Understanding Washburn University Tuition and Fees

Estimating the cost of your college education is an important part of planning your future, and Washburn University wants to give you the tools to make the right choice. At Washburn, you never have to worry about large, unexpected costs for attending college. Washburn University believes in making a college education attainable for all. This article breaks down the costs associated with attending Washburn University, financial aid options, and resources available to help students manage their finances.

Cost of Attendance: The Sticker Price

The "Cost of Attendance" is the total amount of money the average student has to pay, WITHOUT any financial aid, to attend a particular school. Think of it as a school’s sticker price. Knowing what a school costs is Step #1 in managing college costs. The cost of attending Washburn University shouldn't be a surprise. Use our Net Price Calculator to estimate your total expenses, including tuition, fees and potential financial aid. The Cost of Attendance breakdown for Washburn University differs depending on whether you’re an in-state or out-of-state student - in-state students can expect lower costs for tuition and fees.

Washburn University's tuition is $10,256 for in-state and $10,256 for out-of-state students. Compared with the national average cost of in-state tuition of $12,436, Washburn University is cheaper. For students coming from out of state, the tuition is cheaper than the national average cost of out-of-state tuition of $29,815. These figures include both tuition and fees, also referred to as the sticker price. Fees differ by institution and may fund library services, student gym facilities, student centers, technology resources and campus health centers.

The reflected Cost of Attendance budgets are based on one academic year (fall and spring semesters).

Additional Expenses Beyond Tuition

As you’re comparing costs of different institutions, also consider the total cost and the net price. The total cost is the sticker price, plus the cost of food and housing, books and supplies, and transportation and personal expenses. At Washburn University, the total cost is $25,417 for in-state students and $36,751 for out-of-state students.

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Other costs associated with attending Washburn University include:

Books and Supplies: \$861 per year
Personal Expenses: \$1,777 per year
Transportation: \$1,551 per year

Net Price: What You'll Actually Pay

The Net Price is the total cost minus the total aid given. In other words, this is the price you have to pay to the school out of pocket. Average Net Price is $12,473 per year. Your net price is a college’s cost of attendance minus the grants and scholarships you receive. The net price you pay for a particular college is specific to you because it’s based on your personal circumstances and the college’s financial aid policies. Use the college’s Net Price calculator for the most accurate estimate of your net price. You can access your College Financing Plan through your my.washburn.edu account under the Financial Aid Dashboard. It becomes available once we have an estimate of your college costs and financial aid package.

Financial Aid Options at Washburn University

Washburn University believes in making a college education attainable for all. You'll find numerous ways to pay for your education at Washburn University. Students with financial need may be eligible for grants and free gift aid that - unlike loans - typically don't require being paid back.

Financial aid can include grants, loans, scholarships and work-study jobs. Financial aid packages vary depending on your financial need. Most colleges determine financial need based on your FAFSA.

Key Financial Aid Statistics:

Students Receiving Financial Aid: 58.8%
Freshmen With Need and Received Financial Aid: 99.13%
Average Aid Package Awarded: \$11,703

Grants and Scholarships: Free Money for College

We’re focusing on grants and scholarships first because they’re the most important forms of financial aid. Grants and scholarships are better than loans because students don’t ever have to pay them back. Although it’s useful to know how many students get grant aid, it’s also important to know how much grant aid people tend to receive.

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Grant and Scholarship Details:

Need-Based Scholarship or Grant Award: \$8,564

Washburn University offers a wide variety of scholarships to help you pay for college, including our automatic, GPA-based academic merit scholarships. Incoming freshman students are automatically eligible to receive up to $20,000 ($12,000 for transfer students) in GPA-based merit scholarships just by completing a free application to Washburn University. Other scholarship opportunities include regional/specialized scholarships based on where you live and other factors, and departmental scholarships based on which area of study you pursue. Other scholarships include the Alumni Association Legacy Scholarship, Washburn Women's Alliance Single-Parent Scholarship, Aleshire Center for Leadership and Community Engagement Scholarship and departmental scholarships. Residents of Shawnee County and other Northeast Kansas counties who are financially eligible based on their FAFSA can receive a tuition-free education at Washburn thanks to our Shawnee County Promise and Thrives and Northeast Kansas Advantage financial aid packages. The University also offers other Kansas scholarships, including the Finnup Scholarship in Southwest Kansas.

Student Loans: Borrowing for Your Education

Aside from grants, the other major way to pay for college is with student loans. The more student loan money you borrow, the more debt you’ll end up with after graduation. Ideally, you want to minimize your student debt as much as possible. It’s generally a bad sign if a school has many students taking out a lot of loans. It’s very common for college grads in the US to graduate with some debt, but high percentages of students taking on loans at a particular school is a big red flag.

Loan Statistics:

Need-Based Loan Amount: \$3,779
Typical Debt at Graduation: \$24,780

At Washburn University, 60% of all students take out federal loans. At Washburn University, the average annual federal loan amount is $5847. At Washburn University, 2% of students take out private loans. The average private loan amount at Washburn University is $5936. The percentage of students getting federal loans is greater than those getting private loans, which is a good sign.

Understanding Expected Family Contribution (EFC)

Once again, the Net Price is the total cost of attending, minus the aid you can expect to get (grants and scholarships). The US government has come up with a standardized way to calculate how much a typical family can afford to pay without help. As an example, a family that brings home $80,000 in income before taxes, with no assets and no other children in college, has an EFC of around $7,000. Colleges use this number as a guideline to decide how much aid to give you, but it's just a guideline. So we're going to calculate your EFC and compare it to Washburn University's Net Price. If the Net Price is higher than the EFC, the school will cost more than you can typically afford. This tool will calculate your Expected Family Contribution, or EFC. In order to calculate this amount, we need just 4 pieces of information from you. According to the information you’ve entered above, your Expected Family Contribution should be about $. This is the amount that the federal government thinks you can afford to pay for school. Please note this tool is only an approximation, and your personal situation may cause your EFC to vary.

Financial Aid Application Process

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a form that determines your eligibility for federal financial aid and some Washburn University scholarships, including the Shawnee County Promise and Thrives Scholarships and the Northeast Kansas Advantage Scholarship. To apply for federal financial aid and some university scholarships, please complete your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by July 1 using Washburn's school code (001949). The application must be completed each year by July 1 using Washburn's school code (001949) to determine financial eligibility. If you need assistance completing your FAFSA, see our FAFSA guide. After that, our Financial Aid Office will send you a financial aid offer letter in the spring.

Tuition Guarantee Plans

Tuition at time of first enrollment guaranteed only to students making advance payment

Additional Resources at Washburn University

Washburn University has several resources available for students to help them financially plan for their future through the WU Financial Wellness Program.

Washburn Tech offers educational opportunities that you cannot afford to miss. If you are just out of high school or an adult going back to school, you will find our tuition costs among the lowest in the state. If you are a high school student, who meets specific requirements, your tuition for most courses is free! Thanks to a Kansas Senate bill called Excel in CTE, the state of Kansas picks up the tab for high school students who meet Kansas residency requirements for enrollment in most tiered career technical courses. Washburn Tech offers several options for the payment of student account balances. Log in to WU-View to pay by electronic check, signature debit card or credit card, or to set up a payment plan for the current term. For all students, tuition and fee charges must be paid, or a payment plan set up, by the published payment deadline in order to avoid a late fee. It is important to remember that, unlike many institutions, students are not dropped from classes for non-payment.

Weighing the Value of a Washburn University Education

As a regional school, Washburn University may not be a household name nationwide, but it's known to people in the local area as a solid school. Compared to some other regional schools, Washburn University didn't appear on our best value lists. This might be because the net price is higher than for other schools of similar reputation. This isn't the end of the world - you can likely still afford Washburn University by taking out loans, earning scholarships, or working part-time. Overall, Washburn University is a decent value, and going to college here will likely pay off over time.

Making an Informed Decision

You probably know that planning for expenses is an important part of the college application process. By learning more about expenses and aid, you’re already on the right path to managing college costs. Chances are, college won't be cheap. Have you considered a range of private and public schools? What if you didn't attend college at all? Here's our take: college will be a really important stage in your development. Going to a better, more reputable college will usually pay off in the long run. If you’re interested in Washburn University, you should check out some other high-value schools that could give you more bang for your buck. Get started here to check both in-state and out-of-state schools that might provide a better value. Finally, we're going to look at schools that might offer a better value than Washburn University. To compile this list, we first find schools at similar academic levels, so you have a similar chance at getting in. It’s hard to know exactly what schools will be a great value for you without information on your family income. There are a lot of potential financial benefits that come with attending a school close to home. For example, in-state public schools tend to have subsidized tuitions for state residents.

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