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Tuition & Expenses

Understanding direct and indirect costs

The percentage of resident undergraduates graduating without any debt known to [WSU] has increased from 35.6 percent to 57.1 percent.

WSU Government Relations. More student affordability metrics.

Cost of Attendance

WSU uses your Cost of Attendance (COA) when creating your financial aid offer. Cost of attendance is a total of your estimated expenses, including both your direct costs from the university (like tuition) and your indirect costs (like transportation). Typically you may only receive financial aid up to your cost of attendance, though some exceptions may result in an allowable overaward.

This Is Not a Bill

Cost of Attendance is only an estimate based on financial aid packaging policies and timelines. Many indirect costs will vary depending on your living situation.

Use the chart below to find your cost of attendance for the current or upcoming academic year.

What Will My Final Bill Look Like?

Looking for a more customized snapshot of your finances while attending WSU? Download our basic budgeting worksheet to input your known income, expenses and other details to get a more personalized budget.

Direct Loan Fees

If you are eligible for direct loan funding, we will automatically add the cost of loan origination fees to your Cost of Attendance.

This loan fee amount is a calculated average as determined by WSU, and may not reflect your exact loan fee total(s). Loan fees are removed from your budget if you lose your loan eligibility.

Note: These totals are only added to your Cost of Attendance if you have been offered direct student loans.

2024-252025-26
Undergraduate (Dependent)$1,194$1,236
Undergraduate (Independent)$114$114
Graduate (GRAD, BUSN, GRAD NRS)$984$1,222
Health Profession (MED, PHAR, VETM)$1,443$1,508
Not sure if you’re an independent or dependent undergraduate? Find out by visiting our Getting Started page.

Direct vs. Indirect Costs

Direct Costs

Direct costs are those that must be paid to WSU to attend.

  • Tuition
    • Full-time tuition covers 10 to 18 credits at the same cost. Course loads of fewer than 10 or more than 18 credit hours are charged on a per-credit basis.
    • Professional programs may have differing full-time credit guidelines.
    • S&A fees are budgeted as part of tuition but appear separately in your charges.
    • Some specialty programs may charge per-credit beyond 10 credits of enrollment.
  • Mandatory Fees/Program Fees
    • Mandatory fees and program fees vary by campus and degree.
  • Housing & Food (if living on campus)
    • Per regulation, WSU determines an average housing and food allowance for financial aid and then prorates for actual weeks of enrollment within the term. Your actual costs will vary based on your dorm and meal plan.

Breakdown of Fees

FeePullman (Undergraduate)Pullman (Graduate)Pullman VetMedTri-CitiesVancouverSpokane
Student Union FeeN/AN/AN/a$150 per semester/ $300 per year
Rec Center$191 per semester/$382 per year$191 per semester/$382 per year$191per semester/$382 per year
CUB Fee$145/$290$145/$290$145/$290
Stadium Fee$25/$50N/AN/A
Health Fee$256/$512$256/$512$256/$512$130 per term**
Technology Fee$20/$40N/AN/A$20 per semester/$40 per year
Transit Fee$40/$80$40/$80$40/$80
Chinook Fee$108/$216N/AN/A
Media Fee$5/$10$5/$10$5/$10
Food Pantry Fee$5/$10$5/$10$5/$10
Safety & Transportation FeeN/AN/AN/A$65/$130
**Spokane medical students pay $130 per quarter, all other Spokane students pay $130 per semester.

PullmanSpokaneVancouverTri-CitiesGlobalEverett
$636$599$592$547$288$548
S&A fees are mandatory and included in the “tuition” category of your Cost of Attendance budget.
Week of Welcome Convocation_All Campus Picnic_Resource Fair on the campus of Washington State University, Wednesday, August 14, 2024.

Indirect Costs

These are estimates based on average costs. You will not be directly charged for indirect costs through WSU and your actual expenses may vary.

  • Transportation
    • Transportation is based on estimated student travel between residence, work and school. Transportation will be adjusted using actual weeks of enrollment within the term. 
  • Books & Supplies
    • Books and supplies estimates are calculated using the average expenses of most students.
  • Housing & Food (if living off campus)
    • Per regulation, WSU determines an average housing and food allowance for financial aid and then prorates for actual weeks of enrollment within the term. Your actual costs will vary based on where you’re residing and charges are not billed through WSU.
  • Miscellaneous
    • Miscellaneous personal living expenses include purchases such as clothing, toiletries, etc. This category will be adjusted using actual weeks of enrollment within the term. 

*All costs other than Tuition, Mandatory Fees, and Program/S&A Fees are considered indirect costs. These are estimations based off of the average cost of housing, meal plans, and other expenses. Students will not be directly charged for most indirect costs, and these expenses may vary depending on individual situations.

Cost of Attendance FAQ

Some classes may have additional fees not included in the standard mandatory fees listed in the cost of attendance table. Examples include fees for labs or digital materials unique to the class. These fees are budgeted under “Books & Supplies”.

If your course load includes digital course fees outside of the budgeted average, you may look into filing a revision request for an increased cost of attendance budget.

The Services and Activities Fee (S&A Fee) is included in tuition rates, but may show up as a separate charge on your account.

S&A fees support nonacademic student activities, programs, and projects. This fee is used to enrich the student experience through funding for student government, entertainment, student organizations, speakers, facilities, and recreation. All campuses pay S&A fees; rates vary by campus.

Please note:

  • S&A fees may be slightly higher for students with intercampus enrollment.
  • Most students pay S&A fees once per semester; however, students enrolled in the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine pay S&A fees each term they are enrolled.

Mandatory fees cannot usually be waived. In rare cases, you may be able to have some mandatory fees waived if you are not actually attending your registered campus (examples include off-campus student teaching or internships).

Our office does not waive fees. Please speak with your advisor if you have questions about fees on your account and they will reach out to the Bursar’s office if appropriate.

Under some circumstances, you may be able to file a revision request for an increased financial aid budget. A revision request allows us to increase your cost of attendance and possibly award you more financial aid based on that higher cost figure. This additional aid is typically offered as loans, and you must have loan eligibility to receive them.

Tuition and mandatory fees are handled through the Bursar’s office. Payments are due on the first day of classes and late fees begin to accrue the second week of classes. 

The Bursar’s office does offer payment plans for current charges that will split your due balance over the term. 

The Bursar’s office bills tuition and mandatory fees on a per term basis. However, the financial aid offer you receive from our office represents your potential aid for the whole year.

GET:

Access the GET website to request the funds. WSU will receive notification of the request and act accordingly.

529 Plans:

Many 529 College Savings plans now have a digital distribution option (electronic ACH) which saves time and improves transparency with real-time payment tracking. When requesting a withdrawal from your plan, check with your plan administrator to see if a digital distribution option is available

Please Note: The Bursar’s Office will only accept payments for tuition and fees for the current academic semester. Due to banking requirements, funds submitted in excess of outstanding balances may result in the payment being rejected and returned to the payer in its entirety. Excess payments may be rejected even if the extra funds are intended for use for books, off-campus housing, or other living expenses.

For 529 payments sent by paper check please refer to “Pay by Check using either: In person Delivery or U.S. Postal Service” on the Bursar’s website.

Important notes

  • Tuition assumes full-time study: 12-18 credits for undergraduate students, 10-18 credits for graduate students
  • Full time charges will be assessed at 10 credits (some graduate programs excepted)
  • Students are charged tuition based on the specific number of enrolled units
  • Check enrollment criteria for summer
  • Housing & food cut in half if living at home
  • Minimum 2 credit charge for tuition

Disclaimer

Cost of Attendance is only an estimate based on financial aid packaging policies and timelines. For the exact cost of tuition and mandatory fees, refer to the Budget Office Figures. Washington State University reserves the right to increase or modify tuition and fees without prior notice, upon approval by the State of Washington and Washington State University Board of Regents and to make such modifications applicable to students enrolled at WSU at the time as well as to incoming students. In addition, all tuition and mandatory fees are subject to change at any time for correction of errors.

Detailed housing costs

Center for Fraternity & Sorority Life

Contact the Bursar’s Office.

Housing and Residence Life

Contact Student Financial Services.

Additional Options and Tools

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Revision Requests

Qualifying expenses such as childcare or special course fees may allow us to adjust your Cost of Attendance and offer you more aid, typically in the form of student loans.
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Special Circumstances Appeal

Some circumstances such as a death in the family, loss of income or significant medical expenses may warrant adjustments to your FAFSA/WASFA, which when reprocessed may change the amount of financial aid you qualify for.
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Net Price Calculator

Use our net price calculator to get an idea of what your actual college expenses will be based on your Cost of Attendance and estimated financial aid.

Summer Session

Summer session is the final term of the WSU academic year. Policies, procedures, costs and aid work slightly differently during summer session.

Yes!

Summer is the third and final semester of the WSU academic year. If you have any remaining loans, you can use them for summer classes. For grant-eligible students, you may qualify to receive grant funding if you are enrolled in at least 3 credits.

Summer aid requires you have a FAFSA on file for the current academic year. (Example: Summer 2025 requires you complete the 2024-25 FAFSA.) The deadline for filing your FAFSA or WASFA is June 20.

Summer financial aid works a little differently than spring and fall — make sure you have all the facts!

Enrollment Requirements

Undergraduate: 3 credits

Graduate/MBA: 3 credits

If you plan on enrolling in fewer credits than required, please contact our office to see what your aid options are.

Which types of aid are available?

Loans and grants are available during summer session, based on your eligibility. Scholarships are not usually awarded during the summer term and those that are may have credit-limit requirements.

Available summer grant funding includes:

  1. Federal Pell Grant
    • Minimum 1 credit (please reach out to our office as students do not automatically receive aid at fewer than 3 credits)
  2. Washington College Grant
    • Minimum 3 credits
  3. College Bound Promise
    • Minimum 3 credits
  4. WSU Institutional Grant
    • If funds are available, you may also qualify for institutional grants depending on your Student Aid Index (SAI) as determined by the FAFSA.
    • Institutional Grant is only available to students who have registered for all summer classes by 5/1.

Note: All grant funds award during summer session count towards your lifetime limits for those grants.

Summer Dates and Deadlines

To receive summer aid, you must have a current year FAFSA on file by July 17. (Example: Summer 2026 requires a 2025-26 FAFSA.)

Summer financial aid will disburse either five days prior to your first class or on your first day of class, depending on whether you are registered for classes during the first summer session.

All students, regardless of their residency, pay in-state tuition. Use our Cost of Attendance tables to find your full estimated expenses for summer semester.

Summer Per-Credit Tuition

Undergraduate: $595.05
Graduate: $682.50

Summer Mandatory Fees by Campus

FeePullmanSpokaneVancouver
Rec Center$33/credit ($100 maximum)N/AN/A
CUB Fee$24/credit ($72 maximum)N/AN/A
Cougar Health Services$83N/AN/A
Chinook$19/credit ($59 maximum)N/AN/A
Technology Fee$2/credit ($20 maximum)N/AN/A
Mandatory Fees (GRD)$235N/AN/A
Spokane Health Fee (UGRD, GRD, Pharmacy)N/A$100N/A
Vancouver Technology Fee (UGRD)N/AN/A$12
Vancouver Technology Fee (GRD)N/AN/A$6
Some summer fees are charged per-credit, up to a maximum amount. The Everett, Global and Tri-Cities campuses do not have mandatory fees during summer.

Questions about summer session?

Contact Summer Session for costs and fees questions:

Contact SFS for loans, grants and scholarships questions:

Dropping classes or withdrawing can affect your financial aid. Dropping below minimum credit requirements for your program means your aid could be reduced or cancelled.

Summer classes have varying start dates which can affect how your aid is calculated. We advise enrolling in all your summer classes as early as possible to ensure you receive the maximum amount of aid you are eligible for.

Just like fall and spring semester, you must file an online Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) appeal to be considered for financial aid if you are currently SAP disqualified.

SAP disqualifications may come in after summer classes have started and summer aid has disbursed. If you do not successfully appeal your SAP disqualification, any disbursed summer aid will be cancelled and you will have a bill in your myWSU account for your summer courses.

SAP appeals much be submitted before the last week of the first summer session, not including intersession. If you are SAP disqualified, a SAP appeal form will be available to you through your myWSU account.

Questions about tuition and fees charged on your account?

Contact the Bursar’s Office.

Questions about financial aid or your Cost of Attendance?

Contact Student Financial Services.

Got late fees?

“Forget the Fees” can help! This program offers financial wellness events to help you gain valuable money smarts. Come to at least one presentation and get your first late fee waived!

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