Cost of Attendance (COA): The estimated amount it will cost a student to attend college and is comprised of an estimate of the following costs: tuition and fees, housing and food (or living expenses), books, supplies, transportation, loan fees, and miscellaneous expenses (including a reasonable amount for the documented cost of a personal computer). Allowance for childcare or other dependent care, costs related to a disability, and reasonable costs for eligible study-abroad programs is not included in the COA, but can be added based on “Professional Judgment.”* It is important to know that the direct costs (tuition and fees) are the only items a student will be charged while the COA is what the College uses to determine need and award packages.

Berkeley College calculates the COA to show the total cost for two semesters. The below COA charts can be difficult to understand, and the College recommends you read the following before reviewing them:

• COA is customized based on your chosen program, your dependency status and whether or not you are living with your parent(s). Due to the removal of the housing option from the FAFSA, we are defaulting Dependent students to "living with their parent(s)" and Independent students to "not living with their parent(s)". This information will be on the award notice giving the student the ability to tell Financial Aid Office that they are living with their parent(s)/legal guardians or not.
• Housing and and food are required elements to be added to the COA. They are part of the COA; however, this does not mean that you will pay more for these items, just because you attend Berkeley College. These are expenses you and/or your parents likely already have.
• The College is also required to include the cost of a laptop in the COA. That does not mean, however, that the College is providing you with a laptop, nor does it mean you have to purchase one, if you already have a suitable computer. If you do not have a laptop and need access to a computer, the College will assist when possible.
• The College supplies are mostly eBooks that you pay for as part of your tuition. The College includes additional expenses for books and supplies for all applicable programs.
• The federal student loan origination fees are also a required COA element. The College does not assume, however, that you will borrow, nor how much, should you choose to borrow loans. If you do not borrow loans, you will not incur this cost.
• COA is used to determine need as part of the multiple levels of federal packaging methodology. It does not represent, however, the amount of aid that you can receive.

*If you believe your expenses are unusual and/or much higher than the COA estimates, you can appeal the COA by contacting the Financial Aid office. Financial Aid can make documented “Professional Judgement” adjustments. It is important to know, however, that increasing the COA does not always increase financial aid eligibility.

Grants and Scholarships: Student aid funds that do not have to be repaid. Grants are often need-based, while scholarships are usually merit-based. Occasionally you might have to pay back part or all of a grant if, for example, you withdraw from school before finishing a semester.

Net Price: An estimate of the actual cost that you or your family will need to pay during the 2026-27 school year to cover education expenses at a particular school. Net price is determined by taking the institution's cost of attendance and subtracting your grants and scholarships.

Work-Study: A federal and/or state student aid program that provides part-time employment that must be earned while you are enrolled in school to help pay your educational expenses.

Loans: Borrowed money that must be repaid with interest. Loans from the federal government typically have a lower interest rate than loans from private lenders. Federal loans, listed from most advantageous to least advantageous, are Direct Subsidized Loans, Direct Unsubsidized Loans, and Direct PLUS Loans. You can find more information about federal loans at StudentAid.gov.

Federal Direct Subsidized Loans: Loans made to eligible undergraduate students who demonstrate financial need to help cover the costs of higher education at a college or career school.

Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans: Loans made to eligible undergraduate, graduate, and professional students, but in this case, the student does not have to demonstrate financial need to be eligible for the loan.

Federal Direct PLUS Loans: Loans made to graduate or professional students and parents of dependent undergraduate students to help pay for education expenses not covered by other financial aid.

Student Aid Index (also referred to as SAI): A number used by a school to calculate how much need-based financial aid you are eligible to receive based on the financial information you provided on your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The SAI is not the amount of money your family will have to pay for college, nor is it the amount of federal student aid you will receive. The family contribution is reported to you on your FAFSA Submission Summary, also known as the FSS. The FSS is a paper or electronic document that provides basic information about your eligibility for federal student aid and lists your responses to the questions on the FAFSA.