How Aid Works
Boston College remains committed to the practice of admitting students solely on the basis of the strength of their application. Students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, who are not in default on a Federal student loan and who demonstrate financial need, will be assisted in meeting that need through different financial aid funds. A family's demonstrated financial need is the difference between the cost of attendance and the family contribution.
Cost of Attendance
The cost of attendance (COA) provides an estimate of the costs associated with attending Boston College. There are two main categories of costs used when creating the cost of attendance: direct and indirect costs.
Direct (Billed) Costs
The cost of attendance includes costs that will appear on your bill—tuition, housing, food (if required) and fees. For students living off campus, your direct costs will include tuition and fees. When trying to determine financial responsibilities to Boston College each year, the direct costs are what will appear on your billing statement.
Your first bill for the academic year will likely include a charge for health insurance. Massachusetts law requires that every full-time and part-time student enrolled in a certificate, diploma or degree-granting program of higher education must participate in their school's Student Health Program or in a health benefit plan with comparable coverage. Students that have comparable coverage are able to waive the Boston College health plan by specific deadlines. For additional information on BC's health insurance plan and directions and deadlines to waive the insurance please visit bc.edu/medicalinsurance. The cost for the BC medical insurance for the 24–25 year is $4,281.
Direct Costs for Entering Students*
| Cost Type | Total |
|---|---|
| Tuition | $72,180 |
| Housing and Food | $19,290 |
| Fees** | $2,044 |
| Total | $93,514 |
*The direct costs for returning students will vary depending on room assignment and whether or not a meal plan is required. Costs for returning students are listed here.
**Fees are charged in the first semester. All other costs are divided across two semesters.
Indirect (Non-billed) Costs
The cost of attendance also includes costs that will not appear on your bill. Items included in this category are estimates for books, travel, and miscellaneous/personal expenses. For students that live off campus, an estimate for your housing and food costs will be included in your COA, and are considered indirect costs because you will not be billed by BC for those costs.
Boston College Indirect Costs
| Cost Type | Total for 25–26 |
|---|---|
| Books and Supplies | $1,250 |
| Misc./Personal Expenses | $2,000 |
| Travel | Varies ($150–1,800) |
| Loan Fees* | $51 |
*Loan fees will also be added when a family receives a federal parent or graduate PLUS loan.
Your cost of attendance will not match your bill because it includes indirect costs that are not billed by Boston College. Students must plan ahead and be prepared to pay for books and/or off-campus living expenses until the funds have been disbursed.
Constructing Financial Aid Awards
In order to create financial aid awards, we utilize your full cost of attendance. Listed below are the figures used when evaluating your financial aid eligibility.
| Cost Type | Incoming On Campus (Meal Plan Required Dorm) | Continuing On Campus (Meal Plan Required Dorm) | Continuing On Campus (Kitchen Facility Dorm) | Off-Campus Student | Commuter Student |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $72,180 | $72,180 | $72,180 | $72,180 | $72,180 |
| Fees | $2,044* | $1,328 | $1,328 | $694 | $694 |
| Food and Housing (Living Expenses)** | $19,290 | $20,100 | $19,780 | $15,894 | $2,818 |
| Books/misc. | $3,250 | $3,250 | $3,250 | $3,250 | $3,450 |
| Travel | Varies ($150–1,800) | Varies ($150–1,800) | Varies ($150–1,800) | Varies ($150–1,800) | Varies ($150–1,800) |
| Total^ | $96,764 | $96,858 | $96,538 | $92,018 | $79,142 |
*Incoming students are charged a one-time $666 Orientation fee and $50 student ID fee.
**The federal government updated regulations and required colleges and universities to include the cost of 3 meals per day into the cost of attendance. The totals used for your living expenses will not match the amount charged for any required meal plans. This difference is intentional to ensure your financial aid cost of attendance complies with federal regulations.
⌃ The total cost of attendance does not include the travel amount since it varies individually by student. Students can view their specific cost of attendance online through their financial aid portal.
Please note: Student budgets can vary depending upon on- or off-campus residency. Students must notify the Office of Student Services in writing if their housing status changes.
Cost of Attendance Glossary
To help understand the items included in Boston College’s cost of attendance, we have defined each element:
Tuition is determined each year by the Board of Trustees in April of each year. A full breakdown of tuition costs can be found on the Tuition and Fees page.
The fees indicated are the mandatory required fees for every undergraduate student enrolled in the Undergraduate program (does not include students in the Woods College of Advancing studies). These fees include the following:
- Student Activity Fee: fee that covers the administration and availability of student based activities, programs, and facilities
- Campus Infirmary Fee: fee that covers the administration and functioning of our University Health Services area
Incoming, first year students will also be assessed:
- Orientation fee: fee that covers cost of Orientation
- Student ID fee: provide student ID card
Regardless of housing situation (at home with parents, on campus, off campus), all students will have costs related to living while enrolled in college. Living expenses are broken down between two main categories: Housing and Food.
Housing
Most undergraduate students will opt to live on campus in a room that requires a meal plan or rooms with kitchen facilities. All on-campus housing options will have the costs determined yearly by the Board of Trustees. For more information on the various housing options and rates, please visit the Tuition and Fees page.
Students who choose to live off campus will have an estimated cost of housing added to their cost of attendance calculation. Please note that the off-campus housing cost is based on the 9-month standard academic calendar. We do not use the same 12-month calendar as required by most leases.
Students who live at home with parents are not expected to have any costs associated with housing.
Food
Federal regulations require that the food portion of the cost of attendance allow for the ability for a student to eat three meals per day. Students that live on campus in a dorm with a required meal plan will have an estimated amount allotted for food that corresponds to the federal requirement. The amount used in the cost of attendance is greater than the amount students will be charged on their initial account statement.
For students that live on campus in a dorm with a kitchen facility and off campus students, the food estimate that is used will be an estimated cost associated with grocery costs to provide three meals per day. This estimated grocery cost is provided by the BC dining office.
Students that live at home have an estimated food cost.
Undergraduate students will need to purchase books as a part of their educational experience. Additionally, students will incur additional expenses from a variety of categories (toiletries, cleaning products, sports passes, etc.). Boston College creates an estimated value using data provided by the College Board.
Boston College completes a regular review on travel costs required to get to Boston from all 50 states and internationally. The cost of travel is based on the expectation of two round trip tickets per year.
Appeals
A Cost of Attendance appeal may be requested when the student or family has incurred and paid for additional expenses beyond the student’s standard allowances for tuition and fees, housing and food, books and supplies, transportation, and personal expenses.
Expenses must be educationally related and may include:
- Child/Dependent care expenses
- Books/Supplies (including computer purchases)
- Food expenses beyond estimated food allowance
- Housing expenses beyond standard off campus allowance
Please note that a successful COA appeal may not result in consideration for grant or scholarship funds. An increase to a student’s cost of attendance may allow a student/family to apply for additional financing to cover their additional costs.
Boston College is committed to providing information in a manner that is accessible to all. If you are in need of a printed copy of the material presented on this web page, please contact the Office of Student Services.
Family Contribution
Boston College does not use the federal Student Aid Index (SAI) determined by the FAFSA to award institutional need-based grants/scholarships. We meet 100% of the need that is based on our determination of your institutional expected family contribution.
Expected Parental Contribution
Federal Methodology includes factors such as:
- Income (prior-prior tax year)
- Assets (excluding home equity)
- Family size
Institutional Methodology includes factors such as:
- Income (prior-prior tax year)
- Assets (including home equity, all business/farm equity)
- Family size
- Number of dependent children who are full-time undergraduates*
- If parents are separated, divorced, or were never married, financial information for both biological parents is reviewed
*Boston College does not include graduate siblings in the number in college. Boston College verifies sibling enrollment each fall semester through the Sibling Enrollment Verification process.
Expected Student Contribution
Federal Methodology includes factors such as:
- Income (prior-prior tax year)
- Assets
- Family size (if student is considered independent)
Institutional Methodology includes factors such as:
- Income (prior-prior tax year) or minimum contribution*
- Assets
- Family size (if student is considered independent)
- Number in college (if student is considered independent)
*The student income portion of the Institutional Expected Family Contribution is based on the expectation that each student will work during the summer to invest in his or her own education. Minimum standard income contributions for the academic year are $2,400 for incoming students and $2,500 for returning students. If the student earned higher than the minimum standard contribution during the prior-prior tax year, then the determined student contribution will be based on a percentage of their actual earned income.
Borrowing at Boston College
44%
Percent of students who borrowed a federal student loan
$15,949
Average total federal loan amount borrowed by students
Class of 2023
$159
Approximate federal loan monthly payment over a ten-year period