<p>My D is the first one goes to a US college, and I was wondering why colleges include travel costs and books in the cost of attendance. So, it means the family has to pay the full amount to the college and it will be withdrawn as they use for traveling and buying books? If just in case students not use them, will it be ramained on their account? I am just curious.</p>
<p>I believe that when coming up with EFC, that college related expenses are included when figuring total amount needed to pay for college.</p>
<p>You pay for books and travel expenses out of pocket.</p>
<p>The COA (Cost Of Attendance) includes averaged amounts for books, miscellaneous and travel expenses. You do not pay these amounts to the school (unless you are buying the books from them of course). They are included in the COA to give you an idea of what they may be and so that financial aid calculations will include these costs. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.</p>
<p>sorry to hijack to this thread but I receive a FA packet from one of my colleges and they gave me 700 dollars for traveling. The thing is, I live very far away from this university and plane tickets cost about 250 a pop every time for me to come home. I was hoping for at least 1500 dollars for traveling. Is there any way the FA office will raise that amount? I'm crossing my fingers for some outside scholarships so hopefully, maybe they can help me out. </p>
<p>Also, if I want to buy a computer and want to use outside scholarship money that will be redirected to my school, can I email the aid office and tell them to raise my cost of attendance?</p>
<p>Well you shouldn't 'tell' them to raise your cost of attendance. You can certainly ask them. They may be willing to up the COA for a one off computer purchase (may depend if it is 'required' for a class) and for the higher travel costs. </p>
<p>Ask - the worst they can say is no.</p>
<p>thanks swimcatsmom, I'll try doing that. What do you think the chance is for them to raise it if that university is an ivy league school (i.e. well-endowed)?</p>
<p>Thank you so much, swimcatsmom.</p>
<p>Hamman, when you say it costs $250 each time to come home, is that the cost for a round-trip ticket? If it is, then the $700 they factored into your COA is about right, in fact it's a little generous.</p>
<p>My son will travel from one coast to the other for college, and it'll take three flights to do it each time. The school estimated $1300 for his travel. From here it's about $500 round-trip/$300 one-way, so if he flies out (one-way ticket) in the fall, then buys a round-trip ticket for Christmas break, and then flies home for the summer (would buy a round-trip ticket for this, I suppose, with the return flight in August when he needs to go back), that comes to exactly $1300. They got it just about right -- and in fact it's a little extra because the summer trip home will include the cost of his trip back for the following fall term.</p>
<p>Are you thinking there should be more flights home than just Christmas and summer? Because I don't think the college will factor in your costs for that. My son will definitely not be coming home for thanksgiving or spring break - but the school keeps the dorms open over those holidays.</p>
<p>But swimcatsmom is right... can't hurt to ask.</p>
<p>Hamman,</p>
<p>Back in the last century when I was in college halfway across the country from my immediate family, I went home at the semester/winter break and in the summer. Other holidays were spent with college friends who lived closer to campus, or with various cousins/aunts/etc. who lived close to my college. Once you are settled in and make friends at your college, you will find out that plenty of them have moms/dads/aunts/uncles/siblings/grandparents/etc. who are perfectly happy to feed and house you for a couple of days as long as you are polite and well-behaved.</p>