What is the Cost of Attendance?
Cost of Attendance (COA) is the price of a student to go to school; it is not the amount a student actually pays. There are many factors that go into calculating a school’s Cost of Attendance; including enrollment, residency, and living situation. This budget reflects typical expense patterns; so, while some students may spend more than standard amounts, others may spend less, depending on individual lifestyles and circumstances.
COA Includes Estimates of:
- Cost a student pays for classes while attending college.
- The cost for books, course materials, and equipment; which includes such costs required for all students in the same course of study, including a reasonable allowance for the rental or upfront purchase of a personal computer.
- Cost that includes transportation between campus, residences, and place of work.
- Cost for a student attending the institution on at least a half-time basis.
- A cost incurred by the student attending the institution on at least a half-time basis, including:
- A standard food allowance that provides the equivalent of three meals each day.
- Housing allowances for students living off campus.
- For dependent students living at home with parents, it includes a reasonable standard allowance for living expenses.
- A cost that students receiving Federal Loans are assessed; which includes any federal student loan fee, origination fee, or insurance premium charged to the student or the parent of the student.
How much will it cost?
The annual college budget is based on 9 months of instruction, represented by a 16-week Fall term and a 16-week Spring term. Single term budgets are based on 4½ months of school, represented by a 16-week Fall or Spring term. Students in modular courses (courses whose start and end dates do not span the whole 16-week term) will have their budgets prorated. This is also true for Summer budgets, as they are based on the actual weeks of school a student’s schedule has.
Use the Maricopa Net Price Calculator to estimate your Cost of Attendance (COA) for a year of college! It will take any estimated grant and scholarship aid you may be eligible for into consideration. Note: Cost of Attendance varies slightly for each student, modular courses are not considered and Senior Citizen Tuition Rates are not reflected in this calculator.
The Financial Aid Office uses this budget to assess Financial Need for students, and process awards based on regulatory guidelines. Financial Need determines how much aid a student can receive by comparing their Cost of Attendance with their FAFSA Eligibility. Such eligibility is based on standard budget allowances, not on individual preferences and spending habits; and a student cannot receive aid that exceeds a student’s Cost of Attendance. A student also cannot receive aid if they are not enrolled nor participating in an eligible degree or certificate program.