Tuition Aid Program May Get Income Test

Coburn spokesman John Hart said that the senator thinks people making more than $1 million don't need federal help. "Every dollar that goes to millionaire families is a dollar that's not available to lower-income families," Hart said.

The Senate vote on the tuition program occurred on the same day that Republicans blocked what many had considered to be the District's best chance in years to achieve full voting rights.

"These people in Congress, don't they have anything better to do?" asked Iris Toyer, co-chairman of the education advocacy group Parents United for the D.C. Schools. "I feel like, 'Attack us every way you can at this point.' "

Although the two bills have to be reconciled, Coburn has threatened to hold up the compromise bill if attempts are made to remove the income provision. Democrats have decided not to fight it anymore, Norton and others said.

"This undercuts the major reasons for the program, but we were left with no choices," she said, adding that the program will run out of money if new funds are not authorized soon. Then, she said, "everybody gets hurt."

Norton said she thinks that about 20 families could be affected by the change. Toyer said the number of people affected is certain to grow into the hundreds in coming years.

The D.C. government has no mechanism to determine the family income of program applicants, but Deborah Gist, the head of the State Education Office that oversees the tuition assistance program, said she would work to create one.

"While the original intent of the program was designed to include all eligible District residents regardless of income, I am confident that the Office of the State Superintendent of Education will meet the new requirements of the program," she said.