August 2026 Student Newsletter |
Dear CCAS Graduate Students,
We are very excited to welcome you all back to campus for the start of the Fall 2026 semester! Whether you took classes, spent the summer working, or used some time off for a much-needed vacation, we hope you had a wonderful summer.
This month's newsletter is full of important tips and resources, including a rundown on key Student Accounts policies, Fall 2026 registration reminders, an invitation to our Welcome Week Ice Cream Social, and more!
Looking for past issues of our newsletter? Check out our Student Newsletter page for the archives!
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Upcoming Graduate Student Events |
Welcome Week Ice Cream Social |
Thursday, August 27, 2026 from 3:00 - 5:00 PM | Academic Center, Outside Smith 118
We hope you will join us outside the CCAS Graduate Student Services office in Smith Hall, Suite 118 for ice cream and CCAS swag. Registration is not required, just stop by!
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Important Reminders & Updates |
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The first day of Fall 2026 classes will be Monday, August 24, 2026. We can't wait to see you back on campus!
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The CCAS Office of Graduate Studies is changing how we accept student form submissions! Beginning Fall 2026, any form that you would normally send to ccasgradserv@gwu.edu should instead be uploaded directly to the form submission page on our website.
- Please keep an eye out for more details, including the link to the form submission page.
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From the submission page, your forms and any supporting documentation will be sent directly to GW Box, the University's preferred method for secure file storage. This change is meant to protect your personal information, especially supporting documentation that may be sensitive.
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If a form you submit requires supporting documentation, we ask that you combine the form and supporting documentation into a single PDF file. Instructions for combining files into one PDF can be found on the Adobe Acrobat help page. As a GW student, you can download Adobe Acrobat for free!
- There are no other changes to our normal form approval processes. If a form requires your DGS to submit it on your behalf, your DGS will also be able to upload the form to our form submission page.
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As a reminder, students enrolled in any in-person credits across GW's campuses in the DC region are now eligible to participate in the U‑Pass Student Transit Program during the fall and spring semesters!
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Through this program, eligible students may receive unlimited access to Metrorail and Metrobus services for a fee of $130 per semester.
- Check out the U-Pass FAQ for instructions on adding the U-Pass fee to your Student Account.
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Information on where and when to pick up your U-Pass can be found on the U-Pass website.
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Questions about U-Pass? Please reach out to upass@gwu.edu for help!
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All GW students enrolled in classes on the Foggy Bottom, Mount Vernon, VSTC, and Corcoran campuses, as well as all international students on a J1 or F1 visa, are required to have health insurance while they study at GW. These students will be automatically enrolled in GW’s Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP).
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If you have existing coverage under a health insurance plan other than GW SHIP, you may want to waive SHIP coverage.
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Please check to see whether your existing insurance plan meets the waiver criteria before submitting the SHIP waiver form.
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The deadline to waive SHIP coverage for Fall 2026 - Spring 2027 will be September 12, 2026.
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For more information on GW SHIP, including coverage dates, cost, and deadlines, please visit the University Health Plans website. Questions should be directed to the appropriate contact listed at the bottom of the GW SHIP page.
- Tuition, health insurance charges, and other fees are due by the first day of the semester, or upon registration if the semester has already begun. This means that changes to your registration once the semester has started may impact your Student Account.
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Even if you paid your balance in full prior to the start of the semester, it is important to check your Student Account eBill in GWeb any time your registration changes.
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Any outstanding balance on your Student Account after the start of the semester may be subject to a late payment fee. The Student Accounts Office charges late fees for each semester in two rounds: a flat, $75 fee earlier in the semester, and a 5% fee based on the total amount owed later in the semester. In fall, the $75 late fee is charged in November, and the 5% fee is charged in December.
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More information on the late fee policy, as well as the full fee schedule, can be found in the Late Payments section of the Student Accounts Office website. Questions about late fees should be addressed to sao@gwu.edu.
- There is still time to enroll in the Student Accounts Office's Monthly Payment Plan for Fall 2026.
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The monthly payment plan enables students or their authorized users to pay current Fall, Spring, and Summer semester tuition and fees in four equal payments per semester.
- Enrollment in the Fall 2026 monthly payment plan will be open through August 23, 2026. Beginning August 10, 2026, a down payment will be required to enroll in the monthly payment plan.
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Questions about the monthly payment plan should be addressed to sao@gwu.edu.
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If you will be completing your thesis or dissertation in Fall 2026, please continue to be mindful of ETD clearance deadlines for both Ph.D. students and for Master’s students completing a thesis.
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Fall 2026 Course Registration |
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| As the start of fall classes draws near, here are some key dates and policies you should keep in mind!
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Check out the Registrar's Office Fall/ Spring Schedule page for a full list of key registration dates. This month, we recommend marking your calendars for:
- Monday, August 24: First Day of Classes
- Friday, August 28: Last day for Fall 2026 consortium registration
- Sunday, September 6: Last day to add a Fall 2026 course via GWeb;
Last day of the 100% tuition refund period for dropped courses -
If you need to swap two courses worth the same number of credits after Sunday, September 6, please reach out to our office at ccasgradserv@gwu.edu for help completing an even exchange so that you are not charged additional tuition.
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Beginning Monday, September 7: The portion of tuition refunded for dropped courses will decrease weekly, as specified in the Student Accounts Tuition Refund Policy.
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If you have a hold that prevents registration, you will need to complete the action listed in the hold message before the hold can be removed. Don't forget: a hold may only be removed by the office that placed the hold.
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If you started your program of study in the Fall 2026 semester, please make sure that you have turned in all official documents and transcripts required as part of the admissions process. If you have not submitted your transcripts, you will notice a hold on your account and will be unable to register for Spring 2027 courses. If you have a transcript hold, please reach out to our Admissions team at askccas@gwu.edu.
- General information on common holds can be found on the Registrar’s Office website; information on financial holds can be found on the Student Accounts Office website.
- If a course you want to add is already full, you may have the option to join the waitlist for that course. If a seat becomes available in the course, it will be offered to the first student on the waitlist, who then has 24 hours to add the course before the seat is offered to the next student on the waitlist.
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If you are trying to add yourself to the waitlist for a course, you will need to enter the 5-digit CRN in GWeb rather than using the "Class Search" option. You can find specific CRNs using the course search tool.
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If you are notified (via your GW email) that a seat has become available in a course you waitlisted, you will need to log back into GWeb and change the dropdown for that course to "Web Registered." Remember that you only have 24 hours to add the course before it is offered to the next student on the waitlist. If you are registered in any classes which conflict with the time of the waitlisted course, be sure to drop the conflicting class(es) through GWeb when you add yourself to the waitlisted course.
- We cannot use the RTF or the RTF-EZ to bypass a waitlist. If a course you would like to join is marked as "WAITLIST," you will need to add yourself to the waitlist for that course.
- More information on waitlists can be found on the Registrar's Office website.
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Welcome Dr. Erica Walls to CCAS Graduate Student Services |
CCAS Graduate Student Services is pleased to welcome Dr. Erica Walls as our new Career Counselor. In this role, Erica will provide one-on-one career advising, facilitate Career Readiness Workshops, and connect CCAS graduate students and alumni with a variety of career development resources.
Erica brings a wealth of experience and education to the position. She earned her PhD from the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy & Administration in 2019 and served as a GW faculty member from 2018 to 2024. Her deep connection to the university and commitment to student success make her an outstanding addition to our team.
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Thank you for engaging with Career Services |
Thank you for taking advantage of CCAS Career Services this year! Whether you attended a Career Readiness Workshop or met one-on-one with a career counselor, you made a meaningful investment in your professional future.
Career support doesn't end with the academic year. CCAS Career Counselors Dr. Johnette Ruffner-Ceaser and Dr. Erica Walls are available to meet with students and alumni throughout the year; including the summer. Schedule an appointment through Handshake, visit the CCAS Career Services website, or email ccas_careers@gwu.edu to learn more.
Want a preview of what Career Services has to offer? Visit the CCAS Career Services YouTube Channel, where you can watch recordings of past Career Readiness Workshops at your convenience. And be sure to check out the September newsletter for the full schedule of Fall 2026 Career Readiness Workshops.
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Resource Highlight: CCAS Graduate Student Policy Resources
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CCAS Graduate Student Handbook & Bulletin |
Our CCAS Graduate Student Handbook lays out the key policies governing CCAS Graduate Students. As we near the start of the fall semester, we recommend taking a moment to familiarize yourself with CCAS policy. This will help avoid unpleasant surprises in the future, and can also help you plan your academic career by giving you a sense of what is possible under CCAS policy.
In addition to the policies laid out in our CCAS Graduate Student Handbook, we would also recommend looking through the CCAS Bulletin and the University Bulletin. The CCAS Bulletin is a great place to find specific info regarding your program requirements, and the University Bulletin lists the overarching GW policies that apply to all students.
As always, if you have any questions about CCAS policy, University policy, or our Graduate Student Handbook, please reach out to us at ccasgradserv@gwu.edu.
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Current Graduate Students Website |
In addition to hosting our CCAS Graduate Student Handbook, our website for Current CCAS Graduate Students also contains a plethora of helpful links, tips, and resources. Our Registration page breaks down full- vs. part-time workload, how to drop and add classes, and how your registration impacts your tuition bill. On the Graduation page, you will find information for certificate, master's, and doctoral students regarding degree completion, important graduation deadlines, and eligibility to attend Commencement Week events. Last (but certainly not least), our Graduate Student Forms page has links to download all CCAS Graduate Student forms.
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Did you know that CCAS is on YouTube? If reading policy isn't your jam, or if you are more of a visual learner, check out our Graduate Student Academic Resources playlist! In addition to videos highlighting key policies, we have a very thorough series of videos on formatting your Electronic Thesis or Dissertation. If there is a policy or topic you would like to see covered on our YouTube channel, feel free to leave a comment or email ccasgradserv@gwu.edu. Make sure to subscribe!
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Funding, Fellowships, Internships, & Employment Opportunities |
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Please feel free to reach out to us at ccasgradserv@gwu.edu if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
The Student Services Team
Office of Graduate Studies
Columbian College of Arts and Sciences
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