Your cost of attendance is the total amount of expenses that enable you to attend school each academic year. Every student may have different specific expenses, but whether you are charged in-state or out-of-state tuition has the biggest impact on the total amount (see below for more information on that). Common expenses used in calculating your cost of attendance are:
- Tuition and fees
- Housing - including utilities
- Transportation
- Books and supplies
- Dependent care
- Meals
How did you determine my cost of attendance?
Your school works with the U.S. Department of Education to provide data on the school costs for each student every academic year. This information is housed in a data system (IPEDS®), which we pull from to provide you an estimated cost of attendance. It's important to note that this is just an estimate and is based on the average costs of a typical student scenario. You may have a lesser or larger cost of attendance based on your personal enrollment status. If you have been provided a more personalized cost of attendance from your school's financial aid office, we recommend using those numbers.
How do I know if I qualify for in-state or out-of-state tuition?
This is generally dependent on the state you lived in before attending school. If you lived in the same state as the school you are attending, you are usually given the in-state tuition rate. If you lived in a different state than the school you are attending; you are usually given the out-of-state tuition rate.