Tuition and budget
When budgeting for graduate school you need to factor in the cost of tuition and the cost of living. To figure out what you’ll need, we’ve created a budget. We took tuition, added in the average cost of living in Des Moines, the cost of books and equipment, health insurance, food, transportation and other personal expenses. Each student is allowed to receive funding (from all resources i.e.: loans, scholarships, etc.) up to the budget. We used federal guidelines, so the amount represents the maximum funding you can receive. Budgets are adjusted each academic year to reflect any necessary changes.
To be eligible for financial aid, you must plan to register for at least 5 semester hours per term. Financial aid awards cannot be estimated until you have registered for courses.
Keep in mind, the budget is designed for you, the student (not your family) and is only for the months that school is in session.
Des Moines University is a private institution and has the same tuition for in-state and out-of-state students.
Changes on financial aid disbursement
From the financial aid office: Starting in the Fall 2010 all federal financial aid will be disbursed two business days following the drop deadline date, reference the course calendar for specific drop deadline date.
From the business office: Any credit balance that would result from the financial aid being applied to tuition charges will be refunded within three business day of the date applied.
Calculating your budget
To calculate your semester cost of attendance budget, add together tuition, semester cost of living and book costs.
Keep in mind that according to federal regulations, the budget is constructed for a single student only. Usual family expenses are not included.
Budget is subject to change.
Tuition
Tuition is $504 per credit hour.
Cost of living
Calculate your semester cost of living by multiplying the number of weeks enrolled by your weekly total cost of living shown below:
| Full-time student (9 or more credit hours) | Half-time student (5-8 credit hours) | |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | $153/week | $77/week |
| Utilities | $29/week | $15/week |
| Telephone | $19/week | $10/week |
| Food | $80/week | $40/week |
| Personal | $72/week | $36/week |
| Car operation | $30/week | $15/week |
| Car insurance | $30/week | $15/week |
| Total | $413/week | $208/week |
Your living allowance is based on the number of instructional weeks you are expected to attend during each term. To find out how many weeks you are enrolled for refer to the weekly course schedule(s) below:
- Summer 2012 weekly course schedule
- Spring 2012 weekly course schedule
- Fall 2011 weekly course schedule
Estimated cost of textbooks
Books are $450/semester for full-time students and $225/semester for half-time students.