Cost of Attendance
The Cost of Attendance (COA) is an estimate of what it may cost you to attend Shasta College for one academic year. It includes tuition and fees, books and supplies, food, housing, transportation, and personal expenses. The Financial Aid Office uses the COA to calculate your eligibility for financial aid, and it can also help you plan and manage your personal budget.
Cost of Attendance versus Cost of Living
Tuition, fees and dormitory costs, if applicable, are the direct costs of attending college and are billed to the student by Shasta College. The COA includes categories for these direct costs, and includes an estimate for indirect costs like housing, food, transportation, and miscellaneous/personal expenses.
To view our current tuition and fee amounts, visit our Tuition & Fees page.
Your actual cost of living while attending school could be different than your estimated cost of attendance depending on your indirect costs that may be affected by your living situation, lifestyle, and personal budget. Each student should plan ahead for college by creating a personal budget based on living needs, even if those needs are currently not provided for, and actual expenses. Tools to help you create a budget are available on our Financial Literacy Resources page.
Cost of Attendance (COA), Student Aid Index (SAI), and Unmet Need
The SAI that is calculated when your FAFSA or CADAA is processed represents your or your family’s financial resources for attending college. The SAI is not an “out of pocket” cost, instead it is what the federal or state government thinks you or your family could contribute toward your cost of going to school. Therefore, the amount of potential financial aid you can receive, called “Unmet Need”, is determined by subtracting your SAI from your Cost of Attendance:
- COA – SAI = Unmet Need
The amount of Unmet Need is the total potential amount of financial aid you could be awarded. Financial aid awards, including federal and state grants, institutional aid, loans, and scholarships, have eligibility requirements separate from the COA.
2026-2027 Cost of Attendance: Full Time Enrollment: (12+ units)
Standard Budget 9-month full time student
| Student Budget Expenses | Living with parent | Living On-Campus | Living Off-Campus/Away from parent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & Fees* | $1,206 | $1,206 | $1,206 |
| Books and Supplies | $1,306 | $1,306 | $1,306 |
| Food | $12,538 | $7,884 | $7,884 |
| Housing** | **Included in above | $4,438 | $16,542 |
| Transportation | $2,230 | $2,230 | $2,230 |
| Personal / Miscellaneous | $4,564 | $5,706 | $5,706 |
| Total: California Resident Student | $21,844 | $22,770 | $34,874 |
| Non-Resident Tuition ($322/unit in addition to $46/unit Enrollment Fees) | $7,896 | $7,896 | $7,896 |
| Total: Non-Resident Student | $29,740 | $30,666 | $42,770 |
| Oregon Reciprocity Fees ($73/unit enrollment fee) | $1,854 | $1,854 | $1,854 |
| Total: Oregon Reciprocity Student | $22,492 | $23,418 | $35,522 |
| Student Budget Expenses | Living with parent | Living on-Campus | Living Off-Campus/away from parent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & Fees* | $654 | On-Campus Housing (Dorms) not available to students taking less than 12 units. | $654 |
| Books and Supplies | $653 | $653 | |
| Food | $12,538 | $7,884 | |
| Housing** | **Included in above | $16,542 | |
| Transportation | $1,115 | $1,115 | |
| Personal / Miscellaneous | $4,563 | $5,706 | |
| Budget for a California Resident Student | $19,523 | $32,554 | |
| Non-Resident Tuition ($322/unit in addition to $46/unit Enrollment Fees) | $3,948 | $3,948 | |
| Budget for a Non-Resident Student | $23,471 | $36,502 | |
| Oregon Reciprocity Fees ($73/unit enrollment fee) | $976 | $976 | |
| Budget for an Oregon Reciprocity Student | $19,845 | $32,876 |
| Student Budget Expenses | Living with parent | Living on-Campus | Living Off-Campus/Away From parent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fees* | $1,390 | $1,390 | $1,390 |
| Tuition | $2,352 | $2,352 | $2,352 |
| Books and Supplies | $1,306 | $1,306 | $1,306 |
| Food | $12,538 | $7,884 | $7,884 |
| Housing** | **Included in above | $4,438 | $16,542 |
| Transportation | $2,230 | $2,230 | $2,230 |
| Personal / Miscellaneous | $4,564 | $5,706 | $5,706 |
| Budget for a California Resident Student | $24,380 | $25,306 | $37,410 |
| Non-Resident Tuition ($322/unit in addition to $46/unit Enrollment Fees) | $7,896 | $7,896 | $7,896 |
| Budget for a Non-Resident Student | $32,276 | $33,202 | $45,306 |
| Oregon Reciprocity Fees ($73/unit enrollment fee) | $1,852 | $1,852 | $1,852 |
| Budget for an Oregon Reciprocity Student | $24,842 | $25,768 | $37,872 |
| Student Budget Expenses | Living with parent | Living on-Campus | Living Off-Campus/away from parent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & Fees* | $591 | On-Campus Housing (Dorms) not available during the Summer. | $591 |
| Books and Supplies | $653 | $653 | |
| Food | $2,786 | $1,752 | |
| Housing** | **Included in above | $3,676 | |
| Transportation | $496 | $496 | |
| Personal / Miscellaneous | $1,014 | $1,268 | |
| Budget for a California Resident Student | $5,541 | $8,437 | |
| Non-Resident Tuition ($322/unit in addition to $46/unit Enrollment Fees) | $3,948 | $3,948 | |
| Budget for a Non-Resident Student | $9,489 | $12,385 | |
| Oregon Reciprocity Fees ($73/unit enrollment fee) | $876 | $876 | |
| Budget for an Oregon Reciprocity Student | $6,801 | $9,697 |
*Fees include Enrollment Fee; Campus Center Fee; Health Services Fee; Student Representation. For fee pricing, please see Tuition & Fees.
**Housing cost for Living with Parent is incorporated into Food amount; On-campus housing cost is based on single-occupancy room. See Cost of Housing for more information.
2026-27 Student Parent Cost of Attendance Adjustments
Per the California GAINS for Student Parents Act (Assembly Bill 2458), Shasta College offers Cost of Attendance adjustments for student parents. These adjustments reflect the additional costs student parents incur by meeting dependent child food and childcare expenses.
The childcare allowance was developed based on data and estimates from the California Child Care Resource & Referral Network and is based on the average of center and home childcare costs in Shasta, Tehama, and Trinity Counties. The allowance will be added when a child aged 0-12 years when the student is providing more than 50% of the child’s living expenses.
| COA Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Childcare Cost (Children under age 12 supported more than 50%) | $9,278 |
The dependent food cost allowances were developed based on the USDA Liberal Food Plan and their methodology for calculating food costs for additional dependents. The allowance will be added for children aged 0-18 when the student is providing more than 50% of the child(ren)’s living expenses.
| COA Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| One Child | $2,890 |
| Two Children | $6,362 |
| Three Children | $9,110 |
| Four Children | $11,560 |
| Five Children | $13,728 |
| Six Children | $16,474 |
| Seven or more children | To be calculated |
Once your FAFSA is processed, you will receive an email asking you to complete a form to provide information about the dependent children if you provide more than 50% of their living expenses. This information is used to determine if additional food costs can be added to your Cost of Attendance. You will also be asked if you have any dependent children under the age of 12 to determine whether an amount for childcare can be added to your Cost of Attendance.
Not necessarily. The Cost of Attendance determines how much total aid you could potentially receive. An increase to your Cost of Attendance does not guarantee that you will receive additional aid. Financial aid awards, including federal and state grants, institutional aid, loans, and scholarships, have eligibility requirements separate from the Cost of Attendance.
2026-27 COA Appeals
If you have incurred additional, unexpected costs while attending Shasta College, you can submit a COA Appeal to request that your Cost of Attendance (COA) be increased.
Because the Cost of Attendance determines how much total aid you could potentially receive, an increase to your COA does not guarantee that you will receive additional aid. Financial aid awards, including federal and state grants, institutional aid, loans, and scholarships, have eligibility requirements separate from the COA.
If one of the programs listed above is unable to award you because of your COA and you have incurred unexpected costs that exceed one of the cost categories in your COA, we recommend you submit the COA Appeal at: https://shastacollege.studentforms.com/
If you are not sure you should submit a COA appeal, please contact us at financialaid@shastacollege.edu or call (530) 242-7650.
Please note that to increase your COA, your additional costs must exceed the amount already included in your COA.
2025-2026 Cost of Attendance (Full Time Enrollment: 12+ units)
Standard Budget 9-month full time student
| Student Budget Expenses | Living with parent | Living On-Campus | Living Off-Campus/Away from parent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & Fees* | $1,204 | $1,204 | $1,204 |
| Books and Supplies | $1,090 | $1,090 | $1,090 |
| Food | $11,834 | $7,532 | $7,532 |
| Housing** | **Included in above | $9,100 | $15,220 |
| Transportation | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 |
| Personal / Miscellaneous | $4,140 | $5,067 | $5,067 |
| Total: California Resident Student | $20,468 | $26,193 | $32,313 |
| Non-Resident Tuition ($322/unit in addition to $46/unit Enrollment Fees) | $7,728 | $7,728 | $7,728 |
| Total: Non-Resident Student | $28,196 | $33,921 | $40,041 |
| Oregon Reciprocity Fees ($73/unit enrollment fee) | $1,850 | $1,850 | $1,850 |
| Total: Oregon Reciprocity Student | $21,114 | $26,839 | $32,959 |
| Student Budget Expenses | Living with parent | Living on-Campus | Living Off-Campus/away from parent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & Fees* | $651 | On-Campus Housing (Dorms) not available to students taking less than 12 units. | $651 |
| Books and Supplies | $545 | $545 | |
| Food | $11,834 | $7,532 | |
| Housing** | **Included in above | $15,220 | |
| Transportation | $1,100 | $1,100 | |
| Personal / Miscellaneous | $4,140 | $5,067 | |
| Budget for a California Resident Student | $18,270 | $30,115 | |
| Non-Resident Tuition ($322/unit in addition to $46/unit Enrollment Fees) | $3,864 | $3,864 | |
| Budget for a Non-Resident Student | $22,134 | $33,979 | |
| Oregon Reciprocity Fees ($73/unit enrollment fee) | $973 | $973 | |
| Budget for an Oregon Reciprocity Student | $18,592 | $30,437 |
| Student Budget Expenses | Living with parent | Living on-Campus | Living Off-Campus/Away From parent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fees* | $1,204 | $1,204 | $1,204 |
| Tuition | $2,016 | $2,016 | $2,016 |
| Books and Supplies | $1,090 | $1,090 | $1,090 |
| Food | $11,834 | $7,532 | $7,532 |
| Housing** | **Included in above | $9,100 | $15,220 |
| Transportation | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 |
| Personal / Miscellaneous | $4,140 | $5,067 | $5,067 |
| Budget for a California Resident Student | $22,484 | $28,209 | $34,329 |
| Non-Resident Tuition ($322/unit in addition to $46/unit Enrollment Fees) | $7,728 | $7,728 | $7,728 |
| Budget for a Non-Resident Student | $30,212 | $35,937 | $42,057 |
| Oregon Reciprocity Fees ($73/unit enrollment fee) | $1,850 | $1,850 | $1,850 |
| Budget for an Oregon Reciprocity Student | $23,130 | $28,855 | $34,975 |
| Student Budget Expenses | Living with parent | Living on-Campus | Living Off-Campus/away from parent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & Fees* | $591 | On-Campus Housing (Dorms) not available during the Summer. | $591 |
| Books and Supplies | $545 | $545 | |
| Food | $2,959 | $1,884 | |
| Housing** | **Included in above | $3,805 | |
| Transportation | $550 | $550 | |
| Personal / Miscellaneous | $1,035 | $1,267 | |
| Budget for a California Resident Student | $5,680 | $8,642 | |
| Non-Resident Tuition ($322/unit in addition to $46/unit Enrollment Fees) | $3,864 | $3,864 | |
| Budget for a Non-Resident Student | $9,544 | $12,506 | |
| Oregon Reciprocity Fees ($73/unit enrollment fee) | $876 | $876 | |
| Budget for an Oregon Reciprocity Student | $6,939 | $9,901 |
*Fees include Enrollment Fee; Campus Center Fee; Health Services Fee; Student Representation. For fee pricing, please see Tuition & Fees.
**Housing cost for Living with Parent is incorporated into Food amount; On-campus housing cost is based on single-occupancy room. See Cost of Housing for more information.
Net Price Calculator
The Net Price Calculator is a tool that provides a general estimate of your out-of-pocket costs might be after financial aid. It uses data from a previous year to subtract estimated financial aid from your total cost of attendance.
To access the Net Price Calculator, visit the Shasta College Net Price Calculator website.
What is Student Aid Index (SAI)?
The Student Aid Index (SAI) is a number used by financial aid offices to determine your eligibility for federal student aid. It is calculated using a formula established by the Department of Education.
- The SAI is based on the information you provide on your FAFSA.
- The calculation includes details of your tax return and the net worth of your assets.
- The SAI is not a dollar amount of aid eligibility or what your family is expected to provide.
To learn more, visit the SAI formula guide and How SAI is Calculated.
What is Financial Need?
Financial Need is the difference between your Cost of Attendance and your Student Aid Index.
Cost of Attendance (COA) - Student Aid Index (SAI) = Financial Need
Most financial aid is awarded based on your financial need. However:
- Your financial aid awards cannot exceed your calculated financial need.
- The amount calculated is the maximum you could receive, not a guarantee of what you will be awarded.