How housing fits into your cost of attendance

Your cost of attendance is the school's estimate of a year in college, and food and housing are a large part of it. This page explains how that allowance is set, how it shapes your aid, and how aid money can end up paying your rent.

What the allowance covers

Every school builds a cost of attendance that includes tuition and fees, food and housing, books and course materials, transportation and personal expenses. The total limits how much aid you can receive from all sources combined, including loans.

Schools set different housing figures for students living on campus, off campus and with family. Your figure depends on what you report to the school, so update the aid office if your plans change after you file the FAFSA.

When your costs run higher

The allowance is an average, and rent in your area may run above it. If your actual costs are higher for a documented reason, ask the aid office to review your cost of attendance. An administrator can use professional judgment to adjust it, and the school decides.

An adjustment raises the ceiling on your aid rather than adding grant money by itself. It can open room for more loans or other aid, so think about what you would borrow before you ask.

Questions for the aid office

• Which housing status you are listed under
• The housing figure in your cost of attendance
• When refunds are released this term
• How to request a review of your costs

How aid reaches your rent

Aid is applied first to charges on your student account, such as tuition and a campus housing bill. When aid exceeds those charges, the school sends you the difference as a refund, which students living off campus often use for rent.

Refunds usually arrive after the term begins, while a landlord may want a deposit and first month's rent before that. Ask the aid office when refunds are released and plan the gap with your landlord in advance.

Scholarship or grant money used for housing can count as taxable income. Keep your Form 1098-T and receipts so you can sort it out at tax time.