Planning for Next Year
Can I start to plan for next year’s bill before it is released during the summer?
Yes, while the 25/26 costs haven’t been determined yet, you can still start planning for next year’s bill right now. This will allow you to have a plan to pay for the increased cost before bills come out in the summer.
Even if BU aid goes up each year by the same percentage as the tuition increase, you’ll still be responsible for some of the increase in tuition, food, housing, and other costs. You will need to plan for this and think about how to minimize expenses and maximize resources. The BU Scholarship Assurance enables you to plan for the cost of your entire degree by guaranteeing your Boston University need-based scholarship for each of your undergraduate years!
Here’s some examples on how to estimate your bill for next year based on different housing and dining plan choices and an estimated 3.5% increase in tuition:
Chose to live in a double at the standard rate
Year 1 – 24/25 Academic Year
Initial BU Financial Aid Award – $72,000
Year 1 Tuition & Mandatory Fees – $68,102
Year 1 Food and Housing – $19,020
Year 1 Bill – $15,122
Planning for next year:
Year 2 – 25/26 Academic Year (Estimated 3.5% increase in Tuition & Food/Housing)
Year 2 BU Financial Aid – $74,500 (increased by 3.5% – note the increase to your award is by the same percentage as the increase to tuition, not the same dollar amount)
Year 2 Tuition & Mandatory Fees – $70,486
Year 2 Food and Housing – $19,686
Year 2 Bill – $15,672 (Even living in the same housing choice, you bill for the next year will still be higher due to the increased cost of housing from the annual increase)
Chose to live in a single in StuVi with no dining plan
Year 1 – 24/25 Academic Year
Initial BU Financial Aid Award – $72,000
Year 1 Tuition & Mandatory Fees – $68,102
Year 1 Food and Housing – $19,020
Year 1 Bill – $15,122
Planning for next year:
Year 2 – 25/26 Academic Year (Estimated 3.5% increase in Tuition & Food/Housing)
Year 2 BU Financial Aid – $74,500 (increased by 3.5% – note the increase to your award is by the same percentage as the increase to tuition, not the same dollar amount)
Year 2 Tuition & Mandatory Fees – $70,486
Year 2 Food and Housing – $21,756
Year 2 Bill – $17,742 (Your bill goes up due to the more expensive housing choice. BU need-based aid will not increase for more expensive housing choices. You will also need to plan for additional out of pocket expenses for purchasing food without the dining plan)
Chose to live off-campus
Year 1 – 24/25 Academic Year
Initial BU Financial Aid Award – $72,000
Year 1 Tuition & Mandatory Fees – $68,102
Year 1 Food and Housing – $19,020
Year 1 Bill – $15,122
Planning for next year:
Year 2 – 25/26 Academic Year (Estimated 3.5% increase in Tuition & Food/Housing)
Year 2 BU Financial Aid – $74,500 (increased by 3.5% – note the increase to your award is by the same percentage as the increase to tuition, not the same dollar amount)
Year 2 Tuition & Mandatory Fees – $70,486
Year 2 Food and Housing – None (if you live off-Campus BU will not bill you for Food or Housing, however, you will still need to plan for paying these expenses out of pocket)
Year 2 Credit – $4,014 CR (This amount is available as a refund to help pay for off-campus living expenses)
*Note: If your BU Financial Aid Award includes a Charles River Housing Grant, this grant will not be renewed if you live in off-campus housing, so you will need to plan to pay an additional $3,600 in the upcoming year.
These examples are simplified and do not include federal or state aid eligibility, however, you can include your federal and state financial aid in your estimates as well. Federal and State financial aid can change from year to year, so you should complete the FAFSAThe Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is used to determine eligibility for state and federal grants, scholarships, and loans. The FAFSA can be completed on the Federal Student Aid website. The Boston University FAFSA school code is 002130. as soon as its available to determine what your eligibility for the upcoming year will be.
When thinking about what your cost will be for upcoming years, it is also important to know what resources are available to help finance those costs. You can find more information on financing options available on our website. We also advise looking at our planning tools with anyone helping you pay for BU. You can also find anticipated housing rates available on the BU Housing website.
Commuting from home and living in off-campus housing are not the same, so if you chose to move home and commute to BU you should contact BU Financial Assistance as the “Living Off-Campus” example would not be accurate in the case.
