The DC Mayor's Scholars Undergraduate Program gives District residents up to $4,000 a year toward tuition and fees at approved DC-area colleges, for a first associate or bachelor's degree. Unlike the DC Tuition Assistance Grant, it's need-based: household income must be under 300% of the federal poverty guidelines -- $99,000 for a family of four for 2026-27. It's also a last-dollar award, and funding goes first-come, first-served, so when you apply matters.
Mayor's Scholars income limits, 2026-27
Eligibility is based on DC household taxable income below 300% of the federal poverty guidelines:
| Household size | Maximum annual income (2026-27) |
|---|---|
| 3 or fewer | $81,960 |
| 4 | $99,000 |
| 5 | $116,040 |
| 6 | $133,080 |
| 7 | $150,120 |
| 8 | $167,160 |
| Each additional person | +$16,500 |
You can also qualify on need through participation in DC's TANF or SNAP programs, or through DC's homeless services system.
How much it pays
| Degree | Annual cap | Time limit | Lifetime cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Associate | Up to $4,000 | Up to 4 years | $16,000 |
| Bachelor's | Up to $4,000 | Up to 6 years | $24,000 |
The award pays tuition and fees directly to the college -- there's no refund check. It's last-dollar: OSSE says the college determines the actual amount, and the award can be cancelled if a Pell Grant or other scholarships already cover tuition and fees. It can also cover summer courses (until you hit the annual cap) and developmental or remedial courses. If you move from an associate to a bachelor's program, the bachelor's caps apply, and no one can receive more than six years of awards or $24,000 in total.
Who can apply
OSSE defines three main applicant types:
- New applicants from high school: graduated (or about to graduate) from a DC public or public charter high school between 2011 and 2026, with a final GPA of 2.5 or higher.
- New applicants with a GED or NEDP: DC residents who earned the credential between 2011 and 2026, plus a letter of recommendation.
- Returning awardees who received funding the year before.
Students already enrolled at an approved college can apply too, if they meet the same high school GPA or GED rule and show a college GPA of 2.0 or higher from their most recent semester. Everyone needs 12 months of DC residency before their first year of college.
To keep the award, you must make satisfactory academic progress and earn 24 credits a year toward a bachelor's degree (12 for an associate). Falling short means sitting out a year before you can reapply.
Approved colleges
Mayor's Scholars only pays at approved colleges. The list on OSSE's student page is labeled for the 2025-26 award year (updated January 2025):
American University, Bowie State University, Capitol Technology University, The Catholic University of America, College of Southern Maryland, Gallaudet University, George Mason University, George Washington University, Georgetown University, Howard University, Marymount University, Montgomery College, Northern Virginia Community College, Prince George's Community College, Trinity Washington University, University of Maryland-College Park, University of Maryland Global Campus, University of the District of Columbia, Washington Adventist University, and Yeshiva College of the Nation's Capital.
Note that UDC is on this list even though it's excluded from DCTAG. Transferring to a college that isn't approved ends your Mayor's Scholars eligibility.
How to apply
- File the FAFSA (if you're eligible to).
- Apply for DCTAG in the DC OneApp, if eligible. If you're approved for DCTAG for the same year, you don't have to resubmit residency documents for Mayor's Scholars.
- Apply in OSSE's Application for Postsecondary Studies (APS) at scholarships.osse.dc.gov, uploading your transcript, residency proof, and proof of financial need.
The 2026-27 window ran February 2 to August 21, 2026, at 3 p.m., and you reapply every year. When eligible applicants outnumber the funding, OSSE awards returning students first, then new applicants in the order they submitted -- so applying in February beats applying in August.
What this means for you
- Check your household income against the table -- the line is far lower than DCTAG's.
- Apply in February, not August. First-come, first-served means a late application can miss the money even if you qualify.
- Stack it with DCTAG. At approved colleges that are also DCTAG-eligible, you can hold both -- for example, DCTAG's private-college award at Georgetown or Howard, or the public-college award at UMD or George Mason.
- Keep your credits on pace. 24 a year toward a bachelor's is the renewal line.