New England School of Communications

'11-'12 Estimated Cost

 PLEASE NOTE: Tuition and fees are based on anywhere between 12-17 credits per semester

Cost of Attendance VS. Out of Pocket Cost

The balance for the year that is listed above is based on a full-time (12-17 credits) resident student. Commuter students should subtract the room & board and damage deposit fee to get their cost of attendance. Part-time students should see the financial aid office for a specific cost of attendance because calculations depend on the chosen course load.

The cost of attendance is the whole price that is owed before any financial aid is applied. This is not necessarily the out-of-pocket cost that students and their families are responsible for. We suggest that all students file a FAFSA (http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/) because at the very least, for students who qualify, Financial Aid varies for every student but by filing the FAFSA, and doing it early, you may set yourself up for a bigger financial aid package.

Based on the information on their filed FAFSA , students are assigned an "Expected Family Contribution" or "EFC." The school is also notified of the student's EFC and will send the student a Financial Aid Award Letter outlining the financial aid programs and amounts the student is eligible for.

When determining out-of-pocket cost use the following formula:

Cost of Attendance - Financial Aid + Books & Supplies = Out-of-Pocket Cost

The cost of attendance can be found at the top of this page. Be sure to correctly figure housing costs if you are not going to be a resident student. The programs listed on your Financial Aid Award Letter will have specific amounts listed. Add together the programs you decide to accept and subtract that number from your cost of attendance. Books & supplies must be purchased separately. Books & supplies are sometimes able to be covered by financial aid but not upfront. You must be prepared to purchase your books & supplies when school starts. A reimbursement can be made but only after all financial aid funds have been received and processed.

Payment Options

Each semester, after financial aid has been applied to the students account, there is often a balance that remains.There are 3 basic options to help students and families cope with the cost of the education they are purchasing.

1. The Payment Plan- NESCom offers a payment plan that allows you to pay off your balance in 3 installments each semester. The amount from your semester tuition bill (after all other aid has been applied) is divided by 3. The result is the payment amount for the 3 installments of the semester. For Fall, a payment would be due in August, September, and October. For Spring a payment would be due in January, February, and March.

The payment plan does not charge interest or fees for this option. We do ask you to complete and return the Payment Plan Contract (enclosed with semester tuition bill) if you would like to participate in this option.

2. The Parent PLUS Loan-This is a loan taken out by the student's parent. It has a fixed interest rate of 8.5% and is federally sponsored. fixed for all new PLUS Loans at a rate. Interest may be tax deductible under the Hope Education Tax Credit. There is no penalty for early repayment and the borrower may request up to the full cost of the student's education for that year, less the amount of any other financial aid received. PLUS loans require a credit check so good credit history is required. The borrower is the parent of a dependent undergraduate student. If a parent's application for a PLUS loan is denied, the student may be eligible to borrow additional funds under the Unsubsidized Stafford Loan Program.

3. Private Alternative Loans- Private loans are credit based, not federally backed, and are in the student's name. A student is not required to file a FAFSA to obtain an alternative loan, however you may qualify for Title IV grants (do not have to be repaid) and lower, fixed-rate federal loans if you do.

Alternative loans almost always are variable rate loans. Interest rates can range anywhere between 5%-19% and often depend on whether the student has a co-signer and the co-signers credit history.

Not all lenders participate in private loans and all offer different services and benefits. It is very important to do your research when looking into a private student loan and always make sure you exhaust all federal student loan options before obtaining a private loan. Click here for a list of alternative loans.

Books and Supplies

Books and Supplies are not taken into account in the cost of attendance. However, these figures are important in calculating out-of-pocket cost so please take the following into account.

Other costs not covered by Financial Aid:

Firewire Hard Drive REQUIRED for all students: $140. NESCom® has made arrangements for these to be purchased at dealer cost from Lacie Company. You must purchase the hard drive when you register for classes. The purchase also includes a complimentary NESCom® backpack. IF you already own or wish to purchase the hard drive elsewhere it MUST have 7200 RPM and at least 700 GB.

Books: $1000/year (estimated). You can be reimbursed for your books through financial aid but you will not be reimbursed until all of your financial aid has been processed. Be prepared to purchase your books when school starts without aid.

Graduation Fee: $75.00

Misc. Expenses: $300.00 (proximity card, notebooks, supplies, etc.)

Tuition and Fees

Tuition listed in the estimated costs is based on a student with full-time status. (12-18 credit hours)This fee helps cover the costs of consumable materials (printing paper, DVD's, printer ink) as well as the acquisition and maintenance of our significant equipment. While this fee does not nearly cover the costs of these items, it is necessary for us to try to keep pace with some of these costs.

Room & Board

Housing costs can vary significantly based on the living arrangements you select. The financial aid office uses the standard "double occupancy" rate in the budget to determine aid eligibility. Extra costs apply for single occupancies if/when available.