Student Life

Recently built in 2016, District House residence hall is located in the heart of campus next to Gelman Library, a Starbucks, Whole Foods and various other eateries and shops.

District House provides:

• Wireless internet and cable hook-up. 
• 40,000 square feet of performing arts space, conference rooms, lounge and study areas in the lower levels of the building.  
• Food court dining options in the lower level of the building including Wiseguy NY Pizza, Beef ’n’ Bread, Chick-fil-A, GRK Fresh Greek, Sol Mexican Grill and Pete’s Coffee.

Transportation to internship sites and around the city is easy with the Foggy Bottom Metro rail stop on the Blue/Orange/Silver lines located just two blocks from the District House. There are also several metro bus stops located steps from the residence hall.

GW’s Lerner Health and Wellness Center, located just 2 blocks from District House, provides a 7-week pass for $175 or weekly memberships for $30. For more information about the Center, please visit GW’s website.

The Affinity Units are built to accommodate 16 or 20 people in a group housing setting, but will only house 8 or 10 residents in summer 2023.

Within the unit, each student will live in a bedroom built for 2 people. There is an adjoined bathroom that is shared with another bedroom housing up to 2 students. Each bedroom is equipped with two beds, two desks, a mini-fridge and a microwave. Each bedroom has a separate lock and residents only have access keys to their bedroom in addition to the main unit entrance.

Each double room is equipped with two beds, two desks, a mini-fridge and a microwave.

The large communal kitchen is equipped with two full-size appliances and seating for all of the 16 to 20 residents of the unit. 

There is an additional shared study/meeting area with seating for each resident and a traditional living room with sofa seating and a cable-equipped TV. 

A washer and 2 dryers are also located directly in the unit and are to be shared by all residents.

Each bedroom has a separate lock, and residents only have access keys to their own rooms, in addition to the main unit entrance.

Click here to see a 360 view of the Affinity Unit common space that is typically shared between 16 or 20 residents.

View the layout for the 16-person Affinity Units.  View the layout for the 20-person Affinity Units.

Affinity Units Overview

Style: Communal (16 or 20 residents total; 8 or 10 in 2023)
Living Room: Large sofas and TV, with additional study room with tables/chairs.
Dining Room: Large tables and chairs (enough for all 16 to 20 residents.

Bedroom: 8 or 10 double rooms; mini-fridge and microwave included

Bathroom: Shared bathroom between two rooms; two sinks included; toilet and shower separated by door
Kitchen: Community kitchen for 16 to 20 with two of each appliance (refrigerator, stove, dishwasher, microwave), pantry and enough cupboards for each room to have their own
Laundry: 1 washer and 2 dryers (coin-operated); additional laundry facilities located in the lower level of District House
Distance from Metrorail Station: 2 blocks
Cost: Included in base tuition price

Residents share a spacious studio unit with one roommate.

Each studio-style apartment is comprised of a double bedroom with a private adjoining kitchen and bathroom.

Each room comes equipped with 2 beds, 2 desks and 2 desk chairs. The kitchen includes a refrigerator, stove, oven and microwave.

Studio Single Housing Overview

Style: Studio apartment-style
Year Built: 2016
Living/Dining Room: Two pull-down dining tables attached to the beds and 2 desk chairs are provided
Cable Hook-up: Available, residents to provide their own TVs

Bedroom: 1 double room (single occupancy in 2022)
Bathroom: Private bathroom for each apartment
Kitchen: Private kitchen in each apartment; includes full-size refrigerator, oven and microwave.
Distance from Metrorail Station: 1 block
Cost: Included in base tuition price

Students may participate in several historical and cultural activities throughout the summer.

Guided Tour of the Monuments

Explore the monuments with other TFAS students on the National Mall during your first week in Washington! The trip includes a round-trip tour in an air-conditioned charter bus with a professional guide. Tentative stops include the Lincoln Memorial, Korean and Vietnam War Memorials,  Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, and Jefferson Memorial.

President Lincoln’s Cottage Visit + Tour

Visit this historic site and museum located on a 250-acre campus in Northwest Washington, D.C. Here Abraham Lincoln made some of his most nation-changing decisions and developed the Emancipation Proclamation. The ticket includes a guided tour of the Cottage, the Visitor Education Center, and a visit to the First National Cemetery. The Cemetery is a predecessor of Arlington Cemetery that was used while Lincoln was in residence.

Mount Vernon Visit

Enjoy a visit to the first president’s plantation home on the scenic banks of the Potomac River with your fellow TFAS participants. Explore the grounds, museum and walk through the first floor of George Washington’s colonial mansion, where interiors have been restored to their appearance in 1799. The visit includes admission to Mount Vernon, a timed-entrance viewing of the first floor of the mansion, and a round-trip ride in an air-conditioned tour bus.

Arlington National Cemetery Tram Tour

Enjoy a private open-air tram tour through Arlington Cemetery’s scenic grounds. Stops will be made at two of the main historical sites in the Arlington Cemetery: The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and President John F. Kennedy’s Gravesite. Here you can witness the changing of the guard and explore the graves of major historical figures including supreme court justices. Spread across 639 acres of rolling hills and beautiful gardens, this historic landmark is about 4 times the size of the National Mall.

Arlington National Cemetery is located on a parcel of land that once belonged to George Washington’s step-grandson, George Washington Parke Custis. 

Sculpture Garden Tours on the National Mall

Art isn’t just painted canvas hung on a gallery wall. Washington’s sculpture gardens allow viewers to experience art and nature like never before. In this private guided tour of two outdoor sculpture gardens on the National Mall, you’ll uncover stories about modern art from two of the most famous collections in the world.

Designed by renowned landscape architect Laurie Olin, The National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden features several works of modern sculpture centered around a large fountain. Take a selfie by the entrance to a Parisian subway or play with perspective at a house that uses optical illusion to spin in place. Featured artists include Louise Bourgeois, Sol LeWitt and Alexander Calder.

Additionally, explore more than 30 works of sculpture just across the grassy knolls of the National Mall at The Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden. Witness a 9-ton volcanic boulder (with a face) crushing an old car or whisper your wishes to the branches of the Wishtree. Featured artists include Jeff Koons, Yayoi Kusama and Auguste Rodin.

D.C. Neighborhood Walking Tours

TFAS staff lead these fun and informative tours that will give you an insider’s look at a few Washington, D.C. neighborhoods.

• Capitol Hill Neighborhood: Explore the Capitol Hill neighborhood, the largest historic neighborhood in Washington, D.C. Get a close-up look at the government buildings just steps from your door and explore neighborhood staples like Eastern Market and Barracks Row.
• Georgetown Neighborhood: Take a walk through the oldest neighborhood in Washington, D.C. Discover charming cobblestone streets lined with historic mansions occupied by some Washington’s movers and shakers as well as historic properties open to the public. Explore the main promenade, M Street which is lined with shopping destinations and some of the city’s best restaurants.
• Penn Quarter/Chinatown Neighborhood: Discover where government, commerce and entertainment meet in downtown Washington, D.C. Stroll spacious avenues and marvel at some of the tallest buildings in the city. Each block is packed with historical and cultural attractions, in fact you’ll experience more sights in two hours than you will in any other neighborhood.
• Embassy Row: This tour will feature a fascinating up-front look at DC’s famed Embassy Row. Beginning at DuPont Circle and walking north up Massachusetts Avenue, the tour will highlight interesting aspects of various embassie and tie in history, diplomacy, architecture, world leaders and more. Embassy row brings to life the fact that Washington, D.C. is truly an international city where almost every country in the world is represented.

TFAS plans activities throughout the summer to help students get to know others from their same program, hall floor, and across the other program tracks comprising the 350-person program.

These activities can include:

• Planned orientation activities during the first 3 days of the program
• Scavenger hunt to help you learn about your new neighborhood
• Nationals baseball game
• TFAS BBQ with students and program alumni
• Study breaks with ice cream or other snacks
• Floor social activities like a picnic on the National Mall
• Outing to the National Zoo
• Free performance at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage 
• Paddle boating in the Potomac River

DC’s concentration of leading nonprofit organizations makes it the perfect place to get involved and make a difference in an urban area. On Service Saturday, students team up to help serve the needs of the inner-city community and discuss how these challenges affect policy decisions.

Students visit a number of service sites, including those listed below. Issue areas addressed include hunger, the environment, senior services, poverty, education and many more.

• Jubilee Jobs
• Trust for the National Mall
• Washington Parks & People
• Food and Friends
• IONA Senior Services
• Martha’s Table
• Living Classrooms

Smithsonians

The network has 17 museums, galleries and a zoo in the Washington Metropolitan area. Below are the museums located just a short walk away on the National Mall.

• African American Museum
• African Art Museum 
• Air and Space Museum
• American History Museum 
• American Indian Museum 
• Arts and Industries Building
• Freer Gallery of Art
• Hirshhorn
• Natural History Museum 

Other Museums

The apartments are fully furnished, including a complete kitchen. They are internet-ready and air-conditioned and have easily accessible laundry facilities. Each apartment has a fully furnished kitchen with plates, silverware, and glassware. 

Also included are twin-sized beds, a table and chairs, a couch, a full bathroom and closets. The living/dining area is equipped with a TV with basic cable. While each apartment layout is different, the amenities included are the same.

The apartment building is located on the House of Representatives side of Capitol Hill and is part of the largest residential neighborhood in Washington. It is one of the oldest residential communities in D.C., with numerous shops, restaurants, Congressional buildings and many of the city’s most significant cultural attractions close by, including the Supreme Court and Library of Congress. 

The building is located just a short walk from the Capitol South and Eastern Market Metro Stations (Orange/Blue/Silver lines), providing easy access to internship sites and other locations across the city.

TFAS plans activities throughout the semester to help students get to know each other and explore Washington, DC. These activities can include:

• Planned orientation activities during the first 3 days of the program
• Guided walking tour of the national monuments
• Nationals baseball game
• Trip to Mount Vernon 
• Study breaks with ice cream or other snacks
• Outing to the National Zoo
• Free performance at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage 
• Debate, State of the Union or election night watch party
• Ice skating in the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden
• Volunteer at DC Central Kitchen

Smithsonian – The network has 17 museums, galleries and a zoo in the Washington Metropolitan area. Below are the museums located on the National Mall.

• African American Museum
• African Art Museum 
• Air and Space Museum
• American History Museum 
• American Indian Museum 
• Arts and Industries Building
• Freer Gallery of Art
• Hirshhorn
• Natural History Museum 

Other Museums