Can someone please explain to me what this Cost of Attendance Means??

Paying for College
1

For the 2017-2018 Undergrad on Campus this is the COA:
Tuition / Fees $6,380

Books and Supplies $1,210

Computer/Cell Phone $1,250

Housing $5,440

Food $4,470
Transportation $1,100

Clothing Maintenance $970

Personal $310

Total Budget $21,130

I know that the costs that I HAVE to pay and won’t change are the tuition/fees, books/supplies, and housing… I’m aware that these are set costs
However, do the rest of the stuff require me to pay like the food (if i dont do a meal plan), transportation, etc… or are these just variable costs depending on what you personally do on campus. it’s really hard to explain but like other than tuition, housing, and books, are there any other costs that i have to pay upfront?

I’m a bit worried because my friend told me that things like transportation ($1,100) is a required payment from us; but I thought that this cost is an ESTIMATE of how much a student would pay for transportation in the year, not an actual payment we have to make to the school… Please explain, i have no idea. :-S Thank you!!

2

The costs you MUST pay are the billed costs from your college…so usually those are tuition, room, board and fees.

Things like transportation and books, and personal expenses are things you pay yourself…and hve sime control over. For example…you can buy used books online. You can take. Bus instate if a plane.

You need to find out if your college requires a meal plan as some do for,students living in the dorms.

3

Even if you do have to live on campus and have meal plan as a freshman, the COA number may still be higher than it ends up being. At D2’s school, that number reflected the highest cost dorm and highest cost meal plan. So you could come in lower by picking a smaller meal plan and cheaper dorm. Depends on school.

The cell phone/ computer estimate is a little odd since chances are you already have a cell phone and maybe a computer although there is usually a technology fee and that may be in there, but it wouldn’t be that much.

4

Also, I didn’t see the health insurance estimate there.
Each student has to have health insurance provided by the parents or purchased by the family, from the university’s options. That runs anywhere from $2K to 6K per year.

Personal expenses, for my children, were a lot more than $310.
Isthis COA for the semester or for the year?

5

this was the COA for the entire year, it’s an instate school so tuition is pretty cheap

6

@pcolaflorida

That looks like the COA estimate from UF. If it is UF, you do not need pay the $1,100 to the university, it is just an estimate. What your friend may have been referring to is the Transportation Fee that is assessed per credit hour. Part of that fee covers the use of the bus system which is “no charge” for UF students.

The dorm is an average, the Honors dorm is $1,000 more for example.

7

Yep, looks like UF’s COA.

For the 2017-2018 Undergrad on Campus this is the COA:
Tuition / Fees $6,380
That’s for 30 credits (assuming 15 credits a semester). If you take less than 30, your cost would be less. Also, if you have a Florida Pre-Paid plan from 2007 or earlier, UF can’t charge the Tuition Differential fee, so your tuition would be much less.

Books and Supplies $1,210
This estimate is a little high, but you’ll not know the actual cost until you pick your classes.

Computer/Cell Phone $1,250
If you already have a computer and cell phone, and your parents are picking up the cell phone monthly charges, you can discount this charge

Housing $5,440
This is the typical cost for a double in Jennings/Broward, etc, standard freshman dorms. You should plan on paying around this amount.

Food $4,470
If you don’t buy a meal plan, and plan on cooking in the dorm, your cost could be much lower. If so, plan on getting a mini fridge (or having a roommate with one). We picked up a used one for $25.

Transportation $1,100
If your family is dropping you off at school, and you don’t have a car, you can discount this charge.

Clothing Maintenance $970
Its up to you how much to spend on cloths. :slight_smile:

Personal $310
This is for personal items like shampoo, detergent, toothpaste, etc.

Total Budget $21,130
You can get by with spending a few thousand dollars less (especially if your parents are picking up the charges on your cell phone, providing transportation, etc.).