Cost of Attendance

What is the Cost of Attendance (COA)?

The cost of attendance (COA) is not the bill you get; it is the estimated amount you can expect to pay to attend the University of Mary each academic year. It includes both direct and indirect costs. Direct costs are the charges that appear on your student account, while indirect costs are those costs you will incur as a student and are not charged by the University of Mary. Detailed information regarding tuition and fees can be found in the Tuition and Cost section of the website.

• 2023-2024 Cost of Attendance Budgets
• 2024-2025 Cost of Attendance Budgets

Cost of Attendance budgets for the upcoming school year are updated and published in late October/early November annually. This website is updated with new and current cost of attendance information. Please contact the Financial Aid Office for historical information.

COA Explained

Tuition

A school can either use actual tuition or a weighted average based on enrollment when calculating estimated tuition. The University of Mary uses actual, full-time tuition for both its traditional and non-traditional undergraduate programs. A full-time average is used for graduate programs based on program-recommended enrollment.

Tuition for main-campus — undergraduate programs are charged at a flat rate for enrollment in 12-18 credit hours. Main campus — undergraduate students enrolled in less than 12 credits are charged per credit hour. All other undergraduate programs are charged per credit hour. Graduate tuition is program specific and either accessed at a per-credit rate or flat rate. Detailed tuition information can be located in the Tuition and Cost section of the website.

Books, Course Materials, Supplies, and Equipment

The University of Mary Financial Aid Office researches student books, supplies, and material purchases from the University of Mary Bookstore. The Financial Aid Office also conducts a bi-annual survey to obtain this information.

Living Expenses (Food and Housing)

The US Department of Education requires institutions to craft Living Expense budgets that include the following elements.

• Housing: This includes on-campus residents and students living off-campus.
  • For campus residents, the University of Mary uses a calculated weighted cost of all campus housing options and then uses the average cost or median cost—whichever is higher.
  • For students residing off campus, the University of Mary uses the College Board’s Living Expense Budget for the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN region. These budgets are developed based on data from the most recent years’ Consumer Expenditure Survey (CES), produced by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
• Food: The US Department of Education requires institutions of higher education to put together a food budget to ensure the allowance covers three meals daily.
  • Campus residents’ food allowance is based on the calculated average cost of all unlimited swipe meal plans.
  • For off-campus residents, the food allowance is derived from the College Board’s Living Expense Budget for the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN region. These budgets are developed based on data from the most recent years’ Consumer Expenditure Survey (CES), produced by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Specific Mary campus housing and dining information can be found on our Housing and Dining webpage.

Miscellaneous Personal Expenses

The miscellaneous category is intended to provide reasonable allows for items such as clothing, personal maintenance, grooming, and recreation. The allowance is designed to permit students a moderate standard of living. To attain this number, the University of Mary uses the College Board’s Living Expense Budget for the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN region. These budgets are developed based on data from the most recent years’ Consumer Expenditure Survey (CES), produced by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Transportation

The transportation allowance is included to account for a student’s travel expenses to and from school. It is intended to be a reasonable cost for gas and car maintenance or any kind of public transportation used to travel to and from campus. Mary uses the College Board’s Living Expense Budget for the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN region. These budgets are developed based on data from the most recent years’ Consumer Expenditure Survey (CES), produced by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Other Allowed Expenses (2023-2024)

The University of Mary also provides several optional components to a student’s individual cost of attendance. These items are considered upon request.

• Personal Computer: Students may request a one-time increase to their cost of attendance for the purchase of a personal computer up to $1,500 upon submission of a receipt of sale.
• Dependent Care Expenses: The cost of attendance allowance can be increased for actual dependent care expenses if a student with one or more dependents needs to place children in care to go to school. Students may request an increase for dependent expenses by providing documentation of the expense, which can include invoices paid to a childcare provider.
• Disability-Related Allowance: On request, students may request to have their cost of attendance allowance increased for expenses related to a student's disability by providing documentation of the disability and the related expense.
• Study Abroad Expenses: When students plan to study abroad, Mary will increase the cost of attendance to include additional expenses related to the study abroad experience. Students can get this information from the Office of Global Studies.
• Cost of First Professional Credential: For students entering a profession requiring professional licensure, such as nursing or education, the one-time cost of obtaining the first professional credential in the field can be included in the cost of attendance. This allowance is based on actual costs incurred. Students should contact the financial aid office regarding an adjustment.

How do I estimate my cost of attending Mary?

Your cost to attend, also known as net cost, is the budgeted amount remaining after scholarships and grants have been subtracted from your total Cost of Attendance.

Our Net Price Calculator offers an estimate of costs associated with attending the University of Mary. The University of Mary Financial Aid Office is happy to assist you in understanding the cost and aid options available to you.