Guide 02 · Costs
Cost of attendance: what goes into the number, and what does not
Cost of attendance shows up at the top of many award letters. Here is what it is built from.
summary
- Cost of attendance is a school’s estimate of one year’s total costs, not an invoice.
- It usually includes tuition and fees plus an allowance for housing, food, books and other expenses.
- Compare schools line by line. Two schools with the same total can differ a lot in what is billed directly.
What it is
Cost of attendance (COA) is the figure a school publishes to describe what a typical student might spend in an academic year. Schools use it as a ceiling when they work out how much aid a student can receive. It is an estimate, and your own spending may be higher or lower.
What usually goes into it
| Line | Usually billed by the school? |
|---|---|
| Tuition and required fees | Yes |
| Housing and meal plan on campus | Often |
| Housing and food off campus | No, an allowance |
| Books and supplies | No, an allowance |
| Transportation and personal costs | No, an allowance |
Billed costs and other costs
Direct costs appear on the school’s bill. Indirect costs are an allowance in the estimate, but you pay them yourself. When comparing two offers, separate the two groups, because aid is often applied to the bill first.
A question to ask
Ask each school’s aid office how its cost of attendance was set, and what the figure assumes about housing. A short, specific question usually gets a short, specific answer.
General information only. Tuitnova is not a school, lender, scholarship provider, or financial aid office, and this is not financial, legal, or tax advice. Programs, rules, and dates vary and change; check with your school’s financial aid office or the official program website.