Cost of Attendance

COA is a limit to how much federal, state, or institutional financial aid a student may receive. If you are only receiving privately funded awards, you are not limited by COA unless specifically restricted by the awarding agency. COA is also used to determine your financial need based on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

The LCC Financial Aid Office determines COA by reviewing collected data for annual living expenses in San Miguel County, NM. This information is averaged over the number of months in each term.

NOTE: Your financial aid package may be affected if you drop courses prior to the Census Date.

Financial Need is calculated by the COA minus the Student Aid Index (SAI), which is a result of the FAFSA. Financial Need can also be affected by Other Financial Assistance (OFA) including scholarships, grants, or other need-based aid you are receiving. Your Unmet Need is calculated by Financial Need minus OFA.

Why are Financial Need and Unmet Need important?

Some financial aid awards are considered need-based, which means you must have Financial Need to qualify. Some of these awards include Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG), SSIG, FWS, and Subsidized Loans.

Federal and state regulations mandate that each student has a Cost of Attendance that accounts for averaged, estimated expenses that any degree-seeking student at the institution may incur as a result of pursuing their education at that institution. These regulations also mandate that a student’s total financial aid package must be limited to the student’s COA. This means that, as you begin to accrue additional financial assistance, you may lose eligibility for existing or new awards to prevent an over-award on your file. This also means that your financial need could be reduced, which could also affect your financial aid.

The Financial Aid Office makes every effort to monitor and adjust your financial aid package to avoid an instance of over-award; however, outside scholarships, third-party payments, and any other financial assistance you may receive cannot be accounted for until funds have been received. This means that if additional funds are received by LCC after the disbursement date for the semester, an adjustment could cause a balance due on your account. The reason you may incur an outstanding balance could be related to an over-awarded refund you may have received. If this rare circumstance should affect you, the Financial Aid Office will contact you directly to notify you of the impact.

Dependent Student

Tuition $1,224

Fees $266

Books & Supplies $464

Housing & Food $9,317

Transportation $6,381

Personal Expenses $5,862

Total Academic Year Cost of Attendance $23,514

Independent Student

Tuition $1,224

Fees $266

Books & Supplies $464

Housing & Food $15,024

Transportation $8,443

Personal Expenses $11,940

Total Academic Year Cost of Attendance $37,361

*Estimated for Full-Time Enrollment

Dependent Student

Tuition $1,656

Fees $266

Books & Supplies $464

Housing & Food $9,317

Transportation $6,381

Personal Expenses $5,862

Total Academic Year Cost of Attendance $23,946

Independent Student

Tuition $1,656

Fees $266

Books & Supplies $464

Housing & Food $15,024

Transportation $8,443

Personal Expenses $11,940

Total Academic Year Cost of Attendance $37,793

*Estimated for Full-Time Enrollment

Dependent Student

Tuition $3,168

Fees $266

Books & Supplies $464

Housing & Food $9,317

Transportation $6,381

Personal Expenses $5,862

Total Academic Year Cost of Attendance $25,458

Independent Student

Tuition $3,168

Fees $266

Books & Supplies $464

Housing & Food $15,024

Transportation $8,443

Personal Expenses $11,940

Total Academic Year Cost of Attendance $39,305

*Estimated for Full-Time Enrollment