When looking at the cost of college and budgeting your funds, there are two types of costs you need to consider: direct costs and indirect costs.
- Direct costs are those that must be paid to WSU to attend (i.e. tuition and fees).
- Indirect costs are things such as living expenses, transportation, miscellaneous expenses, etc.
It is important to differentiate between the two; indirect costs are simply estimates used by our office in the awarding process to ensure that you have enough aid, while direct costs are the actual amounts that will be charged to your myWSU account.
We include indirect costs in the budget so that aid can be awarded to assist you in paying living and miscellaneous expenses. The costs provided here are derived from past figures, institutional changes, and cost of living adjustments. They should be adequate for the average student; however, differences in lifestyle and individual tastes can dramatically affect these costs.
Keep in mind that financial aid awards cannot exceed the total cost of attendance (and in many cases will be less than that). If you have additional educational expenses or budget concerns that may change the amount of aid you’ve been offered, you may be eligible for a revision request or and special circumstances appeal.
If you have questions or concerns regarding your budgeted cost of attendance, please contact us.