Cost of Attendance

The Cost of Attendance is an estimated total cost that is calculated to help students and their families understand what they should expect to spend for the upcoming academic year. The Cost of Attendance includes the comprehensive fee that will be billed the Student Account and any out-of-pocket expenses that the student may incur, including personal expenses, books, and travel/transportation.

For more information regarding charges and payment, see our Student Charges & Payment Schedule page.

*The comprehensive fee includes tuition, housing and food. It also includes an allocation for the Student Government Association and funding for use of college health services (not including student health insurance).

**Travel/transportation costs vary depending upon the U.S. or Canadian home address.

Incoming first-year students will be billed the Colby Outdoor Orientation Trips (COOT) fee of $275.

Colby requires all students, including students participating in Colby billed programs such as Colby at Bigelow Laboratory, Colby in Dijon, and Colby in Salamanca, to certify proof of health insurance coverage on an annual basis. In compliance with the College’s 100% health insurance coverage mandate, Colby offers a student health insurance plan administered by Wellfleet Group and serviced by Cross Insurance, 150 Mill Street, Suite 4, Lewiston, ME 04240.  Click here to review frequently asked questions about the 24-25 student health insurance, including benefits summary, exclusions, and limitations. 

All full-time, enrolled students in the fall will be billed for the $2,493 annual premium for coverage beginning on August 1st, 2024 and ending July 31st, 2025. For students who will be enrolled in a college-billed program for the spring semester only, the spring health insurance premium of $1,448 will be charged on the student account statement for coverage beginning on January 1st, 2025 and ending July 31st, 2025. 

When choosing to enroll in, or opt out of, the Colby Student Health Insurance Plan, students must complete the online enrollment/waiver form each year by August 1st, 2024 for the fall, and January 1st, 2025 for the spring. Students electing to waive Colby’s insurance coverage must provide proof of comparable coverage to the plan offered by Colby through Cross Insurance. Students submitting a waiver must have their current insurance information available to submit.  The health insurance premium charge will only be reversed when a student’s waiver request has been approved by Wellfleet.

For the 2024-25 school year, all international students will be enrolled in Colby’s student health insurance plan and will be billed for the $2,493 annual premium. For this reason, international students will not be required to complete the online enrollment or waiver form. If you are an international student with a U.S. based health insurance carrier, and you believe you do not need the Colby SHIP, please reach out to Student Financial Services at [email protected].

Some students receiving financial aid qualify for federal work-study. Federal work-study is a federal aid program that provides part-time employment while you are enrolled in school to help pay your educational expenses. Students interested in participating in the America Reads program MUST have a federal work-study award.

Income from a student’s work-study or employment can be used to pay for any out-of-pocket expenses that may be incurred. Students may also elect to use their work-study earnings toward any balances due on their Student Accounts.

For more information regarding student employment, visit the Student Employment General Information page.