U•Pass FAQs and Helpful Links

Frequently Asked Questions

What is U•Pass®?

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

Why is U•Pass® beneficial to students?

U•Pass® helps save students money when riding Metrorail or Metrobus, can save time commuting by not having to drive, and helping take more cars off the road with a focus on sustainability and better air quality. Students can use their U•Pass® card for unlimited Metrobus and Metrorail trips only.

Can U•Pass® be used for regional public transit options in addition to Metro and Metrobus like a traditional SmartTrip card can?

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.

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

Who is eligible to participate?

Undergraduate students enrolled on-campus (eg: not study abroad or traditional online only programs) full-time (12 credit hours) in the Columbian College of Arts & Sciences, Elliott School of International Affairs, School of Business, Milken Institute School of Public Health and School of Engineering & Applied will have the subsidized mandatory student fee included in their eBill each fall and spring semester.

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

Undergraduate students in the College of Professional Studies, School of Nursing and School of Medicine and Health Sciences enrolled in 12 or more on-campus credits each fall and spring semester.
Graduate, medical, doctoral and exchange students enrolled in 9 on-campus credits or more each fall and spring semester. .
Law students in the JD and LLM programs enrolled in 9 credits on-campus or more each fall and spring semester.

I have a disability and use MetroAccess. Will I have to pay to use 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.

How much will this cost me?

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

Which semesters can I use my U•Pass®?

U•Pass is only available during the fall and spring semesters. At this time, U•Pass is not available during the summer semester. Traditionally, the program begins on the first day of class and ends on the last day of finals. However, the exact dates of the program each semester will be announced prior to the start of each fall/spring semester.

Where do I go to get my U•Pass®?

At the start of the academic year, students will pick up , a new GW branded U•Pass card. Dates and times are listed on the main U-Pass page.

After every semester distribution events, student can pick up a U•Pass card at the GWorld office during normal business hours.

How do I connect my U•Pass® to my phone apps?

If you have an iPhone 8 (or newer) and/or an Apple Watch Series 5 (or newer) running on the latest version of iOS; in just a few easy steps, you can transfer your physical U-Pass card to Apple Wallet. You can learn more about how to connect your UPass to Apple Wallet here.

At this time, per WMATA, the U-Pass card cannot be added to your Google Wallet.

Can U•Pass® be added to my GWorld card like adding dining dollars?

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

I have my own SmarTrip Card from Metro. Can I add my GW U•Pass® card to my personal SmarTrip Card?

The GW U•Pass® card cannot be added to your personal SmarTrip card. Students can only use the U•Pass® card during the fall and spring semesters. Students cannot use theU•Pass® card during winter break or during the summer months.. We encourage you to keep your personal SmarTrip card for use outside of the fall and spring semesters.

I lost my GW U•Pass® card. How do I get a new one?

Please visit the GWorld Card Office during normal business hours to pick up a new card. Please note there will be a $20 replacement fee associated with lost/stolen cards and malfunctioning cards in your Apple Wallet.

My U•Pass card does not work. What should I do?

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 upassgwu [dot] edu.

If your U•Pass® card deactivates, please visit the GWorld Card Office during normal business hours to pick up a new card.

Will this program really save me money in transportation costs?

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.

Since this is a mandatory student fee, can I use my financial aid to pay?

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.

I do not see the U•Pass® fee, how do I add it to my account?

If you are a full-time, on-campus undergraduate student, the U•Pass® fee is automatically assessed to your account so you do not need to manually add the fee to your account. You should see the fee automatically populate onto your student eBill at the beginning of the semester. If these circumstances apply to you and you did not see the fee appear on your student eBill, please reach out to upassgwu [dot] edu to inquire more.

Graduate students enrolled on-campus full-time (9 credit hours) must manually add the non-refundable fee to their account to be enrolled in the program. To add the U•Pass® fee to your student eBill, follow these steps:

Log-in to Banner/GWeb.
Select: Student Accounts and click on Student Account eBill.
Select: Make A Payment.
Add UPass.
Select 'Pay Now' by credit card.
Make sure you save and submit. If successful, you will see a pop-up screen indicating payment.

Undergraduate students enrolled on-campus full-time (12 credit hours) in the College of Professional Studies, School of Nursing and School of Medicine and Health Sciences must manually add the non-refundable fee to their account using the steps above.

If you did not see the fee appear on your student eBill, please reach out to upassgwu [dot] edu (upass[at]gwu[dot]edu) to inquire more. Please note, you must be enrolled in full-time course load for the U-Pass fee to appear on your Student Account.