Cost of Attendance

• An allowance for the cost of housing (whether on- or off-campus or at home with family) and food
• Estimates are created by surveying students and local housing resources to determine an average of what students are spending
• Your exact housing (room) amount may vary depending on WHERE you choose to live
  • University Housing
    • Billed with tuition & fees by the Bursar’s Office.  You, the student, will be charged based on your selected room type.
  • Off-campus
    • Options can vary drastically so research all of your available options to find what’s affordable for you.  The Campus Area Housing website is a great starting point.
    • Make sure to understand your lease, security deposit and monthly rent, as most off-campus housing options will not formally bill you.
  • Commuter
    • Students living at home with a parent or other family do not have the same expenses for housing and meals and therefore will have a lower estimated amount.
• Your meal costs may also vary depending on your own spending (and eating) habits.

• An allowance for the costs of your course-related materials
• This is NOT a billable cost – UW-Madison does not have a book purchasing/renting program though some courses use eTextbooks with an associated fee.  Course-specific books are typically on hold at the library for use, otherwise you are responsible for purchasing your course material and supplies and can do so from any vendor.

This is NOT a billable cost.  However, these are general expenses that you will likely incur maintaining a healthy lifestyle and will vary depending on your specific spending habits.

Undergraduates

An allowance for clothing and upkeep, health care (not including insurance), personal/recreation, and a cell phone.

Graduate/Professionals

All of the above, plus an allowance for health insurance, separate from your general health care costs.

This is NOT a billable cost.  However, these are general expenses that you will likely incur traveling to and from campus.

Living On- and Off-Campus

An allowance for a UW student bus pass and travel home a few times each semester.

Living at Home

An allowance for the cost of traveling to and from campus, operating and maintaining a vehicle, and parking.

• An allowance for the cost of any Federal Direct loan fee, origination fee, or insurance premium charged to the student or a parent borrower.
• These costs are estimated as average costs incurred by loan borrowers at UW-Madison.
• These estimates do not include the costs associated with non-Federal loans.

Some additional expenses can be accounted for with documentation, but are not necessarily included automatically:

• Childcare costs for a dependent child of a student
  • Budgeting for Child Care information can be found on the Office of Child Care and Family Resources website.
• Approved study abroad programs
• Disability-related expenses

Our team can account for these costs when you submit a Budget Adjustment eForm through your Student Center.

If you believe your cost of attendance does not accurately reflect your own specific charges and expenses, it is possible for our team to review and possibly adjust the amounts in each category.

To have your additional costs considered:

• Submit the Budget Adjustment eForm in your MyUW Student Center.
• Once in your Student Center, select the Student eForms tile and then click on the Financial Aid folder. You’ll see the Budget Adjustment eForm listed.

Documentation is required for each expense category.

Our team will be in contact within 2 – 3 weeks with the results of your request.