Apartments in the area provide air conditioning and heating. The cost of energy in SC is usually more expensive than the surrounding southern states, but it's still less expensive than in some areas of the country. Most people avoid the heat by staying indoors if at all possible.
For those curious, the GWU MA program was forced by the dean's office to drop Fall 2012 admissions to the MA program from 18 to 12. Yes, this is directly related to the addition of the cultural anthropology PhD. For those interested in Spring 2013 MA admissions, the program generally only admits 1 to 3 candidates for that cycle, depending on December matriculation.