The Cost of Attendance (COA) is a standardized budget for the academic year, established and applied to all applicants based on the student’s residency status and housing plans as submitted on the FAFSA or the CADAA. These projections are provided to assist students in planning and budgeting and the Financial Aid Office in determining a student's Financial Need.

The Cost of Attendance is an estimate. Each student's actual costs will vary. It is also important to note that some of these costs are paid directly to the college (tuition and fees; housing - but only if you are living in the dorms), while most of them are "indirect" costs that are paid to another entity (e.g., landlord, grocery store, utility companies, gas station, drugstore, etc.). The majority of these costs are already being paying for by you (or your family), prior to you attending college. 

2023-2024 Estimated Cost of Attendance

Standard 9-Month Program Cost of Attendance = Full-Time Student Fall/Spring (12 units/term)

Student Budget Expenses Living at Home Living On-Campus Living Off-Campus
Tuition & Fees* $1,194 $1,194 $1,194
Books and Supplies $1,152 $1,152 $1,152
Food $6,471 $10,125 $10,125
Housing** $0 $9,010 $12,960
Transportation $2,000 $2,000 $2,000
Personal / Miscellaneous $3,609 $4,429 $4,429
Total for a California Resident Student $14,426 $27,910 $31,860
Non-Resident Tuition ($295/unit in addition to $46/unit Enrollment Fees) $7,080 $7,080 $7,080
Total for a Non-Resident Student $21,506 $34,990 $38,990
Oregon Reciprocity Fees ($73/unit instead of $46/unit enrollment fee) Includes Health and Campus Fee in Total $1,839 $1,839 $1,839
Total for an Oregon Reciprocity Student $15,071 $28,555 $32,505

*Fees = Enrollment Fee; Campus Center Fee; Health Services Fee; Student Representation. For fee pricing, please see Tuition & Fees.

**Housing cost for Living at Home is incorporated into Food amount; On-campus housing cost is based on single-occupancy room. See Cost of Housing for more information.

What about half-time enrollment, less than half-time or special programs?

To view costs for half-time enrollment status and special programs (BS-HIM and LVN), please visit the Cost of Attendance Summaries webpage.

Budgeting For Your Shasta College Education

The Shasta College Financial Aid Office creates a cost of attendance in accordance with the California Community College Chancellor’s Office guidance. Please keep in mind the Cost of Attendace (COA) is an estimate and each student’s financial situation will be different.

We highly recommend students to plan ahead and determine their true budget for the academic year prior to enrolling. Helpful resources on budgeting can be found on Financial Literacy Resources.

Tuition & Fees

Payment is due by midnight of the day you register for courses or you ​may be dropped from your classes. Learn more about the cost of tuition and fees.

Payment Plan

For an alternative to paying the tuition balance in full at the time of registration, Shasta College offers payment plans through Nelnet.

Using the Net Price Calculator​

The estimate provided using the Net Price Calculator does not represent a final determination, or actual award, of financial assistance, or a final net price; it is an estimate based on price of attendance and financial aid provided to students in a previous year. Price of attendance and financial aid availability change year to year​.

To access the Net Price Calculator, visit the Shasta College Net Price Calculator website.

Please continue reading below to familiarize yourself with financial aid terms you may need to use while utilizing the Net Price Calculator.

What is the Cost of Attendance (COA) at Shasta College?​

The COA is a standardize budget established and applied to all applicants based on the students residency status and information submitted on the FAFSA. We use the standard COA when awarding Financial Aid to students. This also means that we cannot over-award a students COA. These projections are provided to assist students in planning and budgeting in order to attend Shasta College financially prepared. We highly recommend that all students evaluate their true income and expenses, as the amounts listed below may not fit every students financial situation. 

For budgeting resources, please visit the Financial Literacy webpage. 

What is Expected Family Contribution (EFC)?​

The EFC is a measure of your family’s financial strength and is calculated according to a formula established by the Department of Education.

  • The information you submit on your FAFSA is used to determine your EFC. 
  • The information included in the calculation is the following: your dependency status, family size, number of family members attending college, taxed income, untaxed income and assets. 
  • Colleges are required use the EFC to determine your federal student aid eligibility and financial aid award. 
  • Your EFC is NOT the amount of money your family will have to pay for college.   

For more information about the EFC, see the The EFC formula guide from the Federal Student Aid website.

What is Financial Need?

Cost of Attendance (COA) - Expected Family Contribution (EFC) = Financial Need

Financial need is calculated by subtracting the EFC from the COA. The resulting number is called financial need. Most financial aid awards are based on financial need. 

Your financial aid awards cannot exceed your financial need in an academic year. While financial need is the maximum amount of funding that can be received, it is not necessarily the amount of funding you will receive.