What is Cost of Attendance (COA)?

What is Cost of Attendance (COA)?

Your Cost of Attendance (COA) is the amount it will cost you to go to school. CSU-Global calculates your COA to show your total cost for the academic year (i.e. two trimesters - four terms). 

The cost of attendance includes tuition, books, estimated indirect costs (aka living expense allowance) like housing, food, and personal expenses as well as estimated loan fees. Indirect costs  are based upon suggested monthly amount guidance from the Colorado Commission on Higher Education (CCHE).

There are a few exceptions to the standard COA budget mentioned above. These include:

  • Students who are enrolled less than half-time have a separate COA which does not include a room and board allowance.
  • Students living on a military base or who receive Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) will not have a housing allowance included in their budget. This also applies to students where a member of the household (student, spouse, or parent) is receiving BAH during the academic year.
  • Incarcerated students will only have tuition, books, and fees included in their budgets.

Student budgets are set up based on the student's expected enrollment status at the time of Financial Aid packaging. Adjustments may occur due to enrollment status changes.