Cost to Attend DU

Direct vs. Indirect Costs

Every cost of attendance is made up of both direct and indirect costs.

Direct Costs:

Direct costs are charges that will appear on your University bill, which you'll receive each quarter or semester you're enrolled. These include tuition, fees and health insurance (if enrolled in the DU plan).

All financial aid you receive (including student loans) will first pay toward your bill, so you'll end up paying less than the full amount of direct costs listed for your program once your aid is applied.

Indirect Costs:

Indirect costs, on the other hand, will not appear on your bill. Instead, these are estimated costs associated with attending graduate school, such as books, off-campus housing, meals and transportation expenses.

Many full-time graduate students choose to borrow student loans to help pay for these additional costs. Just remember that the total amount of your financial aid can't exceed the cost of attendance listed on your aid offer.

How your Cost of Attendance is Calculated

Most students will see the following components included in their COA:

• Tuition: The amount of tuition listed on your financial aid offer is based on the average enrollment of students in your program. The amount you'll actually be charged, however, will depend on the number of credits you take each quarter or semester. Tuition rates typically increase by 3-5% each academic year.
  • Please note: Although your COA assumes a certain number of credits per term, we can make adjustments if you plan to enroll in more credits than what your aid offer shows by submitting an enrollment adjustment form.
• Fees: All graduate students are charged a technology fee of $4 per credit, and most are charged a student activity fee. Your bill will itemize the specific fees for your program.
• Health Insurance: Many full-time graduate students are automatically enrolled in and charged for the DU Student Health Insurance Program. If you are covered by another plan, you can waive participation in this plan.
• Books: This is an estimate of the cost of books and supplies for a typical student in your program. You are not billed directly by DU for books or supplies.
• Housing & Meals: This is an estimate of the cost of off-campus housing and food in the University of Denver area. To determine these costs, we research the cost of living in the DU area and use recommended guidelines published by the Colorado Department of Higher Education. Your actual costs will likely be different.
• Transportation: This is an estimate of the cost of traveling to and from campus or other transportation needs related to your graduate program. Unless you buy a DU parking permit, you will not be billed directly for transportation costs.
• Personal Expenses: This is an estimate of other day-to-day costs such as clothing, haircuts, entertainment, etc. Money actually spent on these items will vary from student to student.
• Loan Fees: There is an origination fee for the Federal Direct Unsubsidized loan, which is taken out of the loan before funds are sent to DU. The cost listed for loan fees is the average fee for students who borrow these loans last year—actual fees depend on the amount borrowed.
• Bar Exam Fee: This is the cost to take the Colorado Bar Examination. (This component is only included in the COA for law students.)

Enrollment Adjustments for Law Students

If you're a law student, your cost of attendance and financial aid are based on the average enrollment (per semester) of students in your program:

• Full-time JD students: 12-15 credits
• Part-time JD students: 8-11 credits
• Full-time LLM and master's students: 10-12 credits
• Part-time LLM and master's students: 4-6 credits

We verify the enrollment of all students enrolled in the Sturm College of Law at the end of the 100% add/drop period each semester. If you are enrolled for fewer or more credits than listed above—or you're enrolled for both semester and quarter credits—you may need to have your cost of attendance and financial aid adjusted. If you are enrolled in fewer credits than anticipated, your financial aid refund may be too large and DU will bill you for overpayment after the end of the add/drop period. If you are enrolled in more credits than anticipated, you will receive a smaller refund to use for living expenses (if you plan on borrowing for those).

You can revise your cost of attendance by completing an enrollment adjustment form and indicating your intended enrollment in the "Standard Enrollment Adjustment" or "Dual-Degree Enrollment" sections.