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Cost of Attendance

We are here to help you understand the available financial aid programs and to assist you in exploring your options.

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The Cost of Attendance (COA) is an estimate of a student’s educational expenses for the period of enrollment—actual expenses will vary. The COA includes expenses billed directly by UofL (for example, tuition, fees, housing (for those living on campus), and student meal plan expenses) and expenses not billed directly by UofL (for example, transportation and other personal costs). The Student Financial Office establishes COA data to calculate eligibility for need-based and other aid programs. COA varies based upon residency status, program type, career, housing type (with-parent, on-campus, or off-campus housing), and enrollment status.

Cost of Attendance

2024-2025 Academic Year (Fall & Spring Semesters) Sample COAs for Full-Time Students utilizing Standard COA Components

Standard Components of COA

If you are attending UofL at least half-time, the COA includes an estimate for the following expenses:

  • Tuition and Fees (an amount normally assessed a student carrying the same academic workload)
  • Books, course materials, supplies, and equipment
  • Transportation expense (an allowance for transportation between campus, residences, and places of work)
  • Miscellaneous personal expense
  • Living expense  (an allowance for food and housing costs)

Enrollment Adjustments

If you are a federal aid recipient and/or are receiving private/alternative educational loans, your COA will be adjusted accordingly if:

  • you are not enrolled full-time during the fall and/or spring term(s) - Your tuition/fees and books/course materials/supplies/equipment COA components will be adjusted based on your actual enrolled hours.

and/or

  • you are not enrolled the entire length of the fall and/or spring term(s) - Your transportation, miscellaneous personal expenses, and living expenses (housing/food) will be adjusted accordingly based on your actual weeks of enrollment.

All students will initially be assigned a full-time COA. A student’s COA will remain at full-time for the term unless a:

  • Part-time adjustment is processed based upon a student’s request.
  • Student is awarded federal aid and/or alternative loan funds as of the term’s census date and is enrolled less-than full-time.
  • Student is evaluated for federal aid and/or alternative loan funds after the term’s census data and is enrolled less-than full-time.

If you attend less-than half-time during any term, you will only automatically receive an allowance for tuition/fees, books/course materials/supplies/equipment, and transportation. It is prohibited to receive a miscellaneous personal expense allowance if enrolled less-than half-time. You may receive an allowance for living expenses (food and housing costs) for up to three semesters, with no more than two semesters being consecutive.

Case-by-Case Increases & Other Allowable Components of COA

You can request an evaluation to potentially increase your COA for case-by-case expenses or academic expenses that exceed the budgeted amount. In addition, below are other allowable expenses, that when documented, can be included in your COA. To request a review to increase a COA component(s) and/or to include a COA component not automatically utilized, contact the Student Financial Aid Office.

  • Study abroad expenses
  • Cooperative education costs
  • Dependent care (An allowance based on the estimated actual expenses incurred for dependent care, based on the number and age of such dependents. The allowance may not exceed the reasonable cost in the community in which the student resides for the kind of care provided. The period for which dependent care is required includes (but is not limited to) class-time, study-time, field work, internships, and commuting time.)
  • Disability-related expenses (An allowance for expenses associated with a student’s disability, including special services, personal assistance, transportation, equipment, and supplies that are reasonably incurred and not provided for by other agencies.)
  • Federal student loan fees (An average allowance for Federal Direct Loan fees. For Federal Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loan and/or Federal Direct PLUS Loan recipients, the applicable allowance(s) will automatically be included in your COA. Costs associated with non-Federal loans (private/alternative educational loans) cannot be included in the COA.)
  • Professional licensure, certification, or a first professional credential (An allowance for the costs associated with obtaining a license, certification, or a first professional credential, for a student in a program that prepares them to enter a profession that requires such a qualification. For our School of Dentistry and Medicine students, this allowance is automatically included in their COA.)

COA during the Summer Term

For undergraduate, graduate, and law aid recipients enrolled during the summer term, their COA will be based on the number of hours and number of weeks enrolled.