The Long, Long Road to the Metro U-Pass

Image courtesy of Mapquest.

By Kyrien Keeton

After nearly a decade of deliberation, the Catholic University of America is finally opting into the D.C. Metro U-Pass program. 

The Metro U-Pass program was first offered to CUA in 2016, presenting “an affordable transportation option for students to travel throughout the region for classes, internships, jobs and other activities,” at a cost of “about $1 per day.” The program is not opt-in, and upon its adoption, the cost will automatically be applied to each student’s bill. The University originally decided against accepting the program because of the steep cost applied to all students, regardless of how often they reported using the D.C. Metro. Despite its initial rejection, the resolution to adopt the program frequented the Student Government Association (SGA) Senate over the next decade, with iterations sponsored by Senator Cavan Hagerty in 2017, Senator Jamie Besendorfer in 2021, and Senator Clare Tong in 2024.

Opposition from SGA members and mixed reviews from students have hindered the passing of this resolution since its first introduction. In 2024, former senator Tong and former president Jeff Lance advocated for the Metro U-Pass and collaborated with other senators to conduct surveys that gauged student support for the motion. Estimated costs hovered around $300 per year, but a lack of clarification led to students assuming the cost was $300 per semester. Because of this, the survey yielded skewed results and caused the resolution to be rescinded before it could hit the Senate floor.

In a meeting with Michael Kish, the SGA president, he explained the reasoning behind the University’s decision. After the resolution being ultimately unsuccessful with SGA in 2024, then-president Jeff Lance’s advocacy for the project brought the program under official review with the university’s upper administration, with considerations to adopt it into the university budget for 2027. 

“It was two things primarily that actually brought in the Metro U-Pass,” President Kish says, “The first was Jeff and Clare’s work in surveying the students last year […] and the second important thing is, because the university’s budget is getting restructured, there is an opportunity for these kinds of special projects to take place.”

Last semester, Fall 2025, Senator Jack Hermes brought the resolution to the floor for what would be the resolution’s final visit to the Senate. “Jack’s resolution was sort of supplementary,” President Kish explains, “To affirm [SGA’s] advocacy.” 

While Senator Hermes attempted to supply external funding for the U-Pass by offering corporations (such as Amazon or Microsoft) an opportunity for advertisement by placing their logo on the card, the initiative was unsuccessful. This means that upon the adoption of the resolution, students will shoulder the financial burden of the U-Pass on their own. 

Freshman psychology major Lorenzo Maione, when asked about the implementation of the UPass, said, “I’m very grateful for [the UPass], but I have questions, because I’m not sure the UPass will be available to everyone.” He goes on to express his concern that only certain students will be eligible to partake in the program. “Other than that,” He said, “I think it’s amazing for the school and especially for the students financially.”  

By utilizing the resolution, CUA joins the growing number of D.C. schools taking advantage of the offer, including American University and George Washington University. Those advocating for the adoption of this resolution insist that this makes us a more competitive school for admissions purposes. 

When prompted to expound on his contributions to the passing of the resolution, President Kish said, “I think I can hardly take credit for something that has been [worked on] for the last ten years, but I think the people that are really key in this are Jeff and Clare, absolutely. I suppose I put it over the goal line just in terms of getting it onto the actual budget.” 
While the passing of this resolution has largely gone unadvertised at the moment, other than a social media post from Senator Hermes, current President Kish says that advertising for the U-Pass will increase as we approach the resolution’s execution, with a projected date sometime in the 2027 academic year.