<p>Tuition and room and board is for every semester, right? Not every year?</p>
<p>I’m unclear about exactly what you are asking. Most schools have a summary of costs on their websites. Generally for selective schools the figures are presented based on a full school year (two semesters according to most college calendars). If you are seeing numbers in the range of $40,000 to $55,000 for private schools for tuition-room-and-board, that is a total number for the year, not per semester. Public schools are cheaper and the tuition for public schools depends on whether you are in-state or not. Flagship schools generally post their tuition and expenses on their websites based on a full year, not a semester. Does that answer your question?</p>
<p>Some schools also offer monthly payment plans. Usually an outside service administers the plan. You can estimate your costs for tuition and housing, split it into monthly payments and pay on-line. There is an annual fee for using this service- around $50 I think.</p>