Knowing the cost of attendance is vital for managing your finances in college. Let’s break it down, learn how it's applied, and find out how UT Martin calculates it.

The following estimated costs of attendance are for typical undergraduate students and graduate students, respectively.

Admitted students may review their personal estimated cost of attendance in the Financial Aid section of Banner Self-Service.

Estimated Cost of Attendance for Full-Time Undergrad Student Living on Campus (Fall 2024-Spring 2025 combined)

Direct CostsIn-StateOut-of-State
Tuition and Fees (Fees include program & services, technology, and facilities. An additional fee is added to students who are not Tennessee residents.)$10,560 $16,420
Housing$5,180 $5,180
Food$4,015 $4,015
Indirect Costs  
Books, Course Materials, Supplies, & Equipment$1,500 $1,500
Transportation$3,200 $1,600
Miscellaneous Personal Expenses$3,600 $3,600
Total Estimated Cost of Attendance $25,775 $31,988

Estimated Cost of Attendance for Full-Time Grad Student Living off Campus (Fall 2024-Spring 2025 combined)

Direct CostsIn-StateOut-of-State
Tuition and Fees (Fees include Program & Services, Technology and Facilities; and an additional fee of $6,040 for students who are not Tennessee residents.)$11,396 $17,436
Housing$6,300 $6,300
Food$3,811 $3,996
Indirect Costs  
Books, Course Materials, Supplies, & Equipment$1,500 $1,500
Transportation$3,216 $3,000
Miscellaneous Personal Expenses$3,600 $3,600
Total Estimated Cost of Attendance $29,823 $35,863

What is the "cost of attendance" all about?

The cost of attendance (COA), also known as the "student budget," is like an educated guess of what it typically costs a student to go to college for a year, which includes both the Fall and Spring terms. The University administration reviews and approves this estimate.

When you see the COA in your financial aid information from UT Martin, don't get worried. It's not just about tuition; it also considers your basic living expenses.

Why is this important?

Every student who requests financial aid is given a cost of attendance budget, which has two main functions:

  1. It provides an estimate of how much it may cost you to attend UT Martin for one year.
  2. It establishes a cap on the financial aid you can receive in an academic year, as mandated by federal regulations. Your total aid, including scholarships, grants, loans, and work-study, cannot go beyond your overall cost of attendance.

What's included in my COA?

Your cost of attendance consists of two types of costs: direct and indirect.

Let's look at each line item in more detail

Where do these figures come from?

Direct costs are determined by the UT Martin. For indirect costs, we use market research and the recommended guidelines published by the College Board. Most figures change slightly every year.

These are the fundamental expenses that our students typically have. Other items that can be considered part of your cost of attendance are:

 If you have one of these expenses that should be included in your budget, please go to www.utm.edu/faforms to complete a Budget Adjustment Form.

Overawards

An overaward in financial aid happens when a student receives more financial aid than the cost of attendance allows. It usually occurs when a student gets aid from multiple sources that, when combined, exceeds the allowable limit. Overawards can result in aid adjustments to meet regulations and institutional policies. In some cases, actual amounts charged are more than what is in their budget.

In some cases, when it is found that a student is overawarded, the budget assigned does not reflect the actual costs. In such cases, the financial aid administrator will review the actual costs and adjust the students budget accordingly. If there are no additional costs shown on the student account screen, the student may be notified and if warranted the student may complete a budget adjustment form, located on the financial aid webpage, to request an increase in their budget. Documentation is required with the budget adjustment form.

One final note

When comparing financial aid offers from other schools, it's important to focus on your unmet cost (or "bottom line"), not just the sticker price or the amount of financial aid you were offered.