Graduate Student Expenses

There is no denying that being a Stanford student is expensive. Understanding what it costs will help you as you seek out funding.

• Sources of graduate student funding

Planning for the Realistic Costs of Graduate Study

Most students find it helpful to plan their budgets for the year. Here are some categories of expenses to keep in mind when planning your budget:

• Tuition [see Finances section]
• ASSU fees (quarterly fees for student government)
• Books (for courses and outside research)
• Housing (rent, security deposit, utilities, furnishings, cleaning, minor repairs)
• Food (beverages, at-home food, and occasional meals out)
• Apparel, personal needs (clothing, shoes, toiletries, laundry)
• Transportation (fares, vehicle running expenses, parking, insurance)
• Travel (airfare, lodging; to visit friends and family, conferences, job search)
• Medical (insurance, co-payments, uncovered medications, dental)
• Entertainment (movies, events, magazines, newspapers)
• Childcare
• Taxes
• Moving expenses (to Stanford, between residences, leaving Stanford)

Stanford Graduate Student Expense Budget

Each year, the Financial Aid Office develops a standard graduate student budget. According to government regulations, this budget may only include expenses related to the official “cost of attendance.” This budget is used to determine:

• maximum loan eligibility for U.S. citizens and permanent residents (Perkins. Stafford, and GATE)
• federal work-study assistantships
• eligibility for visa authorizations for international students

This budget is a minimum computation of annual expenses for a single student. Actual expenses may exceed this figure depending upon your choices. Remember that several of the expenses in the list above are not included in the Stanford Graduate Student Expense Budget.

• Official estimated "cost of attendance" on campus