Please note that the Cost of Attendance figure on your award offer is much more than the actual amount that will be due directly to the university. The Federal Government requires that Financial Aid Offices establish a cost of attendance (COA) in calculating your eligibility for need‐based aid programs. The cost of attendance is also referred to as a budget. Student budgets are differentiated by: residency, classification and enrollment status. The standard components of the budget consist of a combination of your direct costs (tuition and fees, and university room and board) and indirect costs (books and supplies, transportation, miscellaneous expenses and loan fees). Indirect costs are typically not payable to the university, vary greatly from student to student and are dependent on other factors. For instance, while average loan fees are always included in your budget, this indirect costs’ impact on you is dependent on whether or not you decide to accept a loan.
