Can Costs Associated With Dissertation Or Thesis Research Be Included In the Cost Of Attendance?

Yes, if the student is still considered to be enrolled as a regular student—defined under 34 CFR 600.2 as "A person who is enrolled or accepted for enrollment at an institution for the purpose of obtaining a degree, certificate, or other recognized educational credential offered by that institution." If the student is enrolled in some dissertation or thesis work, the student must be considered to be enrolled at least half time to be eligible for Direct Loans. This is true even if no tuition is assessed on credits assigned to the student. See AskRegs Knowledgebase Q&A, Can We Disburse Title IV Aid When a Student Is Not Assessed Tuition for Work on a Thesis or Dissertation?

If costs associated with the dissertation or thesis are costs that would normally be included in the cost of attendance (COA) components defined by statute, dissertation or thesis students would not be handled any differently than other enrolled students. For example, the student could have standard housing, food, books, course materials, supplies, and equipment included in the COA. Inclusion of other cost components are at the school's discretion as long as they are reasonable and documented. These can be noninstitutional costs not assessed by the school for other students (who may be off campus, in the case of housing and food), but are still included in the COA.

The student does not have to submit an appeal to have standard costs included in his, her, or their COA, and the financial aid administrator does not have to exercise professional judgment (PJ).

Note: Effective with the 2023-24 award year, the COA component for “room and board” has been renamed "living expenses." "Room" has been renamed "housing" and "board" has been renamed "food;" and the COA component for “books and supplies” has been renamed “books, course materials, supplies, and equipment.” See Section 472 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA), as amended, [20 USC 1087LL].

See the November 4, 2022 Dear Colleague Letter, GEN-22-15, for more information.

Student Aid Reference Desk: For additional information, try the Student Aid Reference Desk. It is a central hub of all the important financial aid resources you need with direct links to legislation, regulation, Dear Colleague Letters, and other ED and NASFAA references. It is updated on a rolling basis with the latest news and changes.