Cost of Attendance (COA) is an estimate of a student's cost to attend college for an academic year. It does NOT represent the amount you will pay to attend Northeast State. Schools are required to estimate the cost of attendance to help students and families plan for the cost of college.

U.S. Department of Education regulations define the types of expenses that make up COA for federal student aid purposes, and they are broken down into Direct and Indirect Costs.

Direct Costs are costs charged to you by the College that will show on your student account.

• tuition and fees
• books, if charged through the bookstore

Indirect Costs are other expenses students have while attending college but are not paid directly to the College.

• course materials, supplies, and equipment purchased outside of the bookstore
• housing and food (living expenses)
• transportation expenses
• personal/miscellaneous expenses
• costs of obtaining a license, certification, or a first professional credential required for employment

The COA is used to determine a student’s financial need for the purposes of awarding financial aid. Individual student expenses will vary based on things like course load, program of study, living expenses, and individual spending habits.

Most schools establish standard COA budgets for different categories of students. This helps ensure consistent treatment of financial aid applicants. At Northeast State the categories consist of TN Residents vs. Non-Residents and differentiate between students who live at home with a parent(s) and those who do not.

The COA amounts listed below represent full-time enrollment (12 credits or more) for the fall and spring semesters. Students who attend in the summer will be assigned a COA for the summer term.

2023-24 Cost of Attendance 

In addition to the categories listed above, the COA will include an allowance for the cost of obtaining a first professional license or certificate for students who are enrolled in a program that requires such professional licensure or certification. This allowance must be assigned during the period of enrollment, even if the cost occurs after a student is no longer enrolled. As of the 2023-24 award year, this cost is no longer limited to a one-time allowance.

The Financial Aid Office may adjust the COA for other costs on a case-by-case basis upon written request and with proper documentation.  Examples include but are not limited to:

• allowance for childcare or other dependent care
• other miscellaneous expenses (including a reasonable amount for the documented cost of a personal computer)
• reasonable costs for eligible study abroad programs
• costs related to a disability that are not otherwise covered

Please note, an approved increase to the cost of attendance does not represent additional funding.