Cost of Attendance
Determining whether you have enough financial aid to attend a Seattle College is essential to making sure it is the right option for you. We are required by the US Department of Education and the State of Washington to produce a budget called the Cost of Attendance. The Cost of Attendance shows both the direct and indirect costs of 9 months of education at a Seattle Colleges institution. We estimate the average of these costs to create the Cost of Attendance.
Direct costs
Direct costs are costs that you’ll pay directly to the school. This would include tuition, fees, and in some cases, books, course materials, and equipment. Miscellaneous fees like a parking permit or library fine are also direct costs. If you didn’t have any financial aid assistance, you’d pay these costs at the Cashier’s Office.
Indirect costs
Indirect costs are costs that you’ll pay to other people or organizations while you’re in school, such as rent, utilities, food, clothing, and transportation expenses.
Your Cost of Attendance budget depends on your program of study, your residency, and your living arrangements. Below are our most common Cost of Attendance budgets, and you can see the Cost of Attendance we’ve assigned to you on the Financial Aid tile on your ctcLink student homepage.
Keep in mind, these are estimates and may not be your actual costs.
Annual Cost of Attendance Estimates
| Associate Degrees and Certificates (Lower Division Tuition) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimated Cost | WA Resident | Non-Resident | ||
| Living without Parent | Living with Parent | Living without Parent | Living with Parent | |
| Tuition and Fees* | $4,935 | $4,935 | $5,520 | $5,520 |
| Food and Housing | $19,473 | $10,072 | $19,473 | $10,072 |
| Books, Course Materials, Supplies and Equipment | $528 | $528 | $528 | $528 |
| Transportation | $3,069 | $2,832 | $3,069 | $2,832 |
| Miscellaneous Personal Expenses | $1,908 | $1,908 | $1,908 | $1,908 |
| Total Expected Cost of Attendance | $29,913 | $20,275 | $30,498 | $20,860 |
| *Assumes 15 credits per quarter or 45 credits per year | ||||
| Bachelor Degrees (Upper Division Tuition) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimated Cost | WA Resident | Non-Resident | ||
| Living without Parent | Living with Parent | Living without Parent | Living with Parent | |
| Tuition and Fees* | $7,878 | $7,878 | $21,781 | $21,781 |
| Food and Housing | $19,473 | $10,072 | $19,473 | $10,072 |
| Books, Course Materials, Supplies and Equipment | $528 | $528 | $528 | $528 |
| Transportation | $3,069 | $2,832 | $3,069 | $2,832 |
| Miscellaneous Personal Expenses | $1,908 | $1,908 | $1,908 | $1,908 |
| Total Expected Cost of Attendance | $29,913 | $20,275 | $30,498 | $20,860 |
| *Assumes 15 credits per quarter or 45 credits per year | ||||
Federal Direct Student Loan fees are an expense built into the electronic version of a student’s budget and will only be included for students who decide to borrow federal student loans.
Other costs can be included on a limited, case-by-case basis. Unusual expenses such as the purchase of a computer (for educational purposes), specific course fees, and significant out-of-pocket medical expenses can also be taken under consideration. Contact the financial aid office directly if you or your family have any of these requests.
Please note, some expenses may only be allowed one time, and requests may be denied.
An increase to the cost of attendance ONLY increases your eligibility to apply for loans or other outside funding sources. A cost of attendance adjustment does NOT increase eligibility for grants or institutional scholarships.
Financial Need
The financial aid programs at Seattle Colleges are administered in accordance with established state and federal regulations and policies. The basic formula for determining financial need for funding is based on the following equation:
Cost of Attendance (COA) - Student Aid Index (SAI) = Financial Need
Your financial need is used to determine your eligibility for financial aid programs (Federal Pell Grant, Work-Study, etc.).
If you have experienced an unexpected financial hardship or a significant reduction in family income since submitting your financial aid application (FAFSA or WASFA), it may benefit you to submit a Special Conditions/Income Adjustment Form.
The financial aid office will use your current year income to reevaluate your eligibility for financial aid. You may submit the request if you, your spouse, and/or your parents experienced one of the following situations:
- Loss of employment - student, spouse, parent(s), and/or stepparent
- Reduction of employment hours - student, spouse, parent(s) and/or stepparent
- Divorce or Separation - student, parent(s), and/or stepparent
- Death of a spouse, parent(s), or stepparent
Complete the online form here: Request for Income Adjustment