Cost of College
COA = Cost of Attendance
These three letters stand for the TOTAL cost of what you will pay for college per year. Be sure the college website has ALL of the following information on it. The financial aid package you receive in April should be very clear and include ALL of the following too in order for you to understand the FULL cost of college per year.
Tuition
Most colleges/universities charger PER CREDIT HOUR (a few private universities charge the same amount for 12-18 credits). In order to finish in 4 years you will need to complete 30-32 credit hours per year. Talk to your advisor to find out how many total credits your program requires for graduation. $________ X 30 credit hours= $________ tuition per year
Room
Be very careful which dorm room you choose because the cost varies greatly! Choose a mid to lower priced dorm so that you are not paying interest on a loan for the pricey dorm for 10 years! All but one university charges different prices for each dorm.
Dorm name:____________________________ Cost for 2 semesters=$_________________
Board
How many meals per day do you eat? Choose a food plan based on this amount. If you need help deciding, call the housing/resident life office and ask questions about their pricing. Food plan for 2 semesters=$____________
Fees
Colleges/universities charge students fees for activities (join organizations), technology (wi-fi cost), workout facilities among other costs. Typically these are per credit hour, so be sure to multiple this by the # of hours you will take freshmen year. Credit hours=$______________
Books
Ask the admission office if their campus has a book rental plan (SEMO, UCMO, NWMO State, MO Southern, MO Western). If they do not, books can run up to $1,500 per school year. Books=$___________________
Fees in your major
A few of the larger universities (Univ of MO-Columbia) now charge fees in the major (engineering, business, journalism, accounting, education, health care etc). This can be up to $90 per credit hour when taking the courses in your major=$_____________________