Cost of Attendance Budget

Davenport University tuition and fees are based on your enrollment status (full-time, three-quarter time, half-time and less than half-time). Your advisor can assist you with establishing a more specific estimate for Davenport University tuition. Please refer to the current tuition and fees for college. 

Books are a key part of your college expenses. The books estimate reflects the typical cost of all of your books and supplies including a reasonable allowance for the rental or purchase of a personal computer for attending DU courses at a specific enrollment status (full-time, three-quarter time, half-time and less than half-time). Some programs may have higher or lower book costs. To keep your college costs lower, it may be possible to obtain books below those estimates, and you’re encouraged to consider other alternatives, such as used books, textbook rentals, e-books, etc.

Food and housing account for a major part of your college expenses.  Davenport estimates food and housing costs for different categories of students, based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data for the state of Michigan, incorporating national data where appropriate. The food and housing budget component includes basic housing and food costs for the amount of calendar time in the period of enrollment. For a standard two semester COA budget, this is approximately eight months. For a one semester COA budget, this is approximately four months.

If you’re enrolled during a semester but attending only one session of the semester, you’ll have a reduced food and housing component to reflect the actual period of enrollment. Therefore, if you attend only session one and have no attendance in session two, you’ll have a food and housing component that reflects two months of living expenses for college. For students residing in on campus housing, the housing component in the budget is the average housing charge of all residential students. The meal budget component reflects the expense for three meals per day. Both the housing and meal costs are estimates and may not be your actual charges. 

This reflects the typical cost of traveling to attend class. This again is an average and your actual experience may be different based upon your transportation choices. We can’t include transportation-related costs, such as: 

• Vehicle purchase
• Insurance
• Major repairs

When it comes to personal college expenses, Davenport includes an estimate for the time that you’re enrolled. These college costs are averages. Your actual experience depends upon your personal choices. Personal college expenses include: 

• Hygiene items
• Clothing
• Minor housekeeping expenses
• Cell phone usage
• Social activities
• Other personal needs

Final Note: It’s important to keep in mind that you control many of your college expenses and can make adjustments to make sure that you can cover your college costs.
 

When determining your eligibility for financial aid, the Government allows Davenport to include direct costs like:

• Davenport University tuition 
• Books
• Fees

We can also include indirect costs like:

• Transportation
• Food and housing
• Personal expenses

To determine these college costs, Davenport must establish average college expenses for all students. We base the averages on living expenses for college statistics from the federal government. Davenport does take into account the fact that many of our online students live across the United States. Once your financial aid award is complete, you will see your estimated DU Cost of Attendance.

It is important to keep in mind that these college costs are averages across the entire university and that you have control over many of these college costs. You can adjust your college expenses to keep your costs under control. Although student loans are available, Davenport encourages you to keep borrowing to a minimum.

Generally COA budgets are for one or more full semesters with estimated expenses based on your level (undergraduate or graduate), campus and enrollment status. If your individual enrollment does not span the length of the semester, federal regulations require the university to reduce the expected college expenses in the COA budget based on the length of your expected enrollment. For example, if you take two courses in session one of a semester and no courses in session two, the COA will be reduced to include expected costs only for the two months associated with session one.

Since budgets are determined based upon your enrollment status, DU must make some assumptions at the time the financial aid is packaged if you are not registered for courses. If you’re not registered you’ll be assigned a budget that reflects the average enrollment status for the campus you’re attending. Once you’re registered, the financial aid office will adjust the COA accordingly to match your enrollment status.

An allowance for the costs associated with obtaining a license, certification, or a first professional credential, for a student in a program that prepares them to enter a profession that requires such a qualification. If you are enrolled in a program that requires you to obtain professional licensure to practice, the cost will be included in the COA budget. Academics have determined which programs require licensure and maintain the list of applicable programs and the estimated cost of the licensure test. This list and licensing fees will be reviewed annually. The one-time cost is added to the student's budget in their final year of study.

An allowance for the cost of any Federal Direct loan fee, origination fee, or insurance premium charged to the student or a parent borrower. These costs are estimated as average costs incurred by loan borrowers at DU. These estimates do not include the costs associated with non-Federal loans.

The technology component is an allowance for the cost associated for the rental or purchase of a personal computer for attending DU courses. This component is reviewed annually by the university and is added to the budget for students in their first year of study at DU.