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Metro’s Board of Directors has approved a major expansion of the University Pass program, opening the door for more college students across the Washington region to receive affordable, unlimited transit access.
The updated U-Pass program adds flexible pricing and participation options intended to make enrollment easier for colleges and universities. The changes could extend eligibility to groups including part-time, community college and graduate students.
Metro General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke said the expansion would allow more institutions to participate while providing more students with reliable, lower-cost transportation. WMATA Board Chair Valerie Santos said the program helps students travel to classes, study sessions and jobs throughout the region.
Andrew Flagel, president and CEO of the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area, called the decision a welcome step for the region’s higher-education institutions, which collectively serve more than 300,000 students and rank among its largest nonfederal employers.
Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Executive Director Clark Mercer said expanding the partnership could increase transit ridership and advance the DMVMoves goal of a more integrated regional transportation system.
U-Pass began as a pilot program with American University in 2016. It now serves more than 35,000 students and generated approximately 4.6 million trips during fiscal year 2025.
A total of 43 colleges and universities are eligible to participate, representing about 360,000 students across the National Capital region. Metro plans to implement the new options during the 2026-27 academic year.
Colleges Get More Ways to Participate
Students currently covered by U-Pass pay their institutions the equivalent of about $1 per day for unlimited rides. Metro estimates students outside the program pay roughly $7.20 in standard daily fares.
Under the universal model, institutions can retain the approximately $1 daily rate when all eligible students participate.
A new opt-in model will cost about $1.75 per day and require participation from at least 33% of eligible students.
Colleges and universities will also be able to determine which student groups may enroll, including part-time, community college, undergraduate and graduate students. Institutions can revise those choices annually to meet campus needs. Future daily prices will be tied to fare increases approved by Metro’s board.
Metro is also evaluating additional possibilities, including access for faculty and staff and more flexible institutional pricing.
The expansion is part of Metro’s Strategic Transformation Plan and its effort to increase ridership, improve financial sustainability and strengthen regional partnerships. Metro says broader student participation can lower transportation expenses, connect campuses with jobs and internships, support commercial districts and reduce demand for university parking.
Metro serves approximately four million people across a 2,054-square-mile area in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia. Its system includes six rail lines, 98 stations, 126 bus routes and door-to-door paratransit service. The agency operates with a $5 billion capital and operating budget and is the nation’s second-busiest transit system.