Author: Jonathan Lochner

The DMV can be a very expensive area for graduate students with a fixed budget. Fortunately, there are a variety of assistance programs that we qualify for based on our stipend! Please note: These may vary based on your residence in DC, Virginia, or Maryland.

DC Utilities and Rent: 

LIHEAP: Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) assists income-eligible District households with heating and cooling energy costs. Eligible households may receive energy bill assistance between $250 and $1,800 as a one-time regular energy assistance benefit. This benefit is based on household size, total household income, heating source, and type of dwelling.

• It does require you to submit proof of income and your bills, however you can use this for water, electricity, and gas.

UDP: The Utility Discount Program (UDP) assists low-income District residents reduce utility costs. To qualify, you must meet income guidelines (listed below), and utility bills must be in the applicant’s name.

• This requires the same information as LIHEAP. 

**VA/Arlington and MD have similar programs to look into. Note that the max household income is unfortunately much lower and students living alone may not qualify. 

DC Rental Assistance:

DC’s Homeowner and Renter Property Tax Credit Program: After residing in DC for a full calendar year, you may qualify for this tax credit when you file your taxes. In 2023, the maximum was $1,325. If you complete your taxes through a private company like TurboTax, be aware that you should qualify for this, as it may not always be automatically given. 

Taxes: As graduate students, we sometimes qualify for free or reduced tax filing with companies like TurboTax, H&R Block, etc. If not, you are eligible to file for free with a Certified IRS Free File company. 

It is also crucial to note that your first-year student stipend is tax-exempt. This means you should ideally set aside a little from each paycheck, as you may owe back taxes for income in the first year. Once you begin your second year, you will be subject to various taxes depending on which campus you choose. GW-based students are subject to DC and Federal income tax, but not FICA (University-paid students are FICA exempt). CNH-based students are subject to income AND FICA taxes. GW SOBS is working to address this gap, but this is the current situation. This can be jarring for students receiving their first taxed paycheck, so please make sure you prepare yourself by setting a little money aside each month. Some students have also found other methods of saving to be helpful, such as high-yield savings accounts (HYSAs). Finally, this is your obligatory reminder that we cannot provide official tax and financial advice, and these are all just general statements. 🙂

Life as a graduate student does require some effort to maintain financial stability. This page covers some additional tips and tricks that can help decrease your costs!

Food:

The Store: GW does have a food pantry for students experiencing food insecurity, so if you require assistance, this is a great resource! You will need to fill out their form to gain access, but once you do, you will be able to shop there for canned goods and meats. 

**If you do become food insecure, please reach out to SOBS, your mentor, or someone in the program you trust, so that we may work with you to find additional resources. 

Grocery Store Rewards/Coupons: Each grocery store in the DMV area has online coupons you can sign up for using your phone number in their app, so make sure you look into this! There are countless options for deals, and 50 cents off/BOGO here and there adds up! 

• Examples:
  • Safeway
  • Harris Teeter
  • Giant
  • Wegmans
• **If you do not live within walking distance of a grocery store and don’t have a car, many of these DMV grocery stores offer delivery services. Students have used these membership programs to get groceries delivered, utilize store coupons, and save on delivery fees. Instacart offers a similar program with more variety in store options. 

Noshd: Some restaurants use this food app that gives you a discount when you check out. 

Too Good To Go: This is a popular mobile app in DC that connects customers to restaurants and stores that have unsold food surplus. You’ll be able to get food surplus from big name restaurants for a third of the price, and the food is typically really good! Notably, the GW farmer’s market has a vendor that participates where you can get unsold produce. 

Meal Kit Services (think Hello Fresh): As you might know, many meal kit delivery services offer introductory coupons when you first join. One easy way to save a little bit of time and money on these services is to start with one company, get their meals delivered until you run out of coupons, and then switch to the next box. Inevitably, when you’ve moved on to different companies, you start getting “We miss you, come back!” promos in the mail, and the coupon cycle continues. Finally, some of them accept student discounts that you can verify with your GWU email (I know Home Chef does). 

For example:

• Start with Hello Fresh, get 50% first box, then 25%, etc etc. When the coupon ends -> cancel it!
• Sign up for Home Chef, get 50% off the first four boxes, etc. then cancel it!
• Sign up for Blue Apron, use discounts then cancel!

Farmer’s Markets: The DMV offers many farmers markets by FreshFarm and other groups that sell local produce at a great price. The largest one is the Dupont Farmers Market, but there are markets in almost every neighborhood. There is also a large farmer’s market outside of Ross Hall on Wednesdays starting at 3 PM!

Travel: 

Public Transport in DC: Most GW students travel by DC Metro/Metro bus, which is now subsidized thanks to GW’s participation in the U-Pass program. By paying $100 on your GW E-bill at the beginning of each semester, you receive access to subsidized Metro and Metrobus access which typically costs ~$70+ for a monthly pass. Right now, this is only offered for the academic year (August-May), so students typically pay out of pocket over the summer. 

GW Shuttle/Other Shuttles to CNH: For students rotating/working at CNH, there is a shuttle that picks up by GW’s Ross Hall at 8:30 AM to take riders to CNH. The first returning shuttle picks up at 4:30 PM at CNH. There are also shuttles to other nearby metro stations, such as Columbia Heights, Brookland, and Union Station. 

Other Affordable Methods of Transportation include biking with Capital Bikeshare, which offers a $95 per year membership and includes 45 min free rides. Ross Hall and many metro stops offer bike lockers if you prefer to bring your personal bike, just remember to bring a bike lock! There are also an array of scooter and e-bike companies in the DMV, such as Lime Scooters, etc. 

Empower: Uber and Lyft can be expensive in DC during peak hours so this app ALWAYS has cheap rides. Several students use it and the max they have paid is roughly $15 during peak times.

Do you have more suggestions on ways graduate students can save? Any specific info on saving for VA/MD residents? Send us an email at gwsobs@gwu.edu and we’ll add it to the list!