Cost of Attendance, also referred to as COA, is the total average cost to attend a school. The COA varies from school to school and depends on multiple factors, including your program of study, when you entered your program, whether you are a full-time student, among other things.
A COA is comprised of both direct costs (tuition and fees) and indirect costs (estimated expenses such as books, supplies, food, transportation, etc.) Every Financial Aid Office uses the COA to determine what your financial aid award maximums will be. Below you will find the indirect cost components of the COA for each academic level.
2023-2024 Academic Year
| Undergraduate Indirect Cost Components |
Estimate Costs per term |
| Books, course materials, supplies, and equipment |
$384.00 |
| Transportation |
$1,694.00 |
| Miscellaneous Expenses |
$1,968.00 |
| Loan Fees |
$111.00 |
| Living Expenses |
$11,500.00 |
| Total |
$15,657.00 |
| Graduate Indirect Cost Components |
Estimate Costs per term |
| Books, course materials, supplies, and equipment |
$700.00 |
| Transportation |
$1,694.00 |
| Miscellaneous Expenses |
$1,968.00 |
| Loan Fees |
$415.00 |
| Living Expenses |
$11,500.00 |
| Total |
$16,277.00 |
Cost of obtaining a license, certification, or first professional credential have been added to the COA starting the 2023-2024 Academic Year. Below is the estimated cost per term:
| Graduate Programs |
Estimate Costs per term |
| Doctor of Chiropractic 10* |
$600.00 |
| Doctor of Chiropractic 12* |
$470.00 |
| Physician Assistant |
$258.00 |
| Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine |
$533.00 |
| Occupational Therapy |
$274.00 |
*The licensure cost component is added to the COA for continuing students only in the DC program since the first exam takes place after term 5 of the program.
2022-2023 Academic Year
| Undergraduate Indirect Cost Components |
Estimate Costs per term |
| Books and Supplies |
$384.00 |
| Transportation |
$1,318.00 |
| Personal Expenses |
$1,308.00 |
| Loan Fees |
$111.00 |
| Room and Board |
$9,388.00 |
| Total |
$12,509.00 |
| Graduate Indirect Cost Components |
Estimate Costs per term |
| Books and Supplies |
$700.00 |
| Transportation |
$1,318.00 |
| Personal Expenses |
$1,308.00 |
| Loan Fees |
$415.00 |
| Room and Board |
$9,388.00 |
| Total |
$13,129.00 |
Q: What is included in the COA?
A: The COA includes: tuition, fees, and the average cost of books, supplies, room & board, transportation, and personal/miscellaneous costs. Starting the 2023-24 academic year, the average costs of obtaining a license, certification have been added to the COA for Doctor of Chiropractic, Physician Assistant, Occupational Therapy, and Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine. The Department of Education allows a school to include these basic necessities in a COA and these costs vary depending on your program of study.
Q: Where can I find my COA and how much are my tuition and fees?
A: Your COA is displayed on your financial aid offer letter which can be accessed on your student portal. Please visit your
program page for applicable tuition and fees. Remember that tuition and fees are the only items that show up as a mandatory charges on your student account statement. Check with the Financial Aid Office for other specific program cost components.
Q: How can I figure out how much of a refund I can expect to receive?
A: The easiest way to estimate your possible refund is by using the following formula:
Maximum loans borrowed minus tuition and fees equal your estimated refund or living expense. Keep in mind that most loans have origination (processing) fees that are automatically taken from the amount you applied for, so these calculations are an estimate. There are other factors that may affect your refund as well, such as additional charges for extra units, parking fines, and the types of loans you apply for. Check your billing statement or contact Student Accounts if you have questions about your billing statement and charges.
Here are a few examples of estimating a refund:
Example 1: $16,500 (gross) loan per term minus $11,400 tuition/fees equals $5,100 estimated refund.
Example 2: $10,250 loan borrowed per term minus $12,000 tuition/fees equals $0 estimated refund.
Example 3: $22,000 loan borrowed per term minus $12,500 tuition/fees equals $9,500 estimated refund.
One final reminder about borrowing loans and refunds, you are responsible for repaying the loan to the lender, with interest, so be careful with what you borrow! It's nice to have a large refund while attending school, but it's not nice when your large loan payment is due. Borrow wisely!!!