What is cost of attendance (COA)?
Is it money or a bill?
COA is the full sticker cost before any aid — not what you'll actually pay.
Cost of attendance is the school's total estimated yearly cost: tuition and fees, housing and food, books, transportation, and personal expenses. Many letters omit or understate it, which makes the aid look like it covers more than it does.
Per year vs. per semester: COA is per year. Some costs (housing, food) are estimates, not billed amounts.
What it looks like on your letter
Cost of AttendanceTotal CostBudgetEstimated ExpensesNot sure how this affects your price?
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