What is the Cost of Attendance (COA)?
The Cost of Attendance (COA) is an estimate of what it will cost you to attend college for one year. It includes:
- Tuition and fees
- Room and board (housing and meals)
- Books and supplies
- Transportation
- Loan fees
- Miscellaneous personal expenses (like clothing, laundry, and entertainment)
Your COA depends on your program, credits per semester, residency, and housing. It's used with your Student Aid Index (SAI) to calculate financial need by subtracting your SAI from your COA; for example, a $20,000 COA minus a $5,000 SAI means $15,000 financial need.