Student Financial Aid

​​

Ohio State determines the amount of financial aid you're eligible for by estimating the Cost of Attendance for the average student, then subtracting your Student Aid Index, taken from your FAFSA.​

Cost of Attendance - Student Aid Index = Financial Need

Cost of Attendance (COA)

The Cost of Attendance consists of the sum of educational costs payable to the school (also referred to as direct or billable costs) and costs paid to others (or indirect, non-billable or discretionary) costs. The Cost of Attendance represents the highest dollar amount of financial aid a student can receive during an academic year.

Student Aid Index (SAI)

The SAI is the eligibility index used to determine your eligibility for federal, and in some instances, state and institutional need-based student financial aid. Generally, students with a higher SAI are eligible for less need-based financial aid. It is based upon the information provided by the student and their family on the FAFSA. 

Financial Need

The SAI is subtracted from the COA to establish your financial need, which determines how much need-based aid you are eligible for each academic year.

Cost of Attendance 2023-2024 Academic Year
For-credit Online Degree Programs 

Below is the Cost of Attendance for any student that is EXCLUSIVELY (defined as ALL classes for the semester/term are for-credit online degree or certificate program(s) listed at Ohio State Online) enrolled in For-credit Online Degree Programs. These tables reflect full-time, two semester academic year costs, which may vary by program, credit hours enrolled, and living expenses (housing, food/dining) options. 

Note: These figures are for the 2023-24. To view other cost of attendance figures, click on the appropriate tab above and go to About Aid, Cost of Attendance.

Columbus Undergraduate For-credit Online Degree Program

Ohio r​esident​​: Living on cam​pus
CategoryStarted college 2023-2024Started college 2022-2023​Started college 2021-2022Started college 2020-2021Started college 2019-2020Started college 2018-2019Started college 2017-2018
Estimated Direct Costs
​​​Tuition and fees
$12,350
$11,983
$11,434
$11,016
$10,582​​​​$10,224
$10,090
​Distance learning fee
​$200
​$200
​$200
​$200
​$200
​$200
​$200
Living expenses: housing and food$14,272​$13,898​$13,288​$12,964​$12,650​​$12,378$12,198
Estimated Indirect Costs
Books, supplies and equipment
$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​
​Miscellaneous personal expenses$2,334$2,334$2,334$2,334$2,334$2,334$2,334
​Transportation$696​$696​​$696$696​$696​$696​$696​
​Federal student loan fees$40​$40​$40​$40​$40​$40​$40​
Total Estimated Cost $31,008​ $30,180​ $29,022​ $28,280​ $27,532​​​​$26,902 $26,588
Ohio r​esident​​: Living off cam​pus
CategoryStarted college 2023-2024Started college 2022-2023​Started college 2021-2022Started college 2020-2021Started college 2019-2020Started college 2018-2019Started college 2017-2018
Estimated Direct Costs
​​​Tuition and fees$12,350​$11,983
$11,434​$11,016​$10,582​​​​$10,224
$10,090
​Distance learning fee
​$200
​$200
​$200
​$200
​$200
​$200
​$200
Estimated Indirect Costs
Living expenses: housing and food
$13,814$13,814$13,814$13,814$13,814​​$13,814$13,814
Books, supplies and equipment$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​
​Miscellaneous personal expenses$2,558$2,558$2,558$2,558$2,558$2,558$2,558
​Transportation$696​$696​​$696$696$696$696$696​
​Federal student loan fees
$40​$40​$40​$40​$40​$40​$40​
Total Estimated Cost $30,688​ $30,320​ $29,772​ ​$29,354​ $28,920​​​​$28,562 $28,428
CategoryStarted college 2023-2024Started college 2022-2023​Started college 2021-2022Started college 2020-2021Started college 2019-2020Started college 2018-2019Started college 2017-2018
Estimated Direct Costs
​​​Tuition and fees
$12,350
$11,983
$11,434​$11,016
$10,582
​​​$10,224
$10,090
​Distance learning fee
​$200
​$200
​$200
​$200
​$200
​$200
​$200
Estimated Indirect Costs
Living expenses: housing and food$5,122​$5,122​$5,122​
$5,122​$5,122​​$5,122$5,122
Books, supplies and equipment$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​
​Miscellaneous personal expenses$2,558$2,558$2,558$2,558$2,558$2,558$2,558
​Transportation$3,492​$3,492​​$3,492​$3,492​$3,492​$3,492​​$3,492​
​Federal student loan fees$40​$40​$40​
$40​$40​$40​$40​
Total Estimated Cost $24,792​ $24,424​ $23,876​ $23,458​ $23,024
​​​$22,666 $22,532
Non-​Ohio resident​​: Living on campus
CategoryStarted college 2023-2024Started college 2022-2023Started college 2021-2022Started college 2020-2021Started college 2019-2020Started college 2018-2019Started college 2017-2018
Estimated Direct Costs
​​​Tuition and fees$12,350
$11,983​$11,434​$11,016​$10,582​​​​$10,224
$10,090
Non-resident fees
$400​$400​$400​​$400​$400​​​$400​$400​
​Distance learning fee
​$200
​$200
​$200
​$200
​$200
​$200
​$200
Living expenses: housing and food$14,272​$14,272
$14,272
$14,272​$14,272
​​$12,378$12,198
Estimated Indirect Costs
Books, supplies and equipment$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​
​Miscellaneous personal expenses$2,334$2,334$2,334$2,334$2,334$2,334$2,334
​Transportation$1,404​$1,404​​$1,404​$1,404​$1,404​​$1,404​$1,404​​
​Federal student loan fees$40​$40​$40​$40​$40​$40​$40​
​Total Estimated Cost $32,030​ $31,662​ $31,114​ $30,696​ $30,262​​​​$28,010 $27,696
​Non-​Ohio resident​​: Living off campus
CategoryStarted college 2023-2024
Started college 2022-2023​Started college 2021-2022Started college 2020-2021Started college 2019-2020Started college 2018-2019Started college 2017-2018
Estimated Direct Costs
​​​Tuition and fees$12,350​$11,983
$11,434​$11,016
$10,582
​​​$10,224
$10,090
​​​Non-resident fees​$400​$400​$400​​$400​$400​​​​$400​$400​
​Distance learning fee
​$200
​$200
​$200
​$200
​$200
​$200
​$200
Estimated Indirect Costs
Living expenses: housing and food$13,814$13,814$13,814$13,814$13,814​​$13,814$13,814
Books, supplies and equipment$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​
​Miscellaneous personal expenses$2,558$2,558$2,558$2,558$2,558$2,558$2,558
​Transportation$1,404​​$1,404​​$1,404​$1,404​​$1,404​​$1,404​$1,404​
​Federal student loan fees$40​$40​$40​$40​$40​$40​$40​
Total Estimated Cost $31,796​ $31,428 $30,880​ $30,462​ $30,028​​​​​$29,670 $29,536​

Regional and ATI Undergraduate For-credit Online Program

Ohio resident​​: Living on campus
CategoryStarted college 2023-2024
Started college 2022-2023​Started college 2021-2022Started college 2020-2021Started college 2019-2020Started college 2018-2019Started college 2017-2018
Estimated Direct Costs
​​​Tuition and fees
$9,212$8,944​$8,550​$8,236​​$7,912​​$7,644$7,552
​Distance learning fee
​$200
​$200
​$200
​$200
​$200
​$200
​$200
Living expenses: housing and food
$12,106​$11,944​$11,944​​$11,944​$11,944​$11,944​$11,944​
Estimated Indirect Costs
Books, supplies and equipment$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​
​Miscellaneous personal expenses$2,334$2,334$2,334$2,334$2,334$2,334$2,334
​Transportation$556​$556​$556​$556​$556​​$556​$556​​
​Federal student loan fees$40​$40​$40​$40​$40​$40​$40​
Total Estimated Cost $25,478 $25,048 $24,654​ $24,340​ $24,016​​$23,748 $23,656
​Ohio r​esident​​: Living off cam​pus
CategoryStarted college 2023-2024Started college 2022-2023Started college 2021-2022Started college 2020-2021Started college 2019-2020Started college 2018-2019Started college 2017-2018
Estimated Direct Costs
​​​Tuition and fees
$9,212
$8,944
$8,550​$8,236
$7,912
​​​​​$7,644$7,552
​Distance learning fee
​$200
​$200
​$200
​$200
​$200
​$200
​$200
Estimated Indirect Costs
Living expenses: housing and food$10,232
$10,232
$10,232
$10,232
$10,232
​​$10,232
$10,232
Books, supplies and equipment$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​
​Miscellaneous personal expenses$2,568$2,568
$2,568$2,568$2,568$2,568
$2,568
​Transportation$1,578$1,578​$1,578$1,578​$1,578​$1,578​​$1,578​
​Federal student loan fees$40​$40​$40​$40​$40​$40​$40​
Total Estimated Cost $24,860​ $24,592​ $24,198​ $23,884​ $23,560​​​​$​23,292 $23,200
CategoryStarted college 2023-2024Started college 2022-2023Started college 2021-2022Started college 2020-2021Started college 2019-2020Started college 2018-2019Started college 2017-2018
Estimated Direct Costs
​​​Tuition and fees
$9,212$8,944$8,550$8,236​$7,912​​​​​​$7,644$7,552
​Distance learning fee
​$200
​$200
​$200
​$200
​$200
​$200
​$200
Estimated Indirect Costs
Living expenses: housing and food$4,464$4,464$4,464$4,464$4,464​​$4,464$4,464
Books, supplies and equipment$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​
​Miscellaneous personal expenses$2,568​$2,568​$2,568​$2,568​$2,568​$2,568​$2,568​
​Transportation$4,212$4,212​$4,212​$4,212$4,212​$4,212​​$4,212​
​Federal student loan fees$40​$40​$40​$40​$40​$40​$40​
Total Estimated Cost $21,726​ $21,458​ $21,064​ $20,750​ $20,426​​​​$20,158 $20,066
Non-​Ohio resident​​: Living on campus
CategoryStarted college 2023-2024Started college 2022-2023Started college 2021-2022Started college 2020-2021Started college 2019-2020Started college 2018-2019Started college 2017-2018
Estimated Direct Costs
​​​Tuition and fees
$9,212$8,944​$8,550​$8,236$7,912​$7,644$7,552
Non-resident fees
$400
$400
$400​​$400​$400​​​$400​$400​
​Distance learning fee
​$200
​$200
​$200
​$200
​$200
​$200
​$200
Living expenses: housing and food$12,106$12,106$12,106$12,106​$12,106​​$11,944$11,944
Estimated Indirect Costs
Books, supplies and equipment$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​
​Miscellaneous personal expenses$2,334$2,334$2,334$2,334$2,334$2,334$2,334
​Transportation$1,404​$1,404​​$1,404​$1,404​$1,404​​$1,404​$1,404​​
​Federal student loan fees$40​$40​$40​$40​$40​$40​$40​
​Total Estimated Cost $26,726​ $26,458​ $26,064​ $25,750 $25,426​​​​$24,996 $24,904
Distance Education Student, Non-Ohio resident: Living off campus
CategoryStarted college 2023-2024
Started college 2022-2023​Started college 2021-2022Started college 2020-2021Started college 2019-2020Started college 2018-2019Started college 2017-2018
Estimated Direct Costs
​​​Tuition and fees$9,212​$8,944​$8,550​$8,236​$7,912​​​​$​​7,644$7,552
​​​Non-resident fees​
$400
$400​$400​​$400​$400​​​​$400​$400​
​Distance learning fee
​$200
​$200
​$200
​$200
​$200
​$200
​$200
Estimated Indirect Costs
Living expenses: housing and food$10,232$10,232$10,232$10,232$10,232​​$10,232$10,232
Books, supplies and equipment$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​$1,030​
​Miscellaneous personal expenses$2,568$2,568$2,568$2,568$2,568$2,568$2,568
​Transportation$1,404​​$1,404​​$1,404​$1,404​​$1,404​​$1,404​$1,404​
​Federal student loan fees$40​$40​$40​$40​$40​$40​$40​
Total Estimated Cost $25,086​ $24,818​ $24,424​ $24,110​ $23,786​​​​​$23,518 $23,426​

Graduate For-credit Online Degree Program

Ohio r​esident​​ Living off campus
CategoryEstimated Cost
Direct Costs
Tuition and fees
$12,950
​Distance learning fees
​$200
Indirect Costs
Living expenses: housing and food$15,372
Books, supplies and equipment
$1,030
Miscellaneous personal expenses
​​$3,210
Transportation
$696
Federal student loan fees
$166
Total Estimated Cost ​​​$​33,624
Non-​Ohio resident​​: Living off campus
CategoryEstimated Cost
Direct Costs
Tuition and fees​​$12,950
Non-resident fees
$400
​Distance learning fee
​$200
Indirect Costs
Living expenses: housing and food
​​$15,372
Books, supplies and equipment​​​$1,030
Miscellaneous personal expenses
​​$3,210
Transportation
$1,404
Federal student loan fees$166​
Total Estimated Cost $34,732