2008-2009 Attendance Costs

The Cost of Attendance (COA) is the estimated total cost of attending college for one year. It includes tuition and fees, room, board, books, personal expenses, and travel expenses.

The Financial Aid Office estimates the COA for a typical resident and commuter student to attend McDaniel College for the 2008-2009 year.

Student Budget 2008-2009	Campus Resident	Commuter
Tuition (12-22 Credits)	$30,780	$30,780
Room and Board	$6,150	$2,000
Books	$1,200	$1,200
Personal Expenses & Miscellaneous Fees	$1,000	$1,000
Travel	$500	$1,000
Total	$39,630	$35,980

For a variety of reasons, the actual cost for any given student might differ from these standard budgets. Most notable are students who live in an off-campus apartment (without their parents) and independent students.

A student cannot receive more than the Cost of Attendance from any combination of institutional, federal, state, or private funding source. This includes merit and need-based aid as well as tuition benefits, ROTC awards, and RA contracts.

Your Costs

It is important to remember that costs vary from one college to another. It is crucial to calculate the difference between the financial aid awarded and the college costs – what the actual cost to you and your family will be.

For example:

2008-09 Tuition (12-22 credits)	$30,780
Room and Board	$6,150
Total Annual Bill	$36,930
Less, for example, if all financial aid totals $19,000	$19,000
Amount left to be paid by the student and family	$17,930

Remember, students will also have indirect costs of personal and travel expenses and books.

Final Cost of Attendance

If the amount you and your family must pay is more than you think your family can afford-- don't panic! The process used to evaluate your eligibility for need-based aid is based on national norms and ordinary situations. Since individual circumstances vary, some applications require a more personalized approach. Talk to a member of the Financial Aid staff about your situation.

Recognize, however, that the primary responsibility for meeting college costs rests with you and your family. Financial aid is intended to supplement, not replace, family effort.