Cost of Attendance
What is Cost of Attendance?
The Cost of Attendance (COA) is an estimated cost for school-related expenses. Tuition and fees are actual costs. Food, housing, books, supplies, transportation, and other expenses are estimated costs for CNM students.
Important: The Cost of Attendance (COA) represents estimated educational expenses for financial aid purposes. It is not a bill and may differ from the actual amount you will pay to CNM.
How Your COA is Determined
Your COA, or student budget, is based on your:
- Enrollment period (fall, spring, and/or summer)
- Residency status (resident, non-resident)
- Enrollment hours (full-time, part-time, etc.)
- Living situation (with parents, off campus, etc.)
CNM assigns standard costs to these categories to create your individualized budget in accordance with federal guidelines.
Period Budgeting Cost of Attendance
Cost of Attendance (COA) or Student Budget is your educational expenses for a given period of enrollment, e.g., fall, spring, and summer. Different standard costs are derived by assigning values to similar components, e.g., tuition, books, fees, residency, enrollment, transportation, among others, to create a your student budget. The budget is based on personalized calculations for your situation. It is general in nature.
These values, in accordance with federal regulations, are designed to cover the basic cost of your education. If you attend less than the full number of weeks per term e.g., 15 weeks for fall and spring, 12 weeks for summer, your cost of attendance is adjusted to reflect your actual enrollment.
Tuition and Fees are based on the actual tuition, registration fee, and technological fees in which you are enrolled. If you are currently not enrolled, your tuition and fees will default to using the Federal Methodology budget until you have registered for classes.
Awards vary based on financial need, which is the difference between the cost of attendance at CNM less your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and other resources. In addition, your cost of attendance can potentially be reduced based on the maximum number of weeks you are attending, which may reduce your financial aid award.
Please keep in mind that your budget will change to reflect any updates you may make to your student enrollment record and/or FAFSA.
As mentioned, the Cost of Attendance is an estimate used to determine financial aid eligibility and may not reflect the actual amount you will pay to attend CNM.
Federal Methodology Budgets
The following budget is based on calculations for several different student situations. It is general in nature.
Tuition Costs
Tuition rates are based on the your residency status, where you live and how many credit hours you take. Students eligible for New Mexico resident status qualify for in-district tuition if they live within the CNM District. Resident students living in New Mexico, but outside the CNM District, qualify for out-of-district tuition. CNM also offers a senior citizen discount.
Paying for Classes — the CNM Cashier's Office receives payments and offers payment plans split up into installments.
Net Price Calculator
The US Department of Education has developed a Net Price calculator to help college students estimate the total cost of their education. This calculator is intended to provide estimated net price information (defined as estimated cost of attendance including tuition and required fees, books and supplies, room and board, and other related expenses – minus estimated grant and scholarship aid) to current and prospective students and their families based on what similar students paid in a previous year.
- CNM’s resident tuition cost per credit hour is one of the lowest in the state. See the Tuition page for current tuition rates and fees.
- CNM credit hours are transferable to other state universities for most Associate Programs.
- CNM offers smaller class sizes than larger schools, meaning students can find more personal attention and one-on-one time with instructors.