What is Cost of Attendance?
Cost of Attendance is used in part to help determine a student’s financial aid eligibility and to estimate costs associated with attending college. It is not meant to be the exact costs every student will pay, but a standard estimate that is used for all categories of students for financial aid purposes. Some costs are Direct Costs, meaning they are charged to a student as part of your bill through the University. Other costs are indirect costs, meaning a student would not be billed for them — but they are costs to consider when evaluating what is needed to attend for a given period of time. Your financial aid in total from all sources (institutional, state, federal, and outside sources) cannot exceed your Cost of Attendance. See our FA Policy page for more information on institutional policy on reduction of aid in these cases.
Your costs may vary based on your individual decisions or circumstances. Information below is provided assuming:
- Cost estimates are based on expected enrollment as listed on each program Cost of Attendance
- Fall and Spring attendance for Traditional UG student programs and Fall, Spring, Summer attendance for most Adult Studies and Graduate/Professional programs
- Buster Book Bundle: The Bulldog Depot, the university bookstore, currently offers the Buster Book Bundle that allows you to obtain your books at a rate of $25 per credit hour. This rate has been used for many of the estimates that appear in these Cost of Attendance projections. Your costs could differ depending on how you purchase your books.
2026-27 Traditional Undergraduate Cost of Attendance
Students Living On-campus
Students Living Off-campus
Students Living with Parents
COAs for Graduate/Professional programs
COAs for Adult Studies Undergraduate Programs
2026-27 Net Price Calculator
Additional Components that Can be Considered in Cost of Attendance
Additional Components
While the Cost of Attendance is applicable for each student within a category of program, we understand there are individual situations or circumstances that could differ from the standard COA provided. There are additional components that can be added to your Cost of Attendance as applicable. Please note:
- increases to your individual Cost of Attendance does not necessarily mean additional financial aid is available for this increase, and
- increases in aid could come in the form of additional loan borrowing and we encourage you to consider these costs and repayment.
Estimates on repayment and costs can be found on the federal student aid website. If you have any questions about Cost of Attendance or your individual situation, please do not hesitate to contact Student Financial Aid to discuss with our staff.
Other Expenses to Consider
Study Abroad Expenses: This is an allowance for reasonable, documented costs for an approved Study Abroad program. Your costs may already be covered through the provided Cost of Attendance, but if you have questions or would like to discuss your situation, please contact our office.
Dependent Care Expenses: This is an allowance for costs associated with care of your dependent(s) based on documented actual or estimated expenses and considering the age and number of dependents. Dependent care cost requests can cover, for example, class-time, study-time, field work, internships, and commute time. If you would like to request this component be added to your Cost of Attendance, please provide documentation of the costs along with your request. If you have questions or would like to discuss your situation, please contact our office.
Disability-Related Expenses: This is an allowance for expenses related to a disability, including special services, personal assistance, transportation, equipment, and supplies reasonably incurred and not already provided for by other agencies. If you would like to request this component be added to your Cost of Attendance, please provide documentation of the costs along with your request. If you have questions or would like to discuss your situation, please contact our office.
Professional Licensure, Certification, or First-Professional Credential: This is an allowance for the costs associated with obtaining a license, certification, or first professional credential for a student in a program that prepares them to enter a profession that requires such a qualification. These must be costs incurred while (not after) you are enrolled. For example, we cannot include costs that are paid after a student is no longer enrolled. Examples of allowable costs include fees charged to take a licensing exam, costs of applying for and obtaining the license or certification, etc. Please note that where applicable we have attempted to include these costs for programs with a licensure requirement. However, as some programs do not require you to take the licensing or certification requirements during enrollment, the addition of this component could be case-by-case and you may be eligible to have this added to your Cost of Attendance. If you would like to request this component be added to your Cost of Attendance, please provide documentation of your costs along with your request. If you have question or would like to discuss your situation, please contact our office.
Purchase or Rental of a Computer: This is an allowance for reasonable costs associated with the rental or up-front purchase of a personal computer. In cases where this is required for your program, this component has been included. However, if you would like to request this component be added to your Cost of Attendance, please provide documentation of the computer you wish to rent/purchase along with your request. If you would like to discuss your situation, please contact our office.