The following figures are standard budgets, they do not represent the actual costs
each student will incur individually. They do, however, represent the maximum aid
that can be awarded a student at San Diego Mesa College. It is strongly encouraged
that students develop their own budgets before beginning school.
All of the Cost of Attendance budgets shown below are based on 12 units (full time
enrollment) per semester
ACTUAL ENROLLEMENT LEVELS Fall, Spring and Summer semesters for Financial Aid Students:
FULL-TIME = 12 units
THREE QUARTERS TIME = 9 units
HALF-TIME = 6 units
LESS THAN HALF-TIME = Less Than 6 units
How Is Financial Need Determined? The federal government standardizes the exact calculations used to determine Expected
Family Contribution. This means that your contribution would be assessed in the same
way no matter what school you attended. Actual awards can vary by school because of
the differences in cost. The methodology used can be explained with the following
calculation:
Cost of Attendance - Expected Family Contribution (EFC) = Financial Need
Your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is the amount you (and/or your spouse and/or your parents if applicable) are expected
to contribute to your educational expenses. EFC is determined through a standard federal
formula using the information you provide in your financial aid application. While
the following budget estimates may not reflect your exact costs, they represent the
maximum aid that can be awarded to Mesa and may be used as a reference as you start
budgeting.
COMMUNITY COLLEGE ENROLLMENT FEE
The enrollment fee is assessed of all students, including nonresidents. The fee is
currently $46.00 per unit.
In addition to the enrollment fee and health fee, $84.00 per unit is charged for the Upper Division coursework, of students who are accepted and enrolled
in the new HIM Bachelor's Degree Pilot Program. (ie: $46 + $84 = $130 per unit + health fee] (varies, please see Additional Fees)
NOTE: Upper division Coursework Fee is not eligible to be covered by the California College Promise Grant fee waiver for CA residents. Additonally, Per Education Code section 78042(c), students who
wish to apply for a California College Promise Grant (CCPG) waiver must submit either
a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or a California Dream Act application
in lieu of completing the CCPG application. Non Resident students will also be assessed
Non Resident Tuition, please see below
NONRESIDENT TUITION
In addition to the enrollment fee(s) and health fee, tuition is charged to students
who are not determined legal residents of California.
2023-2024:$331 per unit (e.g. $46 + $331 = $377 per unit, + health fee (varies. please see Additional Fees
below)
2022-2023: $307 per unit (e.g. $46 + $307 = $353 per unit, + health fee (varies. please see Additional Fees
below)
2021-2022: $304 per unit-increased as of Fall 2021 (e.g. $46 + $304 = $350 per unit, + health fee (varies. please see Additional Fees
below)
2020-2021: $290 per unit-increased as of Fall 2020 (e.g. $46 + $290 = $336 per unit, + health fee (varies. please see Additional Fees
below)
2019-2020: $264 per unit -increased as of Fall 2019 (e.g. $46 + $264 = $310 per unit, + health fee (varies. please see Additional Fees
below)
Estimate Your Aid Using Mesa's Net Price Calculator#
Get a better sense of the kind of assistance you may be eligible to receive using
our cost estimation tool. The calculations are based on cost of attendance and financial
aid provided to students in a previous year and do not represent a final determination
of aid.
Earn A Bachelor's Degree at Mesa Did you know Mesa offers a four-year Bachelor's Degree in Health Information Management
(HIM)? Learn more about Mesa College's HIM program and the unique opportunity to enroll
in upper-division classes and earn a bachelor's degree as a community college student.
Each academic year, you will have the opportunity to purchase or renew your AS membership
for $8. As an AS member, you will have the opportunity to support campus clubs and
organizations, create campus-wide activities and events, and advocate for student
issues on local, statewide, and national levels. Be a part of Mesa's student government.
All students are required to pay a mandatory $2 student representation fee each semester.
The fee is utilized to support student advocacy efforts to ensure students' voices
are heard and acknowledged across Federal, State, and Local Governments.
DEFINITIONS
Below we provide the updated definitions of commonly used COA terms based on the statutory
changes in section 472 of the HEA, incorporating the changes described above for the
2023-24 award year:
Tuition and fees—An amount normally assessed a student carrying the same academic workload, as determined
by the institution.
Books, course materials, supplies, and equipment—An allowance for books, course materials, and equipment, which must include all such
costs required of all students in the same course of study, including a reasonable
allowance for the rental or upfront purchase of a personal computer, as determined
by the institution.
Transportation—An allowance, as determined by the institution, which may include transportation between
campus, residences, and place of work.
Miscellaneous personal expenses—An allowance, as determined by the institution, for a student attending the institution
on at least a half-time basis.
Living expenses—An allowance for food and housing costs, as determined by the institution, to be incurred
by the student attending the institution on at least a half-time basis, including—
A standard food allowance that provides the equivalent of three meals each day, regardless
of whether a student chooses institutionally owned or operated food services (i.e.,
board or meal plans). Institutions must provide an allowance for purchasing food off
campus for a student that does not elect institutionally owned or operated food services.
Housing allowances for students residing in institutionally owned or operated housing
with or without dependents must be based on the average or median amount assessed
to such residents for housing charges, whichever is greater.
Housing allowances for students living off campus must include rent or other housing
costs.
For dependent students living at home with parents, institutions must include a reasonable
standard allowance for living expenses that is not zero.
For students living in housing on a military base or for which they receive a basic
allowance under section 403(b) of title 37, United States Code, institutions must
include a reasonable allowance for food on-campus or off-campus but cannot include
housing costs.
For all other students, institutions must include a reasonable allowance based on
expenses incurred by such students.
Review each living expense category above to ensure that you properly capture all
required categories in your COA policy.
Study abroad expenses—An allowance for reasonable costs, as determined by the institution, for a student
in a study abroad program approved for credit by the home institution.
Cooperative education costs—An allowance for reasonable costs, as determined by the institution, associated with
such employment for a student engaged in a work experience under a cooperative education
program.
Dependent care—An allowance based on the estimated actual expenses incurred for dependent care, based
on the number and age of such dependents.
Such allowance must not exceed the reasonable cost in the community in which such
student resides for the kind of care provided; and
The period for which dependent care is required includes, but is not limited to, class-time,
study-time, field work, internships, and commuting time.
Disability-related expenses—An allowance, as determined by the institution, for expenses associated with a student’s
disability, including special services, personal assistance, transportation, equipment,
and supplies that are reasonably incurred and not provided for by other agencies.
Federal student loan fees—An allowance for the cost of any Federal student loan fee, origination fee, or insurance
premium charged to the student or the parent of the student. The allowance—
May be actual or average costs, as appropriate; and
May not include the cost associated with non-Federal loans.
Professional licensure, certification, or a first professional credential—An allowance for the costs associated with obtaining a license, certification, or
a first professional credential, for a student in a program that prepares them to
enter a profession that requires such a qualification.
Special Populations
The following student populations have cost of attendance requirements based on their
unique situations.
Cost of attendance for students engaged in a program of study by correspondence must include tuition and fees and, if required, books, course materials, supplies,
and equipment. A school may also include an allowance for travel, housing, and food
costs incurred specifically for a period of residential training.
The cost of attendance for confined or incarcerated students may only include:
Tuition and fees
Books, course materials, supplies, and equipment
The cost of obtaining a license, certification or a first professional credential
The cost of attendance for students enrolled less than half-time:
Must include any components (tuition and fees; books, course materials, supplies,
and equipment; and transportation) normally applied to students who are enrolled less
than half-time, along with any other components (disability expenses, etc.) that are
not expressly prohibited for less than half-time students (e.g., miscellaneous personal
expenses).
May also include an allowance for living expenses, including food and housing costs,
for up to three semesters, or the equivalent, with no more than two semesters being
consecutive.
For students receiving all or part of their instruction by means of distance education, no distinction may be made with respect to the mode of instruction in determining
costs. For example, an institution may not eliminate the transportation cost component
for a distance education student.