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Cost of Attendance

Your total 2024-2025 cost of attendance at the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith can depend on a number of factors including your state of residence, living arrangement, and how many credit hours you are enrolled in.

 

Undergraduate On Campus

The amounts given below are estimated figures for one academic year based on enrollment of 30 credit hours per year (15 fall/15 spring).

Cost of Attendance In-State Out-of-State International

Tuition

$5,940

$12,000

$12,000

Mandatory Fees

$3,188

$3,188 $3,188

Books & Supplies

$1,782

$1,782 $1,782

Housing

$5,962

$5,962 $5,962

Food

$4,120

$4,120 $4,120

Personal Expenses

$3,648

$3,648 $3,628

Transportation

$1,757

$1,757 $1,757

Loan Fees

$71

$71 --

Total Estimated Cost of Attendance

$26,468

$32,528 $32,457

 

Undergraduate Off Campus

The amounts given below are estimated figures for one academic year based on 30 credit hours per year (15 fall/15 spring).

Cost of Attendance In-State Out-of-State International

Tuition

$5,940

$12,000

$12,000

Mandatory Fees

$3,188 $3,188 $3,188

Books & Supplies

$1,782 $1,782 $1,782

Housing

$8,991 $8,991 $8,991

Food

$4,120 $4,120 $4,120

Personal Expenses

$3,648 $3,648 $3,648

Transportation

$1,757 $1,757 $1,757

Loan Fees

$71 $71 --

Total Estimated COA

$29,497 $35,557 $35,486

 

Undergraduate With Parent

The amounts given below are estimated figures for one academic year based on 30 credit hours per year (15 fall/15 spring).

Cost of Attendance In-State Out-of-State

Tuition

$5,940

$12,000

Mandatory Fees

$3,188 $3,188

Books & Supplies

$1,782 $1,782

Housing

$4,496 $4,496

Food

$4,120 $4,120

Personal Expenses

$3,648 $3,648

Transportation

$1,757 $1,757

Loan Fees

$71 $71

Total Estimated COA

$25,002 $31,062

 

Graduate - Off Campus

The amounts given below are estimated figures for one academic year based on 18 credit hours per year (9 fall/9 spring).

Cost of Attendance In-State Out-of-State International

Tuition

$7,092

$11,394

$11,394

Mandatory Fees

$930 $930 $930

Books & Supplies

$1,069 $1,069 $1,069

Housing

$8,991 $8,991 $8,991

Food

$4,120 $4,120 $4,120

Personal Expenses

$3,648 $3,648 $3,648

Transportation

$1,757 $1,757 $1,757

Loan Fees

$113 $113 --

Total Estimated COA

$27,720 $32,022 $31,909

 

FAQS

The Cost of Attendance (COA) is a budget used by any financial aid office to estimate the average student’s cost to attend that university. This is usually given as an annual amount. COA includes tuition and fees; room and board (or a housing and food allowance); and allowances for books, supplies, transportation, and loan fees as well as estimates for miscellaneous and personal expenses you may incur as a result of seeking a degree.

COA is a limit to how much federal, state, or institutional financial aid a student may receive. If you are only receiving privately funded awards, you are not limited by COA unless specifically restricted by the awarding agency. COA is also used to determine your financial need based on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

The AV¶¶Òõ Financial Aid Office has determined COA based on student responses from surveys and annually adjusted based on national rates of inflation. Since COA is based on your enrollment, it is possible for it to fluctuate if you add or drop classes. For this reason, COA is locked on the 11th day of class, based on your enrollment on the 11th day of class, also known as the Census Date. Any courses added after the Census Date will not be included in your COA.

NOTE: Your
financial aid package may be affected if you drop courses prior to the Census Date.

The tuition and fee portion of your COA will be based on your level of enrollment. There are four levels of enrollment for financial aid: full-time, three-quarter time, half-time, and less-than-half-time. The allowances for books and supplies, transportation, miscellaneous, and personal expenses will not be affected by your enrollment status. For students attending less than half-time, the COA includes tuition and fees as well as allowances for books, supplies, transportation, and personal/miscellaneous expenses.

Only those classes that meet the following criteria will be included in the COA:
  • Non-repeated
  • First repeat
  • Added prior to the 11th class day (Census Date) for the fall and spring semesters
  • Added prior to the fifth class day (Census Date) of the summer semester
  • Otherwise eligible for financial aid

Federal and state regulations mandate that each student has a Cost of Attendance that accounts for averaged, estimated expenses that any degree-seeking student at the institution may incur as a result of pursuing their education at that institution. These regulations also mandate that a student’s total financial aid package must be limited to the student’s COA. This means that, as you begin to accrue additional financial assistance, you may lose eligibility for existing or new awards to prevent an over-award on your file. This also means that your financial need could be reduced, which could also affect your financial aid.

Financial Need is calculated by the COA minus the Expected Family Contribution (EFC), which is a result of the FAFSA. Financial Need can also be affected by Other Financial Assistance (OFA) including scholarships, grants, or other need-based aid you are receiving. Your Unmet Need is calculated by Financial Need minus OFA. 

Some financial aid awards are considered need-based, which means you must have Financial Need to qualify. Some of these awards include Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG), federal work-study, and federal direct subsidized loans.

The Financial Aid Office makes every effort to monitor and adjust your financial aid package to avoid an instance of over-award; however, outside scholarships, third-party payments, and any other financial assistance you may receive cannot be accounted for until funds have been received. This means that, if additional funds are received by AV¶¶Òõ after the disbursement date for the semester, an adjustment could cause a balance due on your account. The reason you may incur an outstanding balance could be related to an over-awarded refund you may have received. If this rare circumstance should affect you, the Financial Aid Office will contact you directly to notify you of the impact.