Student Expense Budget & Cost of Attendance
The following budgets are used to construct the Cost of Attendance (COA) for each educational program. The COA defines the maximum aid a student may receive in an academic year.
The budget takes into consideration the following: Tuition and fees; Books, Course Materials, Supplies, and Equipment; Housing and Food; Transportation expenses; Personal and miscellaneous costs.
All figures with the exception of tuition/fees and books/materials/supplies/equipment costs are obtained from the California Student Aid Commission’s annual Student Expenses and Resources Survey.
Estimated standard costs for living expenses, transportation and miscellaneous personal expenses for a 9-month academic year are:
| Budget Category | Students Living Off Campus | Students Living With Parents or Relatives |
|---|---|---|
| Living Expenses (Housing & Food) | $22,086 | $11,493 |
| Personal Expenses | $4,968 | $4,059 |
| Transportation | $1,962 | $1,791 |
| Loan Fees | $91 | $91 |
| Total Estimated Non-Educational Costs | $29,107 | $17,434 |
The Budget numbers above apply specifically to the 2024-2025 Award Year and are here to give students an idea of their anticipated costs for attending FIDM during a 9-month period. These numbers are estimates and are used only to determine financial aid eligibility. They do not represent actual student expenses, as those will vary based on individual student expenses, including housing, meal costs, books, supplies, transportation, and other expenses.
Here is one example of the combined educational and non-educational components of the Cost of Attendance:
| Budget Category | Students Living Off Campus | Students Living With Parents or Relatives |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $33,000 | $33,000 |
| Fees | $1,600 | $1,600 |
| Books, course materials, supplies, and equipment | $1,500 | $1,500 |
| Living Expenses (Housing & Food) | $22,086 | $11,493 |
| Personal Expenses | $4,968 | $4,059 |
| Transportation | $1,962 | $1,791 |
| Loan Fees | $91 | $91 |
| Total Budget (COA) | $65,207 | $53,534 |
The tuition and fees numbers represent average charges for a standard academic load of 15 units each quarter. The charges for books, course materials, supplies, and equipment are also based on averages and assume an academic load of 15 units per quarter. When calculating their expected cost of attendance, students should use these figures only as a guide. Actual tuition and fees charges will be shown in the Payment Schedule on the FIDM Student Portal.
Determining Aid Eligibility
FIDM uses Federal Methodology to assess financial need (Cost of Attendance (COA) minus the federally calculated Student Aid Index (SAI).
| TENTATIVE PACKAGE EXAMPLE | |
|---|---|
| COA | $65,207 |
| (minus) Student Aid Index | - $999 |
| NEED | $64,208 |
| AID PACKAGE | |
|---|---|
| Federal Pell Grant | $6,396 |
| Federal Direct Subsidized Loan | + $3,500 |
| Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan | + $6,000 |
| TOTAL AID PACKAGE | $15,896 |
| TOTAL UNMET NEED | $48,312 |
Professional Judgement
If the required FAFSA information does not accurately reflect the current situation of the student or the student’s family, the student can appeal to FIDM for consideration for the college to exercise its authority to update the FAFSA information. This process is known as Professional Judgement (PJ). The Professional Judgment process requires a thorough review by Student Financial Services staff to determine what changes, if any, can be made to the FAFSA information. The outcome, if approved, can include a revision of the elements used to calculate the student’s EFC and/or an override of the student’s dependency status.
Consideration of the PJ request will be based on the student’s or family’s Special Circumstances (related to financial situations, such as loss of a job, etc.) or Unusual Circumstances (related to adjustment to a student’s dependency status based on a unique situation, for example, human trafficking, refugee or asylee status, parental abandonment, incarceration, etc.).
To request consideration for a Professional Judgment decision, the student will begin the process by contacting the FIDM Financial Aid office at: financialaid@fidm.edu. All requests for Professional Judgment consideration will be reviewed. Financial Aid staff will inform the student if additional documentation is required. Once all required documentation has been submitted, FIDM will respond with the results of the decision within 60 days.
