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Determine Your Net Cost of Attendance

When it comes to planning for college expenses, it's important to understand your net (out-of-pocket) cost. This refers to the estimated total cost of attending, minus any scholarships or grants you receive. You can cover out-of-pocket costs using personal funds, student loans, or both. Knowing this information will help you plan ahead and budget effectively for your college education.

We are committed to transparency regarding the costs associated with attending Cal Poly, and we are dedicated to assisting you in finding feasible ways, through financial aid and other funding opportunities, to achieve your educational goals.

Prospective undergraduate students can also use our net price calculator.

Calculate Net Cost

Step 1: In your My Cal Poly portal, go to the "Money Matters" tab, click on “View My Financial Aid,” then select the current Aid Year.

  • Accept or decline any scholarship and/or loan funding. Grant funding will be automatically accepted for you.

Step 2: Determine your net cost of attendance after any grant and scholarship funding has been factored in using the College Financing Plan.

  • In your My Cal Poly portal, go to the Student Center, click on "Financials", then "View Financial Aid." You'll find the College Financing Plan in the top right corner.
  • The gold box displays the net price after grant and scholarship funding (i.e. "free money") has been factored in.
  • The green boxes at the bottom provide additional funding options that can be used to meet the cost outlined in the gold box.

Things to keep in mind:

  • The Total Cost of Attendance listed at the top is the average total cost of attending Cal Poly for one academic year (fall, winter, and spring), but your exact costs may differ slightly. The costs displayed are based on the student's residency status, major, housing plans, etc.
  • Federal Work-Study funds are paid directly to students who secure employment, in the form of a monthly paycheck, and are not applied directly to tuition or other Cal Poly charges. Federal Work-Study is not required to secure a job on campus

Step 3: Choose a payment option that best fits your financial circumstances and goals

Option 1: Pay with additional loan funding. 

The most common options are the Parent PLUS Loan and private loans. Compare these loan types and chose the right one for you. The maximum you can borrow is your estimated cost of attendance minus all awarded financial aid. 

One third of the total loan amount will be disbursed before the beginning of each (fall, winter and summer) quarter. Please be advised that online applications for Parent PLUS Loans will not be available until after June 1st for the upcoming academic year.

Option 2: Pay with an interest-free monthly payment plan. 

Students can enroll in a Term Payment Plan where each quarter’s registration/tuition charges are broken down into three monthly payments. Housing and dining charges are broken down into monthly payments.

Option 3: Pay in full when billed each quarter. 

The Student Accounts Office will send you an email each quarter (fall, winter and spring) after your charges have been posted. 

You will be billed separately for registration/tuition, housing and/or dining (if applicable to you). You are not charged registration/tuition fees until you enroll each quarter. However, housing and dining charges are posted upfront for the academic year. 

The Student Accounts Office handles charges and payments. Learn more about charges and due dates.