Roane State Community College

What is Cost of Attendance (COA)?

• It's a government-required estimate of both the direct & indirect costs associated with attending college.
• This does not represent the amount you will be required to pay to attend.
• The cost of attendance is used to determine your need for financial resources to assist with the cost of higher education.

Video: What is Cost of Attendance?

Why is it Important?

• This number is used to determine your need for financial resources to assist with the cost of higher education.
• It is based only on those courses that are required for your declared major.
• The financial aid you receive can NOT exceed the Cost of Attendance.

Standard Components of COA

Cost of attendance is comprised of estimates for the following components:

• Tuition/fees
• Living expenses (housing/food allowance)
• Books/supplies/equipment
• Transportation
• Miscellaneous/personal expenses
• Student Loan fees
• Professional licensure, certifications or professional credential fees required for employment (added when student is enrolled in final academic year of degree program or final semester for a certificate program)

If you are enrolled in less than 6 hours that are applicable to your declared major, the standard COA components will not include living expenses and miscellaneous/personal expenses.

When is it Calculated?

COAs are initially calculated based on full-time enrollment in the fall and spring semester of the academic year. After the defined census date (14th calendar day of each semester), adjustments are made for periods of enrollment less than full-time (less than 12 credit hours of coursework applicable to your declared major) and enrollment in courses that do not cover the entire length of the semester. Adjustments are also made when not attending all semesters in an academic year.

Requests for Adjustments

Requests may be made for an additional increase to the standard COA for the following reasons:

• Dependent/childcare expenses
• Disability related expenses
• Purchase/rental of computer
• Purchase of supplies and/or equipment required for declared major
• Transportation between student’s residence and place of employment
• Inclusion of standard living expenses (housing/food) for those enrolled in less than 6 credit hours (up to 3 semesters with no more than two semesters being consecutive)

To request an adjustment, submit the Cost of Attendance Adjustment Request Form found in RaiderNet, under “Your Financial Aid”. After submitting the request, an email will be sent to your RSCC email account with information regarding the required supporting documentation that must be submitted for the request to be reviewed. Once a decision has been made, an email will be sent to that email account informing you of the decision. Requests are reviewed on a weekly basis.

Please note that an increase in the COA does NOT represent additional funding for these areas. It is only increasing the overall COA (budget) which is used to determine student need in regards to financial aid. It does NOT represent the amount due to RSCC but takes into consideration all the potential expenses, both direct and indirect, that a student may incur while attending. 

Roane State Cost of Attendance for 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 Academic Years

• Full-time is defined as enrollment in 12 or more credit hours applicable to your declared major.
• Half-time is defined as enrollment in 6-8 credit hours applicable to your declared major.
• Additional adjustments are made for enrollment statuses outside of these ranges.

Estimated Cost of Attendance

	2023-2024	2024-2025
Full-time Student	$23,102.00	$24,375
Half-time Student	$19,963.00	$21,118

 

Breakdown of Estimated Cost of Full-time Attendance Per Academic Year

	2023-2024	2024-2025
Tuition Based on suggested enrollment of 15 credit hours	$4,452	$4,680
Fees Based on suggested enrollment of 15 credit hours	$310	$318
Books, Supplies, Equipment Estimated national community college cost. Your cost will vary based on academic program needs.	$1,471	$1,467
Living Expenses (Housing & Food) This is not a cost paid to Roane State. This is part of a typical community college student's cost of living.	$13,590	$14,536
Transportation This is not a cost paid to Roane State. This is part of a typical community college student's cost of transportation.	$1,889	$1,984
Miscellaneous or Personal This is not a cost paid to Roane State. This is part of a typical community college student's cost of miscellaneous expenses.	$1,390	$1,390
Total	$23,102	$24,375