Cost of attendance
| Student loans in the U.S. |
| Regulatory framework |
|---|
| Higher Education Act of 1965 U.S. Dept. of Education FAFSA · Cost of attendance |
| Distribution channels |
| Federal Direct Student Loan Program Federal Family Education Loan Program |
| Loan products |
| Perkins · Stafford PLUS · Consolidation Loans |
In education finance in the United States, the cost of attendance (COA) (also known as the price of attendance) is the estimated full and reasonable cost of completing a full year as a full-time student. The cost of attendance is published by each educational institution and typically includes:
- Tuition and fees payable to the institution
- Books and supplies
- Room and board
- Personal costs, transportation
As of October 29, 2011, every post-secondary institution that receives federal financial aid funds must post a Net Price Calculator that shows the institution's Cost of Attendance — defined by the federal requirement as the sum of tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, and other expenses including personal expenses and transportation for a first-time, full-time undergraduate student — and determines for each prospective or current student a personalized Net Price, which is the difference between COA and need and merit-based Grant Aid (not including work-study programs or government subsidized loans).
The published cost of attendance establishes the limits for qualified financial aid and student loans available to the student.