Cost of Attendance

Cost of Attendance (COA), or Student Budget, is an estimate of your educational expenses for a given period of enrollment. A fall and spring budget will each be calculated for 4.5 months, and a summer budget will be calculated for 3 months. Below is an example of Cost of Attendance for one academic year. 

Estimated Cost of Attendance

In-District with Parents In-District Off Campus Out-of-District with Parents Out-of-District off campus
Tuition & Fees $2064 $2064 $2424 $2424
Housing* $2808 $5980 $2808 $5980
Meals* $2484 $2484 $2484 $2484
Books & Supplies* $1250 $1250 $1250 $1250
Personal Expenses* $2098 $2098 $2098 $2098
Transportation* $1664 $1664 $1664 $1664
Total $ 12368 $ 15540 $ 12728 $ 15900
* These expenses are included in your Cost of Attendance, but are NOT charged directly to your student account. You will not owe NMSU these amounts.

How do I view my Cost of Attendance?

To view your Cost of Attendance, log in to your my.nmsu.edu account and find your Award Overview under Financial Aid.

Out-of-Pocket Costs

Download our Out-of-Pocket Cost Worksheet to help you determine what you may need to pay out-of-pocket. Visit your Award Overview in your myNMSU to view how much total aid you are eligible to receive.
Out-Of-Pocket Cost Work-Sheet

Direct Budget Components

Tuition and Fees will be determined based on the exact cost of the program in which you are enrolled, and the credit hours you are taking in a single semester.

Books and Supplies will be calculated for all students using national averages obtained from The College Board and/or the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Personal Expenses will be calculated for all students using national averages obtained from The College Board and/or the IRS. Personal expenses include costs for clothing, toiletries, recreational and other miscellaneous expenses. You will be ineligible for a Personal Expenses component if you are enrolled less than half-time (6 hours for undergraduates).

Transportation will be calculated for all students using national averages obtained from The College Board and/or the IRS. Transportation costs are based on a student living locally and commuting to class five days a week.

Please keep in mind that your budget will change to reflect any updates you may make to your student record and/or FAFSA.