How much does SFA cost?

Attending college includes both direct and indirect costs.

  • Direct costs: tuition, fees, housing and meals
  • Indirect costs: books, supplies, course materials, equipment, travel and other miscellaneous expenses

Factors that affect your direct cost include: your residency status, how many credit hours you're taking, whether you're an undergraduate or graduate student, and your housing and meal plan selections.

For Texas residents, participation in the Flat-Rate Tuition plan also impacts your total Cost of Attendance.

Average Cost of Attendance: August 2024 - May 2025

In the tables below, estimations are based on an undergraduate student taking 12 hours per term. Expand the appropriate section to view cost breakdown according to residency status.

Texas residents

To qualify as a Texas resident, you must have lived in Texas for at least one year prior to enrollment at SFA. If your parents claimed you as a dependent on their most recent federal tax return, their residency status will be used to determine whether you qualify for in-state tuition.

Academic Year
Estimated Cost
On CampusOff-CampusLiving with Parents
Tuition / Fees$11,128
Loan Fees*$46
Housing** & Food$13,144$12,184$6,092
Books, Course Materials,
Supplies, & Equipment
$1,208
Travel$1,550
Misc.$1,800
Estimated Total$28,876$27,916$21,824

*Loan Fees: Additional loan fees are required to be added to a student's Cost of Attendance budget for any student loan borrowed.

**Based on a mid-priced residence hall.

Border-State residents

View the Residency webpage for information on students who may be eligible to pay border-state tuition.

Academic Year
Estimated Cost
On CampusOff-Campus
Tuition / Fees$12,028
Loan Fees*$46
Housing** & Food$13,144$12,184
Books, Course Materials,
Supplies, & Equipment
$1,208
Travel$1,550
Misc.$1,800
Estimated Total$29,776$28,816

*Loan Fees: Additional loan fees are required to be added to a student's Cost of Attendance budget for any student loan borrowed.

**Based on a mid-priced residence hall.

Out-of-State residents

Students who are not classified as Texas residents for tuition purposes will pay out-of-state tuition. If you are currently classified as a non-resident and you want to be reclassified as a Texas resident, you’ll need to complete the core residency questionnaire, which is used to determine your residency status for tuition purposes.

Nonresident teaching or research assistants employed at least half-time in a position related to their degree program are considered residents for tuition purposes for the entire period of their assistantship.

Nonresident students who hold scholarships of $1,000 or more offered by an SFA scholarship committee are eligible for in-state tuition for the duration of the scholarship.

Academic Year
Estimated Cost
On CampusOff-Campus
Tuition / Fees$23,428
Loan Fees*$46
Housing** & Food$13,144$12,184
Books, Course Materials,
Supplies, & Equipment
$1,208
Travel$1,550
Misc.$1,800
Estimated Total$41,176$40,216

*Loan Fees: Additional loan fees are required to be added to a student's Cost of Attendance budget for any student loan borrowed.

**Based on a mid-priced residence hall.

Summer term: estimated cost

In the example below, we estimated the cost for a full-time undergraduate student taking 12 or more hours and living in a residence hall during summer 2024:

View estimated cost for summer term

Summer Term
Estimated Budget
Texas ResidentBorder-state ResidentNon-Resident
Tuition / Fees$5,564$5,924$10,604
Loan Fees*$23
Housing & Food$3,714**
Books, Course Materials, Supplies & Equipment$601
Travel$334
Misc.$600
Estimated Total$10,836$11,196$15,876

*Loan Fees: Additional loan fees are required to be added to a student's Cost of Attendance budget for any student loan borrowed.

**Room and board rates for on-campus residents are for summer occupancy May 12 through Aug. 7. The full rate will be applied to the student's eBill. Students who check in after the summer halls open on May 12 or check out before the halls close will have their bills adjusted accordingly.

Cost calculators and full rate tables are resources available to help you estimate your cost based on your own direct and additional costs.

Tuition and Fee Plans and Rate Tables

Need more information about tuition and fees? Visit the Tuition and Fee Plans and Rate Tables page to get an estimate of the cost of your tuition and fees based on your total credits, level (undergraduate and graduate) and residency status.

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board offers a Net Price Calculator to access estimated net price information (estimated cost of attendance minus estimated grant and scholarship aid) for SFA based on the user’s individual circumstances. Learn more about applying for aid.