U•Pass FAQs and Helpful Links

U•Pass® is a partnership between the George Washington University and Metro that enables eligible undergraduate and graduate students to obtain a U•Pass® personal SmarTrip® card for unlimited trips on Metrorail and Metrobus during the academic year.

Utilizing U•Pass® helps save you money when you ride Metrorail or Metrobus, can save you time with your commute by not having to drive, and helps take more cars off the road as we focus on sustainability and better air quality. Students can use their U•Pass® card for unlimited Metrobus and Metrorail trips only. 

Metro seeks to expand service throughout the region, however, at this time U•Pass cannot be used on regional partner services including, but not limited to ART, CUE, DASH, D.C. Circulator, Fairfax Connector, Loudoun Commuter Bus, PRTC, Ride On, Ride on Express, The Bus and/or MTA.

Also, U•Pass® cannot be used on MetroAccess paratransit services, to pay for parking at any of the commuter lots or for stored value.  

Undergraduate students enrolled in on-campus classes (eg: not study abroad or traditional online only programs) within the Columbian College of Arts & Sciences, Elliott School of International Affairs, GW’s Business School, Milken Institute School of Public Health and School of Engineering & Applied Science are included in this mandatory U•Pass public transit program. Eligible undergraduate students will automatically be assessed the subsidized mandatory student fee on their eBill each fall and spring enrolled. 

The following full-time students must pre-pay a $100 non-refundable student transportation fee via their student account prior to picking up a U•Pass card:

• Undergraduate students in the School of Nursing, College of Professional Studies and School of Medicine & Health Sciences enrolled in 12 or more credits/semester.
• Graduate, medical, doctoral and exchange students enrolled in 9 credits or more/semester.
• Law students in the JD and LLM programs enrolled in 9 credits or more/semester.
• If you are a graduate or professional student who has finished all of your class requirements and are in the process of completing your thesis, dissertation and/or lab research, you will need to work directly with your program director or advisor to apply for Full-Time Certification. If your program/school approves your request, you will be eligible to participate in U•Pass.

U•Pass® is not available to MetroAccess paratransit-eligible students.

MetroAccess paratransit-eligible students with conditional eligibility may already be issued a MetroAccess SmarTrip® ID card, which enables free rides on Metrobus and Metrorail. Additional information is available at wmata.com/MetroAccess.

The GW U•Pass® is a subsidized mandatory student fee. Metro charges GW $1 per day during the semester per enrolled student. Starting spring 2022, all eligible full-time students will pay a $100 mandatory student transportation fee for each fall and spring enrolled and GW will pay for the remainder of the program’s cost.

Traditionally, the program begins on the first day of class and end on the last day of finals, however the exact dates of the program each semester will be announced prior to the start of each semester.

In fall 2022, a new GW branded U•Pass card will need to be picked-up for the 2022-2023 academic year.  Dates and times are listed above in the blue box.

Starting Tuesday, September 6 U•Pass cards are available for pick up at the GWorld office during normal business hours.

Unfortunately, the U•Pass® program card is not compatible with Metro's new IOS and Android mobile pay system in Apple Wallet and Google Pay. To use the U•Pass® transit program, you will need to tap the physical card at stations and Metrobus kiosks. GW and metro will update GW students if mobile pay becomes available to U•Pass® users in the future.

Unfortunately, Metro’s technology for its transit system is not compatible with GWorld, a separate physical card is required to use U•Pass®.  

The GW U•Pass® card can only be used during the fall and spring semesters. If you want to ride Metro during winter break or during the summer months, you will need to use your own personal SmartTrip card. We encourage you to keep your personal SmarTrip card for use outside of the fall and spring semesters.

Please visit the GWorld Card Office during normal business hours to pick up a new card. Please note there will be a $20 fee associated with lost cards.

If you have a non-functioning U•Pass® card, please ask for assistance from the Metrorail station manager or Metrobus driver. If Metro is not able to determine why your card does not work, please email [email protected].

Your cost savings will depend on how often you ride Metro during the academic year. As an example, a Metro trip three times a week to and from your fall semester internship on Capitol Hill would cost approximately $180 for the semester, netting you a cost savings just from trips related to your internship.

To compare normal fares to U•Pass® to see how much money you could save, check out Metro’s Trip Planner and fare schedule. 

Mandatory student fees are incorporated into a student’s total cost of attendance and will be factored in when calculating your financial aid package. When paying for tuition, room and board and fees, you will be able to use any financial aid you receive toward paying this student fee.