Cost of Attendance

What is Cost of Attendance?

The Cost of Attendance, occasionally referred to as COA or budget, is an estimate of a student's educational expenses for a period of enrollment.  The United States Department of Education requires that all institutions utilizing Title IV funds establish a COA prior to awarding and disbursing financial aid funds.

Our COA is determined annually based on average expenses Missouri State-West Plains students incur while completing their program of study.  It is important to keep in mind that the COA is not necessarily reflective of how much it will cost you to attend Missouri State-West Plains. This is due to the fact that we use averages and must include all components (even those that may not apply to you) in the COA.  We develop different COA's based on basic student populations (e.g., in-state students living on- or off- campus, out-of-state students living on- or off- campus, etc.).

Your actual costs at Missouri State-West Plains will be largely determined by choices you make.  Such choices include the number of hours in which you enroll, whether you live on-campus or commute from home, and what type of standard of living you choose to maintain. For example, some students may experience higher costs for housing if they choose to live on-campus than students who choose to live with their parents and commute to campus.  However, these same students will also experience lower costs for transportation than those who choose to commute.  When considering your actual cost, it is important to consider all these factors. 

How is COA used?

The COA plays two major roles in determining the type and amount of financial aid you are awarded.

First, the COA is used to determine your financial need. For financial aid purposes, financial need is determined by subtracting your Student Aid Index (SAI) as determined on the FAFSA from your COA. Financial need is how we determine your eligibility for need-based funds like Pell Grants, Access Missouri, Direct Subsidized Loans, Federal Work Study, and selected others.

Second, the COA serves as the ceiling on how much financial aid you are eligible to be awarded. Federal regulations require that a student’s award package not exceed COA. For this reason, when we are developing your COA we want to make sure it is as comprehensive but accurate as possible.

What contributes to the COA?

The COA is comprised of various components including:

• Tuition & Fees
• Living Expenses: Housing & Food
• Books, Course Materials, Supplies and Equipment
• Transportation
• Personal Expenses
• Direct Loan Fees

Again, averages are used when calculating the COA and for this reason not all categories apply the same way to all students. Also, COA consists of both direct and indirect costs. Direct costs are costs that are paid directly to the university (1. tuition & fees, 2. books, course materials, supplies and equipment if charged at the bookstore 3. housing and food if living on campus).

Common COA Groups

As previously mentioned, we establish different COA groups based on broad categories of students. Below are breakdowns of common groups to illustrate how your 2024-2025 Academic Year COA is calculated.

Tuition & Fees

Tuition & fees for resident students are calculated using in-state seated tuition rates of $155 per credit hour for 14 credit hours and online rates of $185 per credit hour for 14 credits hours, totaling 28 credit hours for the year. For non-resident students this is calculated by using non-resident seated rates of $310 per credit hour for 14 credit hours and online rates of $185 per credit hour for 14 credits hours for a total of 28 credit hours for the year. The distribution of seated vs. online percent and number of credit hours for the year is based on statistics from previous semesters. Also included is the common fee of $42.00 per credit hour. These are basic amounts. You may incur additional charges based on the courses you take. 

Note: Per credit hour costs may differ for specialized courses, including but not limited to, online, welding, viticulture and nursing. For more information visit our Detailed Costs and Fees Page.

Living Expenses - Housing & Food

Housing & Food are calculated using averages of Missouri State-West Plains residence options and the 19-meal dining plan for on-campus students with an additional two meals a week. Average costs for off-campus housing were calculated using a survey of community housing options.

Beginning with the 2023-2024 award year, the 19-meal plan plus an additional two meals a week will be used when determining the cost of on and off-campus food. This change follows new regulations established under the FAFSA Simplification Act.

Books, Course Materials, Supplies & Equipment

This is calculated based on figures from a report of full-time students who purchased their books, course materials and supplies from our bookstore plus an additional $100 for items bought elsewhere.

Note: These costs can vary depending upon the student's academic major, number of credit hours taken, the availability of used books and their resale value. Nursing students should refer to departmental literature for a full explanation of costs associated with the program, including books, supplies, uniforms, lab fees, vaccines, travel etc.

Transportation

Transportation costs are calculated using a formula based on average weekly mileage from campus and current mileage rates.

Personal Expenses

Personal expenses are calculated based on average costs for items such as insurance, medical care, personal hygiene products, etc.

Direct Loan Fees

As Missouri State-West Plains does not automatically package student loans, Direct Loan fees are calculated and added to the student's COA at the time the student completes a loan request form and the loan is added to their financial aid offer. For more information about applying for a student loan, contact our office at (417) 255-7243.