enjoy greater opportunities for their lives.”

Evans’ General Counsel Kevin Stogner expressed confidence in the bill’s passage, thanks to widespread backing from other members of the council, but said that the terms of the bill would be subject to change before it would be passed.

“Among educators, stakeholders, I can’t imagine anyone is going to say no,” Stogner said. “I think the question will be in terms of, will we need more money or if the income limits for receiving grants are too low or too high.”

To pass, the bill will require seven votes out of ten, after which it will be submitted to Mayor Vincent Gray and Congress for approval.

Correction: A previous version of this story erroneously stated that Catania was a mayoral candidate. Although considered a viable candidate in the upcoming mayoral election, Catania has not officially announced his candidacy.