Cost of Attendance 2025-2026
Each year the Financial Aid Office develops the student cost of attendance budget (also called the student budget). This budget is used in conjunction with the Student Aid Index (SAI - calculated through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid [FAFSA]) to determine each student's maximum financial aid eligibility. (See Financial Need/Overaward Policy section for further information on this.) The student budget consists of fixed charges including tuition, fees, housing, food and estimated charges including books and supplies, transportation costs and personal expenses. Use of financial aid funds to purchase a motor vehicle is strictly prohibited by federal law. There are different budgets for different classes of students. These include dorm (living in campus facilities), commuter (living with parents) and off-campus (living off-campus but not with parents; married students are included in this category).
For the 2025-2026 academic year these student budgets consist of:
| Dorm | Commuter | Off-Campus | |
| Tuition | $42,540 | $42,540 | $42,540 |
| Fees | 1,040 | 1,040 | 1,040 |
| Housing | 6,790 | 5,800 | 7,350 |
| Food | 6,674 | 3,920 | 6,674 |
| Books & Supplies | 1,330 | 1,330 | 1,330 |
| Personal Expenses | 1,850 | 1,850 | 2,300 |
| Travel | 1,080 | 2,025 | 2,025 |
| Total | $61,304 | $58,505 | $63,259 |
Some of these items are estimates based on average, median or maximum costs. If a particular student's cost varies significantly from the estimate, that student's budget can be adjusted if the student submits a written request accompanied by documentation of the actual cost.
Additional charges such as parking fees, deposits, extra charges for certain courses and charges for part-time attendance are published each year in the Schedule of Semester Fees, which also includes the actual fixed charges for that academic year.
Commuter Students take note: The Housing & Food amounts are NOT amounts charged to you by Messiah University. These are estimates of the expenses you will incur during the school year. We are required by federal regulation to estimate these amounts and use them in determining your financial aid eligibiliy. This is an advantage to you. It allows you to have the highest possible financial aid eligibility. You will not receive a bill from Messiah University for these amounts.