Cost of Attendance

The cost of attendance, often referred to as the budget, represents an estimate of the expenses a student may incur while pursuing their education. Budgets vary based on factors such as residency status, academic classification (undergraduate or graduate), and enrollment level. Each budget includes both direct costs and indirect costs.

• Direct costs are expenses directly charged to the Student Billing Account, such as tuition and fees.
• Indirect costs are expenses that do not appear on your bill and can vary greatly depending on your lifestyle. These are estimated by the school and included in your budget to represent typical costs associated with attending college. For example, while average loan fees are always factored into the budget, their actual impact on you depends on whether you choose to take out a loan.

Financial aid budgets are calculated using several key components:

• Estimated tuition and fees,
• Housing and meal costs, based on a two-person residence hall room and a full meal plan,
• Books and supplies, which include estimates from ESU contracted bookstore and an allowance for computer rental or purchase,
• Transportation allowances, covering education-related travel expenses (not intended for all daily transportation costs),
• Miscellaneous expenses, providing limited assistance for personal living costs beyond housing and meals,
• Loan fee allowances, based on the average fees paid by borrowers in the previous year.

Actual expenses will vary by student. Whenever possible, the most current data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics—such as Consumer Expenditure and Consumer Price Index information—is used when creating the Cost of Attendance for the upcoming aid year, particularly for transportation and miscellaneous allowances.