Cost of Attendance

Full-Time Enrollment: One Semester

Budget Item In-State
Students Living
with Parents
In-State
Not Living with
Parents
Out-of-State
Students Living
with Parents
Out-of-State
Not Living with
Parents
Tuition and Fees
(12 Credits)
$1,978 $1,978 $4,379 $4,379
Books and
Supplies
$1,300 $1,300 $1,300 $1,300
Food and
Housing
$4,530 $5,530 $4,530 $5,530
Personal $1,215 $1,215 $1,215 $1,215
Transportation $935 $935 $1,035 $1,035
Direct Loan Fee * $33 $33 $33 $33
Total $9,991 $10,991 $12,492 $13,492
* Only applies to students who borrow federal student loans.

When you apply for federal student aid, the information you report is used in a formula established by the U.S. Congress that calculates your Student Aid Index (SAI), an amount you and your family can pay each year towards your education. If your SAI is below a certain amount, you may be eligible for a Federal Pell Grant, assuming you meet all other eligibility requirements. The Financial Aid Office calculates your cost of attendance (i.e., your annual student budget) and subtracts the amount you and your family can pay (based on your SAI#) toward that cost. If there is anything left over, you are considered to have financial need.

Cost of Attendance calculation

Cost of Attendance

- (minus) Student Aid Index (SAI)

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= Financial Need

In addition to the required tuition and fees, the cost of attendance for financial aid purposes includes an estimated allowance for transportation, miscellaneous and personal expenses, living expenses (i.e., housing and food), and books and supplies (outlined above for one semester). Please note that these allowance components are used only for financial aid purposes. Your direct cost to attend Virginia Peninsula Community College is the cost of tuition and fees. For example, in 2023-24, a Virginia Peninsula Community College student living at home with parents and is a Virginia resident will have the following full-time (12 credits) ONE-YEAR budget - the cost of attendance for financial aid purposes:

$3,956 tuition and fees (direct cost)
$2,600 books and supplies allowance (estimated indirect cost)
$1,870 transportation allowance (estimated indirect cost)
$2,430 miscellaneous and personal allowance (estimated indirect cost)
$9,060 living expenses = housing and food allowance (estimated indirect cost)
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$19,916 total annual student budget (aka - cost of attendance)