The estimated cost of attendance (COA) is an estimate of the costs a typical student may incur over the fall and winter semesters combined. This figure is used in determining your financial aid eligibility and includes both direct and indirect costs.

Direct costs are the expenses that students are billed directly by the university.  These include tuition, fees, housing and meals(if living on campus).

Indirect costs refer to those expenses that students incur by attending college, but are not billed directly to their account.  Indirect costs include reasonable rent, food, transportation, books, supplies, and other miscellaneous personal expenses that can vary considerably from student to student

Undergraduate On-campus Michigan Residents    
 NMU housing- without DependentsNMU housing- with Dependents 
 Lower-DivisionUpper-DivisionLower-DivisionUpper-Division 
 (1-55 credit hours)(56+ credit hours)(1-55 credit hours)(56+ credit hours) 
Tuition & Fees  (12-16 cr hrs)                 $15,144                 $15,860                 $15,144                $15,860 
Living Expense - Food & Housing                   14,216                   14,216                   15,918                      15,918 
Books, Course Mat'ls, Supplies & Equip                        530                       530                        530                        530 
Transportation                        528                      528                        528                         528 
Other Educational costs                     2,086                     2,086                      2,086                        2,086 
TOTAL                 $32,618                $33,334                 $34,320                   $35,036 
      
Undergraduate On-campus Non-Michigan Residents     
 NMU housing- without DependentsNMU housing- with Dependents 
 Lower-DivisionUpper-DivisionLower-DivisionUpper-Division 
 (1-55 credit hours)(56+ credit hours)(1-55 credit hours)(56+ credit hours) 
Tuition & Fees  (12-16 cr hrs)                 $20,744                 $21,460                 $20,744                  $21,460 
Living Expense - Food & Housing                  14,216                  14,216                   15,918                      15,918 
Books, Course Mat'ls, Supplies & Equip                        530                       530                        530                           530 
Transportation                        528                        528                        528                           528 
Other Educational costs                     2,086                     2,086                      2,086                        2,086 
TOTAL                 $38,218                 $38,934                   $39,920                   $40,636 
      
Undergraduate Michigan Residents - Living with Parent   
 Lower-DivisionUpper-Division   
 (1-55 credit hours)(56+ credit hours)   
Tuition & Fees  (12-16 cr hrs)                 $15,144                $15,860   
Living Expense - Food & Housing                     6,316                    6,316   
Books, Course Mat'ls, Supplies & Equip                        530                       530   
Transportation                       3,006                     3,006   
Other Educational costs                     2,086                     2,086   
TOTAL                 $27,196                $27,912   
      
Undergraduate Off-Campus (own/rent)    
 Michigan ResidentsNon-Michigan Residents  
 Lower-DivisionUpper-DivisionLower-DivisionUpper-Division 
 (1-55 credit hours)(56+ credit hours)(1-55 credit hours)(56+ credit hours) 
Tuition & Fees  (12-16 cr hrs)                $15,144                $15,860                 $20,744                    $21,460 
Living Expense - Food & Housing                  12,632                  12,632                   12,632                      12,632 
Books, Course Mat'ls, Supplies & Equip                         530                       530                        530                           530 
Transportation                         696                        696                        696                           696 
Other Educational costs                      2,086                    2,086                     2,086                        2,086 
TOTAL                  $31,202                $31,918                  $36,802                   $37,518 
      
Graduate Students     
 Michigan ResidentsNon-Michigan Residents
Tuition & Fees  (6 cr hrs)                   $9,240                 $11,908  
Living Expense - Food & Housing                   14,142                    14,142  
Books, Course Mat'ls, Supplies & Equip                       560                         560  
Transportation                       444                         444  
Other Educational costs                     2,086                      2,086  
TOTAL                 $26,586                  $29,254  
  • Actual room and board, tuition rates and the date they are set will vary. They are posted as early as possible on www.nmu.edu/tuition.
  • Living Expense (food and housing) calculations for on-campus students without dependents: Food will be calculated using the Gold Constant meal plan, while Housing will be based on the greater value of the average or median room rates for Quad II and Woods double occupancy room
  • Living Expense (food and housing) calculations for on-campus students with dependents: Food will be calculated using the Gold Constant meal plan, while Housing will be based on the greater value of the average or median room rates for the 2 bedrooms, furnished apartments in Lincoln Avenue Townhouses and Norwood/Center Apartments.
  • Off-campus Housing will be based on periodic surveys of rent/mortgage payments.  Food will be calculated based on the on-campus Gold Constant meal plan, meals only.

If you have any additional education related costs that you would like the Financial Aid Office to review, you can submit an Increase to Cost of Attendance Form with related documentation. Not all adjustments result in an increase in financial aid eligibility.

Some examples of adjustments and supporting documentation requirements to justify increases:

  • Study Abroad - Student will work with the International Office to develop a budget that the student submits to the Financial Aid Office.
  • Book Costs in Excess of Budget - Student needs to provide book purchase receipts and syllabus to match up.
  • Daycare/dependent care Expenses - Submit a letter from licensed daycare provider reflecting the costs for the semester (dollar amount per hour multiplied by number of hours per week multiplied by number of weeks per semester), signed and dated by the provider along with license number. The provider needs to submit a copy of the license.
  • Disability-related expenses will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
  • Other equipment, such as tools - Submit a letter/memo from the department indicating that the student in question is required to purchase the items as part of class requirements. The letter needs to indicate the standard cost of items.
  • Commuter Living on Campus - Will originally be awarded as a commuter, but upon request will be recalculated as living in campus housing.
  • Tuition Changes that Exceed the Above Budgeted Rates - Examples include undergraduate students exceeding 16 credit hours or graduate students exceeding 6 credit hours. Also, adjustments will be considered for students with MBA tuition charges exceeding the budgeted amounts.
  • Additional NMU Fees - Different academic programs or courses have additional fees, such as lab fees for specific courses, distance education fees, NMU required testing fees, or I-Book fee for Art and Design majors.
Undergraduate On-campus Michigan Residents    
 NMU housing- without DependentsNMU housing- with Dependents 
 Lower-DivisionUpper-DivisionLower-DivisionUpper-Division 
 (1-55 credit hours)(56+ credit hours)(1-55 credit hours)(56+ credit hours) 
Tuition & Fees  (12-16 cr hrs)                 $14,702                 $15,398                 $14,701                   $15,398 
Living Expense - Food & Housing                   13,810                   13,810                   15,454                      15,454 
Books, Course Mat'ls, Supplies & Equip                        530                       530                        530                        530 
Transportation                        528                      528                        528                         528 
Other Educational costs                     2,086                     2,086                      2,086                        2,086 
TOTAL                 $31,770                $32,466                 $33,414                   $34,110 
      
Undergraduate On-campus Non-Michigan Residents     
 NMU housing- without DependentsNMU housing- with Dependents 
 Lower-DivisionUpper-DivisionLower-DivisionUpper-Division 
 (1-55 credit hours)(56+ credit hours)(1-55 credit hours)(56+ credit hours) 
Tuition & Fees  (12-16 cr hrs)                 $20,198                 $21,146                 $20,198                  $21,146 
Living Expense - Food & Housing                  13,810                  13,810                   15,454                      15,454 
Books, Course Mat'ls, Supplies & Equip                        530                       530                        530                           530 
Transportation                        528                        528                        528                           528 
Other Educational costs                     2,086                     2,086                      2,086                        2,086 
TOTAL                 $37,266                 $38,214                   $39,910                   $39,858 
      
Undergraduate Michigan Residents - Living with Parent   
 Lower-DivisionUpper-Division   
 (1-55 credit hours)(56+ credit hours)   
Tuition & Fees  (12-16 cr hrs)                 $14,702                $15,398   
Living Expense - Food & Housing                     6,132                    6,132   
Books, Course Mat'ls, Supplies & Equip                        530                       530   
Transportation                       3,006                     3,006   
Other Educational costs                     2,086                     2,086   
TOTAL                 $26,570                $27,266   
      
Undergraduate Off-Campus (own/rent)    
 Michigan ResidentsNon-Michigan Residents  
 Lower-DivisionUpper-DivisionLower-DivisionUpper-Division 
 (1-55 credit hours)(56+ credit hours)(1-55 credit hours)(56+ credit hours) 
Tuition & Fees  (12-16 cr hrs)                $14,702                $15,398                 $20,198                    $21,146 
Living Expense - Food & Housing                  12,264                  12,264                   12,264                      12,264 
Books, Course Mat'ls, Supplies & Equip                         530                       530                        530                           530 
Transportation                         696                        696                        696                           696 
Other Educational costs                      2,086                    2,086                     2,086                        2,086 
TOTAL                  $30,392                $31,088                  $35,888                   $36,836 
      
Graduate Students     
 Michigan ResidentsNon-Michigan Residents
Tuition & Fees  (6 cr hrs)                   $8,970                 $11,562  
Living Expense - Food & Housing                   13,560                    13,560  
Books, Course Mat'ls, Supplies & Equip                       560                         560  
Transportation                       444                         444  
Other Educational costs                     2,086                      2,086  
TOTAL                 $25,734                  $28,326  
  • Actual room and board, tuition rates and the date they are set will vary. They are posted as early as possible on www.nmu.edu/tuition.
  • Living Expense (food and housing) calculations for on-campus students without dependents: Food will be calculated using the Gold Constant meal plan, while Housing will be based on the greater value of the average or median room rates for Quad II and Woods double occupancy room
  • Living Expense (food and housing) calculations for on-campus students with dependents: Food will be calculated using the Gold Constant meal plan, while Housing will be based on the greater value of the average or median room rates for the 2 bedrooms, furnished apartments in Lincoln Avenue Townhouses and Norwood/Center Apartments.
  • Off-campus Housing will be based on periodic surveys of rent/mortgage payments.  Food will be calculated based on the on-campus Gold Constant meal plan, meals only.

If you have any additional education related costs that you would like the Financial Aid Office to review, you can submit an Increase to Cost of Attendance Form with related documentation. Not all adjustments result in an increase in financial aid eligibility.

Some examples of adjustments and supporting documentation requirements to justify increases:

  • Study Abroad - Student will work with the International Office to develop a budget that the student submits to the Financial Aid Office.
  • Book Costs in Excess of Budget - Student needs to provide book purchase receipts and syllabus to match up.
  • Daycare/dependent care Expenses - Submit a letter from licensed daycare provider reflecting the costs for the semester (dollar amount per hour multiplied by number of hours per week multiplied by number of weeks per semester), signed and dated by the provider along with license number. The provider needs to submit a copy of the license.
  • Disability-related expenses will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
  • Other equipment, such as tools - Submit a letter/memo from the department indicating that the student in question is required to purchase the items as part of class requirements. The letter needs to indicate the standard cost of items.
  • Commuter Living on Campus - Will originally be awarded as a commuter, but upon request will be recalculated as living in campus housing.
  • Tuition Changes that Exceed the Above Budgeted Rates - Examples include undergraduate students exceeding 16 credit hours or graduate students exceeding 6 credit hours. Also, adjustments will be considered for students with MBA tuition charges exceeding the budgeted amounts.
  • Additional NMU Fees - Different academic programs or courses have additional fees, such as lab fees for specific courses, distance education fees, NMU required testing fees, or I-Book fee for Art and Design majors.