Cost of Attendance

Financing a college education is an important investment and understanding a student's financial aid budget is a key component. The cost of attendance is calculated by each university for one academic year of attendance (Fall/Spring). If you attend summer classes, a separate budget will be determined. Your cost of attendance reflects your estimated expenses prior to financial aid. In addition to the information provided on the Cashier’s webpage, we encourage you to use our Net Price Calculator to estimate your cost to attend.

The current tuition and fees for undergraduates, exclusively online, graduate and doctoral students are found on the Cashier Office website. Please note some majors have additional lab/clinical costs. The Cashier Office webpage is also a useful resource for understanding costs and payment plan options offered by the University. Click the links above to learn more.

Your student budget is made up of two parts: direct costs that are billed to your university account and indirect costs that are not necessarily billed directly to your university account, but you may incur during the enrollment period. Indirect cost items vary per student depending on their individual situation. Learn more about your Cost of Attendance (COA) by clicking on Federal Cost of Attendance Disclosures.

Direct vs. Indirect Costs

When evaluating the cost of attendance at a university, it's essential to understand the distinction between direct and indirect costs. These terms refer to different types of expenses that students may incur while attending college. Direct costs are those that are billed by the institution, such as tuition, fees, meal plans, and housing (if living on campus). Indirect costs, on the other hand, include expenses like books, supplies, transportation, and personal living expenses that may not be billed directly to students. For financial aid purposes, the estimated cost of attendance incorporates both direct and indirect costs, which are both considered when determining your financial aid package. Whether you live on-campus, off-campus, or at home, these choices will impact your overall costs. We encourage you to review all potential expenses (direct and indirect) to understand your total cost of attendance and explore financial aid options to help manage these costs.

Direct Costs

Direct costs are expenses that the university directly charges to students. These costs typically include tuition, fees, and sometimes room and board if the student is living on campus. These are costs that are due directly to the university at the start of each term of attendance.

Students will only be charged Housing and Meal Plan costs if they reside on campus in university-owned housing and have a meal plan or elect to have a commuter meal plan. If not, then a student’s direct costs to the university will normally only include Tuition and Fees.

Indirect Costs

Indirect costs are expenses that students may incur as a result of attending college that are not directly billed by the university. These costs are more variable and can vary greatly depending on a student's individual circumstances and choices. Indirect costs may include items such as textbooks, supplies, transportation, and personal expenses like off-campus rent, groceries, or entertainment. While these costs are not directly charged by the university, students may still incur these personal charges over the year to attend a university.

Factors that Impact Your Financial Aid

Many students do not understand the impact on financial aid when changes are made to their enrollment, their charges, and/or their academic standing. For this reason, we strongly suggest students stay connected to the financial aid office. Students should contact their aid counselor or the Financial Aid Office before making any changes that could affect their financial aid.

Enrollment

A student's enrollment is one of the biggest factors that can affect financial aid. Students who drop from full-time to part-time enrollment may lose aid depending on when the change took place. Not only could their aid be affected, but their charges could as well. Dropping courses could also affect graduation dates, loan eligibility, and eligibility for some scholarships and grants. Students should speak with their academic advisor about any course changes. If a change is planned to enrollment status, they should contact the financial aid office to understand how it may impact financial aid.

Housing

Housing is another factor that impacts financial aid and causes change to the student's budget (cost of attendance). Students who are residents in the fall term and then allowed to switch to commuters in the spring may lose some of their aid due to this change. In such circumstances, the student budget may be decreased, which could affect their level of need, affecting need-based aid, such as work study and subsidized loans.

Repeating Courses

Federal financial aid regulations limit the number of times a student may repeat a course and receive federal financial aid for that course. If a student gets a 'W' or an 'F' in a course, that student is allowed to repeat the course and receive financial aid (assuming he/she is meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress) until he/she receives a 'D' or better. Once the student has received a 'D' grade or better, he/she can repeat the course a second time and still receive federal aid. The third time the student repeats a course in which he/she has earned a 'D' or better, this becomes an ineligible repeat, and the Office of Financial Aid cannot provide federal funding for that repeated course.

A student cannot use the repeated course toward enrollment for financial aid purposes. If the student is taking 12 credit hours, including the three credit hours that are considered as a third ineligible repeat, only nine credits will count toward federal financial aid eligibility. This will affect the students’ cost of attendance and may reduce the amount of financial aid the student is eligible to receive.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is crucial for students who wish to continue receiving financial aid. SAP ensures that students are making steady progress toward completing their degree or program within a reasonable time frame. To meet SAP standards, students must maintain a minimum GPA (UG 2.0, Grad/Doctoral 3.0), successfully complete a certain percentage of their coursework (UG 66.67%, Grad/Doctoral 67%), and stay within the maximum time frame of not exceeding 150% of the published duration of the degree program. Failing to meet these requirements can result in the loss of financial aid eligibility. Understanding and adhering to SAP policies is essential for staying on track academically and financially throughout your college journey.

Pell Lifetime Eligibility Used

The maximum amount of Federal Pell Grant funds you may receive over your lifetime is limited by a new federal law to be the equivalent of six years of Pell Grant funding. Since the maximum amount of Pell Grant funding you can receive each year is equal to 100%, the six-year equivalent is 600%.

Direct Loan Limits

There are aggregate limits on the amount of Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans based on dependency status, student grade level, and educational program.

Default of a Federal Student Loan

Students in default on any federal student loan are not eligible to receive aid from any federal program until the default status is resolved.

Overpayment of Federal Funds

If a student has an overpayment of federal funds, it means they received more financial aid than they were eligible for. This could happen due to changes in enrollment, incorrect information on financial aid forms, or adjustments in the student's financial need. When an overpayment occurs, the student is required to repay the excess funds. The school will typically notify the student about the overpayment and either make appropriate adjustments or provide instructions on how to repay it. Failure to correct the overpayment could result in the loss of future financial aid eligibility, registration holds, or other consequences. It’s important for students to address any overpayment issues promptly to avoid further complications.

Many additional factors can affect financial aid, so please contact the Financial Aid Office before making any changes.