Tuition is the amount of money paid to a school every term or per module, taken as the payment for education received at the institution. Tuition shouldn’t be confused with cost of attendance (COA), which is the sum of tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, transportation, and other expenses that a student needs to incur while enrolled.

Most colleges combine their tuition and fees and present it as an annual cost. There’re schools with semester or quarter systems that can break the pricing up that way. Some schools may charge by the credit hour rather than by the academic year or the semester. If a student is going to a school that follows this system, the school will inform them of the cost of each credit, the number of credits each class is worth, and the number of credits they need to graduate.

The costs of tuition vary dramatically by the institution. If a student is concerned about paying for school, looking for one with low tuition is a useful way to keep costs under control. Tuition at four-year private colleges is typically the most expensive option, followed by state school tuition for out-of-state students, state school tuition for in-state students, and tuition at two-year colleges for in-district students.

It’s important to note that the tuition price tag available on a college’s website may differ from the amount that a student will actually need to pay. If a student receives federal financial aid or is eligible for any grants or private or school scholarships, the cost of tuition will be lower than the starting tuition costs presented by the school. The amount that a student will actually need to pay will be defined by the difference between the actual tuition and the amount of aid they receive.

If a student isn’t able to make tuition payments by the due dates, they should immediately inform the school and see if there’re any payment plans available. Some colleges offer financing plans like tuition prepayment and deferment. With the prepayment option, students need to pay for four years of college upfront. Deferment plans vary from one school to another. Many schools offer monthly payment plans, allowing students to pay tuition over the course of a number of months. With this option, students need to make tuition payments each month. However, students may need to pay an upfront fee to avail of this facility.