The cost of attendance is a standard budget which is established by the university to adequately cover tuition and fees, modest living expenses, book and other costs* for each academic year (August to May in most cases). A student may receive aid, from any source, up to the amount of the cost of attendance. Per federal regulations, a student’s actual costs may be less than the estimated cost of attendance based upon individual personal expenses and spending habits.** A student’s financial need is determined by subtracting calculated resources from the amount of the cost of attendance. The amount of calculated resources is derived from the information the student provides on the FAFSA application. * See Cost of Attendance details defined below.
The cost of attendance for students living with a parent or relative are slightly lower and students may contact the Law School Financial Aid Office for information on the commuter budget.
| 2024-2025 Academic Year | Pennsylvania Resident | Non-Resident |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | 31,334 | 47,568 |
| Fees | 1,086 | 1,086 |
| Housing | 13,230 | 13,230 |
| Food/Meals | 5,166 | 5,166 |
| Books, Course Materials, Supplies & Equipment | 2,000 | 2,000 |
| Transportation | 1,836 | 1,836 |
| Other Costs | 4,830 | 4,830 |
| Total * | $59,482 | $75,716 |
* Loan fees will automatically be added to the cost of attendance for disbursed loans
| 2024-2025 Academic Year | Pennsylvania Resident | Non-Resident |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | 25,072 | 38,068 |
| Fees | 1,086 | 1,086 |
| Housing | 13,230 | 13,230 |
| Food/Meals | 5,166 | 5,166 |
| Books, Course Materials, Supplies & Equipment | 1,700 | 1,700 |
| Transportation | 1,836 | 1,836 |
| Other Costs | 4,830 | 4,830 |
| Total * | $52,920 | $65,916 |
* Loan fees will automatically be added to the cost of attendance for disbursed loans
Adjustments to the Cost of Attendance
The combination of a student’s aid from all sources (scholarship, loan, work study, etc.) may not exceed their cost of attendance. Students must limit their borrowing to the amount of the standard Cost of Attendance, or when possible, even less. However, in some cases, a student may incur allowable education expenses that are either greater than the amounts included in the standard budget, or may not be included at all. Students with extraordinary documented expenses may request an increase to their cost of attendance to allow for such expenses. However, individualized cost of attendance increases are subject to strict federal regulations.
The Financial Aid Office may limit the amount of a student’s increase for any reason, and must decline an increase if it is determined that the cost was not incurred during the current period of enrollment or if it is not an allowable education-related expense, allowed under federal financial aid regulations.
Some allowable costs:
- Unreimbursed medical expenses, including prescriptions
- Health insurance premium payments (must be paid by the student)
- Student loan origination fee(s) during the academic year of the request
- Licensed day care (does not include private school tuition)
- Unreimbursed airfare or other round-trip travel costs, if needed to travel to an out-of-town internship, or to attend approved classes at an out-of-town institution if not already included in program’s cost of attendance
- Computer purchase – one time only (not to exceed $2000 with a receipt or $1300 without a receipt)
- Other allowable costs that are determined by the Financial Aid Office to be directly related to a student’s education – may be subject to a one-time only limit
Some unallowable costs:
- Auto purchase or payments, car maintenance, gas
- Credit card or other consumer debt payments
- Moving expenses and security deposits
- Costs incurred outside of the current academic year, including costs incurred before matriculation that do not directly relate to the current academic year or after the final day of exams for the student’s final term
- Costs incurred by a family member or other person, including a spouse or roommate’s portion of rent, mortgage, or day care
- Housing cost in excess of $1800 per month
- Child support and other child care expenses (other than day care)
- Legal fees, bail, traffic tickets, parking tickets, or fines
- Veterinary costs, unless for a service animal
- Luxury items such as premium cable channels, food costs in excess of the standard allowance, or other similar costs unless required for a specific education-related reasons
Students must submit a Budget Increase Form to request an increase to their cost of attendance. All requests must include an itemized list of the expenses along with supporting documentation of the expenses (receipts, bills, etc.). The expenses will be calculated for the period the student is enrolled in school, not for the calendar year. Approved cost of attendance increases allow for additional loan eligibility up to the amount of the increase. Because for most students the standard cost of attendance figures are high enough to include the full $20,500 from the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan, the increased loan eligibility will usually be in the form of a Federal Direct Graduate PLUS loan or a private student loan and may require an additional credit check. A student will be required to obtain an additional endorser addendum or cosigner application if the student needs an endorser/cosigner to qualify for a Graduate PLUS or a private student loan.
Because most budget increases must be done after an expense is incurred, students may wish to determine in advance whether a cost would be approved prior to incurring that cost. In such cases, students should email our office to request a pre-approval.
- Financial Aid Office staff will review the request and inform the student of the amount that would be approved.
- After a pre-approval, a student must still submit proof that the pre-approved payment was made during the current award period in order to receive a budget adjustment and additional student aid.
Students should not rely on their requested funds until those funds are approved and disbursed by the school. Any expenditures or financial decisions made prior to disbursement are the student’s responsibility.
Thrifty Budget **
We encourage all students to consider the Thrifty Budget when planning their costs for the academic year. While tuition and fees are a fixed cost, some students may be able to decrease expenses based on living with roommates, buying used textbooks, and keeping other purchases to a minimum. The Thrifty Budget figures provided below are designed with those goals in mind.
| Pennsylvania Resident | Non-Resident | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | 31,334 | 47,568 |
| Fees | 1,086 | 1,086 |
| Housing | 8,100 | 8,100 |
| Food | 3,600 | 3,600 |
| Books, Materials & Equipment | 1,800 | 1,800 |
| Transportation | 1,836 | 1,836 |
| Other Costs | 3,600 | 3,600 |
| Total * | $49,556 | $65,790 |
* Loan fees will automatically be added to the cost of attendance for disbursed loans
| Pennsylvania Resident | Non-Resident | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | 25,072 | 38,068 |
| Fees | 1,086 | 1,086 |
| Housing | 8,100 | 8,100 |
| Food | 3,600 | 3,600 |
| Books, Materials & Equipment | 1,500 | 1,500 |
| Transportation | 1,836 | 1,836 |
| Other Costs | 3,600 | 3,600 |
| Total * | $44,794 | $57,790 |
* Loan fees will automatically be added to the cost of attendance for disbursed loans
Cost of Attendance Details *
Tuition: This is the estimated cost of tuition.
Fees: The University Services Fee – a comprehensive fee that helps support academic and student activities, recreational facilities, student health, and other services (amount varies based on class level and enrollment status); the Student Bar Association (SBA) Fee – a student activity fee that covers law school and student organizations SBA programming (is charged only in the fall semester).
Housing: The average cost of an off-campus single occupancy residence and average costs for utilities for the 9 month academic year.
Food: The standard cost for food that covers 3 meals per day for the 9-month academic year.
Books, Supplies, Course Materials & Equipment: The standard cost of books, course materials, supplies and equipment (does not include computer purchase) for the 9-month academic year. for the 9-month academic year.
Transportation: This is an estimate of the cost of using public transportation to travel to and from campus and school-related activities for the 9 month academic year.
Other Costs: The standard amount students spend on general personal items, entertainment, clothes, laundry, etc.
Loan Fees: The actual amount for the origination fees that are deducted from federal Direct Unsubsidized and Graduate PLUS loan disbursements.