D.C. colleges with performing‑arts programs are scrambling after the Kennedy Center announced a shutdown for renovations following a change in federal oversight, leaving students without a critical teaching and performance partner. Faculty say the center’s closure erases recurring professional opportunities—internships, master classes and public stages—that supported applied learning and career pipelines for arts students. Institutions are exploring partnerships with local venues to replace lost capacity, but leaders warn that gaps in access will persist during the center’s closure and could affect recruitment and curricular offerings. The disruption underscores how federal decisions about cultural institutions can have immediate downstream effects on campus arts education.