Cost of Attendance (COA)
Determining Financial Aid Eligibility
Section titled “Determining Financial Aid Eligibility”Ridgewater College uses Cost of Attendance (COA) figures to calculate your financial aid eligibility. Actual costs may differ from the chart below depending on your program, enrollment level, and personal spending choices. If you do not receive financial aid, you can still use the chart below to estimate your costs.
The total amount of financial aid offered to a student, including all scholarships, grants and student loans, cannot exceed the Cost of Attendance at Ridgewater College for that financial aid year. Financial aid offers (loans, work-study, scholarships, and/or grants) may be reduced for students whose total aid exceeds the Cost of Attendance.
Student Aid Index (SAI)
Beginning with the 2024-2025 application, the FAFSA determines, based on information provided on the application the Student Aid Index (SAI). This will be used to determine the amount and type of financial aid you will be eligible for. The SAI is NOT a bill. Previously, the FAFSA calculated the Expected Family Contribution (EFC), but the SAI will be replacing the EFC for the 2024-25 application.
Financial Need
The portion of the cost of attendance after the expected family contribution has been subtracted is considered need: COA – SAI = Need. When determining need, a negative SAI will be treated as 0. There are NEED and non-NEED based types of financial aid. Examples of NEED-based aid are grants, scholarships, work study and Federal Direct Subsidized Loans. Non-NEED based aid is usually other types of student loans, such as the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Student Loan, Parent PLUS loan, and private loans.
Program Requirements and Limits
Each type of student financial aid has certain requirements and limits. A student may or may not receive a specific type of financial aid because their situation did or did not meet that aid type’s requirements or limitations.
The following amounts are Ridgewater’s estimated Cost of Attendance Budget amounts for a full-time student. Actual costs may differ from the chart below depending on your program, enrollment level, and personal spending choices. The COA Budget listed is for a full-time (15 credits) student; if a student is enrolled less than full-time, their COA is adjusted accordingly.
These are budget estimates, not your actual billed costs.
2025-2026 Cost of Attendance for All Students
Section titled “2025-2026 Cost of Attendance for All Students”| Cost of Attendance Category | Fall | Spring | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & Fees | 3168 | 3168 | 6336 |
| Books & Supplies | 618 | 618 | 1236 |
| Housing & Food | 5332 | 5332 | 10664 |
| Transportation | 1364 | 1364 | 2728 |
| Miscellaneous Personal Expense | 1237 | 1237 | 2474 |
| Loan Fees | 42 | 42 | 84 |
| Total | 11761 | 11761 | 23522 |
Note: Housing & Food, Loan Fees, Miscellaneous Personal Expenses are not included in the budget for students enrolled less-than-half-time.
If you have expenses that are not taken into account in the standard budget, you may submit a Cost of Attendance Budget Increase Form. Your Cost of Attendance (Budget) will be reviewed and your financial aid eligibility will be re-evaluated.
Each school must determine how much it costs to attend their institution. Tuition, fees, books and supplies, housing and food, transportation, miscellaneous personal expense, and loan fees make up the institution’s Cost of Attendance.