Estimate Your Basic College Costs
If you would like to live within on-campus housing at UNLV, please review the web site of the Office of Housing & Residence Life for actual housing costs. The Financial Aid & Scholarships Office estimates on-campus housing costs early in the school year before actual on-campus housing costs have been determined. Estimated costs by the Financial Aid & Scholarships Office will likely vary from the actual on-campus housing costs. Please visit the housing site for current on-campus housing cost information.
Your basic college expenses are calculated by using rules established by the U.S. Department of Education. Factors are determined from student surveys, UNLV's Center for Business and Economic Research, and the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce's Composite Cost of Living Index. The cost of attendance varies depending on housing status (on campus, off campus, commuter), program of study (undergraduate, graduate, law, dental), state of residency, and total credit hours of enrollment each semester.
Basic Costs Are:
- Tuition
- Fees
- A modest value for room and board
- Books
- Miscellaneous personal costs
- Transportation costs (gas, oil, maintenance)
- Child care expenses
If you have a car payment, credit card debt, mortgage payment, cellular phone bill, cable TV, Internet connections, etc., the U.S. Department of Education does not account for these expenses. Be sure to add your unique monthly bills to the estimated costs.
As required by the Higher Education and Opportunity Act, the net price calculator can be used by first time incoming freshmen students in estimating out of pocket educational costs among schools. The estimates you will receive are likely to be very broad.
The Cashiering and Student Accounts Office provides an online estimator of tuition and fee expenses you can expect to pay during the semester. Semester expenses can vary based upon the classes a student is enrolled in and associated course or lab fees.
A federal loan may be a good investment in yourself to help finance your education. Determine if a student loan fits into your future payment plans by estimating monthly payment and interest accumulated over the life of your loan with the FinAid! Loan Calculator.
This college cost projector estimates how much college tuition will cost in the future.
Your EFC is an important number financial aid offices use to determine need-based financial aid eligibility. The lower the EFC value, the more likely a student may qualify for federal, state, and institutional need-based (as determined by the FAFSA) financial aid programs. Figure out your expected family contribution (EFC) as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) without actually applying with the Federal Student Aid FAFSA4Caster.
Use the Parent Debt Calculator to estimate how much you should borrow for your student's education based on your current income and debt load.