Required Cost of Attendance

Student Cost of Attendance (COA) budgets are designed to provide students with an accurate projection of reasonable costs while enabling the Financial Aid Office to formulate an appropriate financial aid package. The COA budget assigned to a student does not, however, imply the availability of financial aid funds. Additionally, a student’s COA budget will always be larger than the tuition bill as the bill only includes direct costs (such as tuition, fees, housing and meal charges for students living in University housing) that are billed by Saint Joseph’s University. Books, transportation, personal expense and, in some cases, living expenses, are indirect costs that a student should plan for but that are not billed directly by the University.

The Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), defines the COA components for all Title IV (federal) aid programs. In addition to establishing allowable costs, the HEA also specifies the allowable components to be included or excluded in a student’s COA budget depending upon the student’s enrollment status, major, housing status and period of enrollment.

A student’s COA budget may only include expenses that are incurred during the period of enrollment. Minimum budget component levels generally reflect a nine-month expense for undergraduate students to correspond with a nine-month academic year. Adult learner, graduate and doctoral level student budgets are based on the period of intended enrollment. Please note that books, personal expenses, transportation and housing and meal costs (for students not living in University housing) may vary greatly by individual student. For students that are not living in University housing, Saint Joseph’s University uses the mid-level living expense allowance for the Philadelphia region as put forth by the College Board.

Undergraduate Day Students:

*Students may incur a lab fee for a specific course. Visit here for fee information.

Undergraduate Adult Learners, Graduate & Doctoral Students: