First-Time Card Requirements

All active members of the George Washington University community are eligible to receive GWorld Cards.

No appointment is necessary to receive your card; it typically takes 5 and 10 minutes. We experience long lines at the start of each semester, so please allow extra time.

You may also upload a photo and have your card ready for pick-up as soon as you arrive on campus

Requirements by Role

Review the specific requirements to get your card based on your role at GW:

All registered students undergraduate, graduate, non-degree, consortium, and exchange -- are eligible to receive GWorld Cards. Active GW faculty and staff members --full-time, part-time, temporary, adjunct, visiting, and emeriti--are also eligible to receive a GWorld card.

If you are a student and a staff member, you must maintain a staff card.

If you are a student and an MFA or UHS employee, you must maintain a student card.

Requirements

Students must be registered for at least one course and present a valid U.S. government-issued photo ID.

Employees must be fully processed and viewable in the university Banner database and present a valid U.S. government-issued photo ID.

Picking-up Your Card

The timing for when you get your card is based on the type of student you are:

New undergraduates: At New Student Orientation
Other new students: One month before your classes begin
Returning students: Anytime during the semester as long as you are registered for classes
Fully online students may upload a photo and government ID to have a non-function (i.e., solely for identification) GWorld card mailed to their address.

Card Fees

Your first card is free and a $25.00 fee will be charged to replace your lost or stolen card.

Access

Your card will provide you access to GW Libraries, your residence hall if you live on campus, and the Lerner Health & Wellness Center and parking garages if you sign up for parking access. Staff must purchase a membership before having access to Lerner Health & Wellness Center.

Accounts

Your GWorld card will serve as your payment around campus and can include:

Colonial Cash that can be used for convenient purchasing and discounts
Dining Cash meal plans for undergraduate students who live in residence halls or those who purchase a voluntary campus dining plan.

GWorld Cards to VSTC Campus

If you are a student at the GW Virginia Science & Technology Campus and cannot come to the Foggy Bottom GWorld Card Office to issue your card, you can request your card to be shipped to the VSTC Campus. To submit a card be sent to the VSTC campus, submit your photo online, and in the pick-up instructions, select the "VSTC" option. Cards are sent every Tuesday and Thursday and are available for pickup at the Enterprise Hall lobby.

Active GW faculty and staff members --full-time, part-time, temporary, adjunct, visiting, and emeriti --are also eligible to receive a GWorld card.

Requirements

Employees must be fully processed and viewable in the university Banner database and present a valid U.S. government-issued photo ID.

Picking-up Your Card

New employees can come to the GWorld office and issue their first card.

Card Fees

Your first card is free and a $25.00 fee will be charged to replace your lost or stolen card.

Access

Your card will provide you access to GW Libraries and academic buildings. Staff must purchase a membership before having access to Lerner Health & Wellness Center.

Accounts

Your GWorld card will serve as your payment around campus and can include:

Colonial Cash that can be used for convenient purchasing and discount.

GWorld Cards to VSTC Campus

If you are a faculty or staff member at the GW Virginia Science & Technology Campus and cannot come to the Foggy Bottom GWorld Card Office to issue your card, you can request your card to be shipped to the VSTC Campus. To submit a card be sent to the VSTC campus, submit your photo online, and in the pick-up instructions, select the "VSTC" option. Cards are sent every Tuesday and Thursday and are available for pickup at the Enterprise Hall lobby.

All GW alumni are eligible to receive a GWorld card. Alumni GWorld cards are a great way to stay connected with the campus community.

If you're alumni and a faculty or staff member, you must maintain your faculty or staff card.

If you're alumni and a current student, you must maintain your student card. You can wait to get your alumni card until after you leave your faculty or staff position or finish taking classes.

Requirements

To apply for a card, your graduation and alumni status must be fully processed (typically 8-12 weeks after your graduation date). You must bring a valid U.S. government-issued photo ID.

Card Fees

There is a $10.00 fee to purchase your first alumni card and a $25.00 fee to replace a lost or stolen card.

Access

Your card will provide you access to GW Libraries (based on the school you graduated from). Alumni may also purchase a membership to the Lerner Health & Wellness Center (restrictions may apply, contact Lerner for rates & purchase requirements).

Accounts

Your card will have any remaining balances from your student card, and you can add Colonial Cash to your card for convenient purchasing and discounts around campus.

GWorld Cards to VSTC Campus

If you are a member of the GW Virginia Science & Technology Campus and cannot come to the Foggy Bottom GWorld Card Office to issue your card, you can request your card to be shipped to the VSTC Campus. To submit a card be sent to the VSTC campus, submit your photo online, and in the pick-up instructions, select the "VSTC" option. Cards are sent every Tuesday and Thursday and are available for pickup at the Enterprise Hall lobby.

If you're a Medical Faculty Associates (MFA) or Universal Health Services (UHS) employee, you are eligible for a GWorld card.

If you're a student and an MFA or UHS employee, you must maintain a student card. If you're a faculty member and an MFA or UHS employee, you must maintain a faculty card.

Requirements

If you're an MFA employee, present your MFA HR Card Authorization Form and a valid U.S. government-issued photo ID.

If you're a UHS employee, present your UHS employee ID and a valid U.S. government-issued photo ID.

Card Fees

Your first card is free, and a $25.00 fee will be charged to replace a lost or stolen card.

Access

Your card will give you access to the Lerner Health & Wellness Center if you purchase a membership and to parking garages if you sign up for parking access.

Accounts

You can add Colonial Cash to your card for convenient purchasing and discounts around campus (including daily parking).

GWorld Cards to VSTC Campus

If you are an MFA/UHS employee at the GW Virginia Science & Technology Campus and cannot come to the Foggy Bottom GWorld Card Office to issue your card, you can request your card to be shipped to the VSTC Campus. To submit a card be sent to the VSTC campus, submit your photo online, and in the pick-up instructions, select the "VSTC" option. Cards are sent every Tuesday and Thursday and are available for pickup at the Enterprise Hall lobby.

All visitors and contractors must be sponsored by a university department and have a GWid number. If you are a sponsor you need to:

Request a GWid for the visitor or contractor through the Division of IT Support Center. You will receive an email confirmation once the GWid is created.
Email the GWid, name, duration of stay, and necessary card access to [email protected]. If you're requesting cards for more than five people, please include their information in an Excel spreadsheet.
Accompany the visitor or contractor to the GWorld office to help them get their card.
The visitor or contractor must present a valid U.S. government-issued photo ID.

If you do not follow these steps, the GWorld Office will be unable to issue a card to the visitor or contractor.

Card Fees

Your first card is free and a $25.00 fee will be charged to replace a lost or stolen card.

Access

Specific access will be assigned based on the request your department sponsor provides to us. Your card will give you access to the Lerner Health & Wellness Center if you purchase a membership and to parking garages if you sign up for parking access.

Accounts

You can add Colonial Cash to your card for convenient purchasing and discounts around campus.

GWorld Cards to VSTC Campus

If you are a visitor or contractor at the GW Virginia Science & Technology Campus and cannot come to the Foggy Bottom GWorld Card Office to issue your card, you can request your card to be shipped to the VSTC Campus. To submit a card be sent to the VSTC campus, submit your photo online, and in the pick-up instructions, select the "VSTC" option. Cards are sent every Tuesday and Thursday and are available for pickup at the Enterprise Hall lobby.

Beginning January 30th, 2023, eligible community members located in the geographical areas specified below will be able to complete an application form to obtain a Friends of GW GWorld card.

On January 30th, an online form will be made public on the GW Neighbors website to apply for a Friends of GW GWorld Card.

After applying, community member will receive a secured link from the GWorld Office to upload their photo and ID as proof of residence. Verification for eligibility is a D.C.-issued Drivers License or Non-Driver ID Card only.

Following application approval, individuals can go to the GWorld Card office located on the Ground Floor of the University Student Center (800 21st St NW, G05) to pay for and pickup their Friends of GW GWorld Card.

Proof of Address Requirement

Only Foggy Bottom community members who reside in zip codes 20037 or 20006 are eligible to apply for a Friends of GW GWorld Card.

Only Mount Vernon community members in the geographical area that is bounded by 44th Street to the east, Dexter Street to the north, 49th Street to the west, and MacArthur Blvd. and Whitehaven Parkway to the south are eligible to apply for a Friends of GW GWorld Card. Please complete this form to request Friends card as a Mount Vernon community member.

Present a valid driver’s license or state ID confirming your residence in either of the approved zip code

Age Requirement

All applicants must be at least 18 years old to qualify for a Freinds GWorld card.

Card Fees

There is an initial card fee of $15.00 due at the time of processing. There is a replacement card fee of $25. The GWorld Office only accepts debit, credit card, or Apple Pay payments. The Friends of GW GWorld Community Cards must be renewed every two years.

Access

Your card will provide you access to GW Libraries. Contact the Health & Wellness Center to enquire about memberships available to GW Friends.

Accounts

Friends can add Colonial Cash to their card for convenient purchasing and discounts on campus.