How is Cost of Attendance Established?
Standardized budgets have been established by each college. This means that all students with similar circumstances will receive the same allowance for tuition and fees, room and board, books, supplies, transportation, and miscellaneous expenses. Adjustments may be made on an exception basis to the budget for documented unusual expenses.
Most Financial Aid awards are considered need-based aid. These awards are influenced by a simple calculation, Need = COA – SAI.
COA:
Cost of Attendance (COA) is how much it will cost a student to go to school.
Costs include:
- Tuition and fees
- Room and board
- Books and supplies
- Transportation
- Miscellaneous expenses
SAI:
Student Aid Index (SAI) is an amount determined by the Federal Student Aid (FSA) office based on the information provided on your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FSA office uses a formula, established by law, to calculate a student’s SAI. The SAI calculation uses information from the FAFSA such as taxed and untaxed income, household size, assets, and benefits (such as unemployment or Social Security).
Need:
A student’s need is determined by subtracting their Student Aid Index (SAI) from their Cost of Attendance (COA). Need = COA – SAI. Your total need determines how much need-based aid you can receive for the academic year.
State-funded instruction
If the duration of class is other than ten weeks, the refund is calculated based on the equivalent percentage of time. The general refund policy applies to all students in state-supported programs (career pathways). It is the student’s responsibility to complete a withdrawal form and submit it to the registration office. The date that the withdrawal is received will be used for calculating refunds.
- Refunds will not be granted for students withdrawn for disciplinary reasons.
- Students called for military active duty will be granted a refund of tuition and laboratory/supply/computer use fees paid for the current payment period, subject to the rules and regulations of their respective funding sources. Presentation of written confirmation is required.
The general refund policy applies to all Bates students, regardless of financial aid status. The refund for students registered in courses or programs (career pathways) with an enrollment period other than the standard quarter will be applied on a prorated basis consistent with the general refund policy. Refunds must be requested in writing by the student or the funding agency administrator. Refunds for special programs(career pathways) will be made directly to the funding agency administrator.
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Page Manager: FinancialAid@batestech.edu
Last Modified: 7/31/2026