Tuition and Financial Aid
An Extraordinary Value
We know that affordability is one of the biggest considerations when choosing a college. This is why Oglethorpe is committed to offering a variety of strategies and resources to help make the net cost of this remarkable education and experience affordable. 99% of Oglethorpe students receive some type of financial aid to help finance their education.
Estimate your aid
Oglethorpe offers both need-based and merit aid based on your academic achievements. Additionally, our generous grant programs for residents of Georgia and the contiguous states, IB diploma recipients and more help to make an Oglethorpe education one of the best values in the country. You can estimate the net price (after aid) you might pay using our college cost calculator.
We're here to help with the fafsa
Frequently asked questions
The cost of attendance (COA) includes your tuition, lab fees if any, activity fee, and room & board. The cost of attendance also accounts for some expenses that are not fees paid to the university. For example, your school books, transportation costs, etc.
The cost of attendance can vary depending on whether or not you live on campus and then which dorm you will be living in.
For the purposes of determining your financial need, we use the following:
- Students from Georgia, living on-campus: $67,158
- Students from out of state: $68,108
- Students living off-campus in an apartment: $68,588
- Students commuting from their parents’ home: $56,828
You won’t know where you are living until the summer before you enroll at Oglethorpe but will want a financial aid package earlier in the year for the purposes of making a decision, therefore we use the same cost of attendance estimate which includes living on campus in our Traer Residence Hall as it is our largest freshman residence hall. Note that for Adult Degree Program (ADP) students, the cost of attendance will vary from these.
The FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. It’s an application to get financial assistance from the federal government for your schooling.
A Student Aid Index or SAI is a number produced by your completed FAFSA that’s used to help colleges determine your financial need.
It is determined by a combination of a government formula called the “Federal methodology”, which is based on information provided in your FAFSA (family size, number in college, income, and assets). There’s no person sitting inside a windowless office crunching numbers. This allows us to determine both the federal aid you qualify for as well as the amount of Oglethorpe aid you may receive. The SAI is made up of two parts: the student contribution and the parent contribution.
The student contribution to the SAI is determined by taking a percentage of your income and assets.
The parent contribution is calculated by a percentage of the total income and assets, after allowances. Total income is the amount of money your family earns…both the taxed and untaxed income. From that number the Federal government deducts three allowances.
- Income Protection Allowance: which takes into consideration where you live in determining basic expenses.
- Employment Allowance: which accounts for the costs of working.
- Asset Protection Allowance: which takes your parents’ ages into account, protecting more of your assets as you get closer to retirement.
What’s left after allowances is considered discretionary income and parents are expected to pay a percentage of that for your school.
Contact us
If you still have questions, email us for additional help.
Schedule an appointment online. Book an appointment with Financial Aid.
