Cost of Attendance

A college education is a important investment. The FSU Office of Financial Aid awards over 280 million dollars of assistance each year to eligible students in the form of scholarships, grants, work-study, and loans to help them achieve their educational goals.

In order to award aid, a school must first establish an estimated cost of attendance. This includes fixed amounts, such as tuition and fees, as well as amounts that must be estimated, such as room, board, books, transportation, and personal expenses (laundry, toothbrushes, etc.).

Based on the estimated cost of attendance and the information from the FAFSA, the FSU Office of Financial aid awards aid. While it's a good idea to apply for financial aid early (starting January 1 of the enrollment year), awards cannot be made until the student is admitted.

Need based aid, such as Federal Grants, Work-Study, Federal Loans, State Grants and University Grants can be awarded up to the amount of need established through the federal formula. Loans such as the Federal Unsubsidized Stafford Loan and the Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) can be awarded beyond the need, up to the amount of the cost of attendance. The total of all aid awarded, however, cannot exceed the cost of attendance, as established by the school.

Because costs are only estimated, each student may find that their overall costs are more, or less, depending on their educational requirements and their living arrangements. Additionally, it's important to realize that these expenses do not all come at once, as these some of these costs, such as personal, transportation, or in some cases, housing and food, may be spread over the enrollment period. For awarding purposes, the FSU Office of Financial Aid will use the cost of attendance established, but for your own purposes, it's important for you to calculate what your own costs will be, so you can budget your finances, and manage your money well.