Knowing the cost of attendance is vital for managing your finances in college. Let’s break it down, learn how it's applied, and find out how UT Martin calculates it.
The following estimated costs of attendance are for typical undergraduate students and graduate students, respectively.
Estimated Cost of Attendance for Full-Time Undergrad Student Living on Campus (Fall 2023-Spring 2024 combined)
| Direct Costs | In-State | Out-of-State |
| Tuition | $8,546 | $8,546 |
| Fees (Program & Services, Technology and Facilities; and an additional fee for students who are not Tennessee residents. | $824 | $6,864 |
| Housing | $5,110 | $5,110 |
| Food | $3,996 | $3,996 |
| Indirect Costs | ||
| Books, Course Materials, Supplies, & Equipment | $1,500 | $1,500 |
| Transportation | $1,000 | $1,000 |
| Miscellaneous Personal Expenses | $3,600 | $3,600 |
| Total Estimated Cost of Attendance | $25,503 | $31,543 |
Estimated Cost of Attendance for Full-Time Grad Student Living off Campus (Fall 2023-Spring 2024 combined)
| Direct Costs | In-State | Out-of-State |
| Tuition | $9,464 | $9,464 |
| Fees (Program & Services, Technology and Facilities; and an additional fee of $6,040 for students who are not Tennessee residents. | $1,648 | $7,688 |
| Housing | $6,300 | $6,300 |
| Food | $3,996 | $3,996 |
| Indirect Costs | ||
| Books, Course Materials, Supplies, & Equipment | $1,500 | $1,500 |
| Transportation | $3,000 | $3,000 |
| Miscellaneous Personal Expenses | $3,600 | $3,600 |
| Total Estimated Cost of Attendance | $29,508 | $35,548 |
What is the "cost of attendance" all about?
The cost of attendance (COA), also known as the "student budget," is like an educated guess of what it typically costs a student to go to college for a year, which includes both the Fall and Spring terms. The University administration reviews and approves this estimate.
When you see the COA in your financial aid information from UT Martin, don't get worried. It's not just about tuition; it also considers your basic living expenses.
Why is this important?
Every student who requests financial aid is given a cost of attendance budget, which has two main functions:
- It provides an estimate of how much it may cost you to attend UT Martin for one year.
- It establishes a cap on the financial aid you can receive in an academic year, as mandated by federal regulations. Your total aid, including scholarships, grants, loans, and work-study, cannot go beyond your overall cost of attendance.
What's included in my COA?
Your cost of attendance consists of two types of costs: direct and indirect.
- Direct costs are things that you’ll see on your university bills, such as tuition, fees, housing, and food (if you live on campus).
- Indirect costs won’t appear on your bill but are estimated costs associated with going to college and should be included in your budget. These include books; course materials, supplies, and equipment; transportation; miscellaneous personal expenses; and loan fees.
Let's look at each line item in more detail
- Tuition and Fees: These figures reflect the cost of tuition and fees for an undergraduate student, enrolled in face-to-face classes full time (12 or more credit hours) during each of the fall, and spring semesters. Full time for graduate students is 9 or more credit hours. Online classes cost an additional $434 per credit hour for undergraduate classes, and an additional $644 per credit hour for graduate classes.
- Housing: UTM figures this out by looking at the amount most students paid for housing on campus in the previous academic year and using the higher of the average or median amount. For specific rates, visit the Office of Residential Life and Housing. Off-campus housing costs are estimated using market research.
- Food: This amount is equal to the All Access A + $150 Captain's Cash meal plan, which covers all three daily meals, seven days a week.
- Books, Course Materials, Supplies, & Equipment: This is an estimate of the cost of books, course materials, supplies and equipment for a typical student for the entire academic year. You won’t be billed directly by UT Martin for these.
- Transportation: This is an estimate of the cost of traveling to and from campus or the cost of operating and maintaining a vehicle.
- Personal Expenses: This is a rough estimate of expenses for things like clothing, haircuts, entertainment, and more over the year. The actual spending on these items may differ from one student to another. These expenses won't be included on your UT Martin bill.
- Average Loan Fees: There is an origination fee of 1.057% for Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized student loans, and 4.228% for Direct PLUS loans. These fees are taken out of the loan before funds are sent to UTM. The amount listed above is the average fee for students who borrow these loans. Actual fees will depend on the amount you borrow (if any).
Where do these figures come from?
Direct costs are determined by the UT Martin. For indirect costs, we use market research and the recommended guidelines published by the College Board. Most figures change slightly every year.
These are the fundamental expenses that our students typically have. Other items that can be considered part of your cost of attendance are:
- a personal computer
- study abroad expenses
- dependent care
If you have one of these expenses that should be included in your budget, please go to www.utm.edu/faforms to complete a Budget Adjustment Form.
Overawards
An overaward in financial aid happens when a student receives more financial aid than the cost of attendance allows. It usually occurs when a student gets aid from multiple sources that, when combined, exceeds the allowable limit. Overawards can result in aid adjustments to meet regulations and institutional policies. In some cases, actual amounts charged are more than what is in their budget.
In some cases, when it is found that a student is overawarded, the budget assigned does not reflect the actual costs. In such cases, the financial aid administrator will review the actual costs and adjust the students budget accordingly. If there are no additional costs shown on the student account screen, the student may be notified and if warranted the student may complete a budget adjustment form, located on the financial aid webpage, to request an increase in their budget. Documentation is required with the budget adjustment form.
One final note
When comparing financial aid offers from other schools, it's important to focus on your unmet cost (or "bottom line"), not just the sticker price or the amount of financial aid you were offered.