Cost of Attendance

Financial Aid Cost of Attendance:

• The cost of attendance is what DC3 estimates it may take for you to attend DC3 for one year, including direct and indirect expenses. Direct expenses will be owed to DC3. Indirect expenses are not paid to DC3, these are living expenses you may incur while attending DC3.
• Direct Costs: Costs charged directly to your Student Account at Dodge City Community College including tuition, fees, books, course materials, supplies, equipment, and on-campus housing.
• Indirect Costs: Other costs associated with attending college including off-campus housing, utilities, groceries, transportation, clothing, and personal items. These are not paid to DC3; these are living expenses that you may incur while enrolled at college.
• Dodge City Community College’s standard Cost of Attendance (COA) budget consists of the following categories:
  • Tuition & Fees
  • Books, Course Materials, Supplies, & Equipment
  • Food & Housing
  • Transportation
  • Miscellaneous
  • Loan Fees*
  • Professional Credentials
• Full-Time Enrollment Status is considered 12 or more credit hours per semester. For COA purposes, Financial Aid uses 15 credit hours per semester to accurately reflect the average Tuition & Fee costs of our students. These budget items are calculated for full-time students based on the averages of institutional charges, housing selections, and estimated cost of living expenses for our Kansas service area.
• Initial Cost of Attendance and Financial Aid Offers are both determined based on the assumption of full-time enrollment including Fall and Spring semesters. The Cost of Attendance and Aid Offer are adjusted accordingly if a student’s actual enrollment status differs from that and/or the student enrolls in Summer Semester classes. A student’s total amount of Financial Aid (scholarships, grants, loans, and federal work study) is not to exceed their Cost of Attendance.
• If the estimated expenses of a student’s Cost of Attendance (COA) is not reflective of the student’s actual expenses, the student may request a Cost of Attendance Adjustment by contacting the Director of Financial Aid at finaid@dc3.edu. Examples may include extensive childcare, travel, or medical costs not already taken into consideration. The COA may be adjusted on a case-by-case basis upon submission of proper documentation that justifies the adjustment. Adjustments are not guaranteed to be granted.
• Federal Aid Eligibility is determined by subtracting the SAI (Student Aid Index – obtained from the FAFSA) from the COA (Cost of Attendance):

  $$\mathrm{Cost\; of\; Attendance}–\mathrm{Student\; Aid\; Index}=\mathrm{Financial\; Need}$$

• Many types of financial aid are offered based on financial need and are provided to help meet that need. Some grant and scholarship programs may require information from the FAFSA to determine financial need. So, it’s in your best interest to complete the FAFSA every year to increase opportunities for financial assistance.
• Most federal student aid programs require a student to have financial need, except for Direct Unsubsidized and Direct PLUS (Parent) Loans. The cost of attendance is also important for financial aid recipients because it is used to determine their maximum financial aid eligibility. It is the absolute maximum the college can award you in the various types of financial aid, including aid you may receive from sources outside of DC3.

Current Term Rates for the 2026-2027 Academic Year (subject to change)