D.C. Student Opportunity Act

Giving Children a Chance to Learn: The D.C. Student Opportunity Scholarship Act

This was a brief hearing to solicit the views of the people who were going to be directly impacted by President Clinton’s decision to sign or veto the “D.C. Student Opportunity Scholarship Act.” The act, which was to provide approximately $7 million to be apportioned into 1,800 scholarships for low-income families, was later vetoed on May 20, 1998.

Two D.C. residents testified as to how the proposed legislation would positively impact their lives and the lives of their children. They discussed the condition of the District’s public schools and how the schools were failing to educate their children.