Cost of Attendance

NASFAA’s Professional Credentials provide financial aid administrators and professionals in related fields the opportunity to earn tangible recognition for mastery of content pertaining to federal Title IV aid administration. To earn this credential, candidates need to know the basic principles and processes of student budget construction. Candidates need to know the standard components of a student’s cost of attendance (COA), allowable additional costs, and rules related to recalculation of the COA. Holding this credential demonstrates the ability to protect the integrity of the Title IV programs by ensuring the school’s COA policies and procedures result in the construction of accurate and appropriate student budgets, which directly affects the equitable distribution of financial aid funding.

Earning Criteria

Recipients must complete the earning criteria to earn this badge.

General Requirements

Financial aid professionals can qualify to sit for a test in at least one of the following ways:

Complete an independent study on specific topics using a Self-Study Guide
Take an instructor-led NASFAA U Online Course
Demonstrate five or more years of well-rounded professional experience
Attend a NASFAA U Authorized Event that uses the approved NASFAA curriculum

Assessment

The range of topics in this test include:

Student Budget Construction
Cost of Attendance Components and Restrictions
Recalculations and Non-Title IV Aid

Tests may include questions pertaining to a variety of program structures, such as credit- or clock-hour, term or nonterm, standard or nonstandard term, undergraduate or graduate/professional programs, and programs of various length (shorter than one year, two-year, four-year, certificate, etc.).

NASFAA Professional Credentials do not expire; however, credentialed professionals may renew each credential. NASFAA recommends renewing credentials every three years, barring any major regulatory changes. Renewal is not mandatory.

Learn more about NASFAA’s Professional Credentials.