Hildreth Institute Announces Launch of Cost of Attendance Transparency Research Project

The Hildreth Institute is formally launching its Cost of Attendance (COA) Transparency Project, a multi-year research initiative aimed at strengthening the accuracy, transparency, and equity of how colleges estimate students’ living costs.

Colleges have long had wide discretion in estimating students’ COA, particularly living expenses that shape both how students budget for the year and how much financial aid they receive. Research shows that nearly half of colleges misestimate these costs by 20% or more, distorting aid packages and student budgets, and disproportionately impacting low-income and working students.

The COA Transparency Project looks to understand and address the root causes of discrepancies in COA estimates through research and collaboration. Phase I of the project focuses on building the evidence base and partnerships needed to inform effective federal oversight and institutional reform. By combining data analysis with stakeholder engagement, the project will ensure that future standards for COA estimation are grounded in institutional realities and co-developed with those who shape and use this information.

Over the course of the year, the project will be releasing an interactive dashboard to compare college-reported and local cost estimates nationwide, research and policy reports analyzing discrepancies, factors that drive the discrepancies, and implications, and a stakeholder roundtable and recommendations brief providing a framework for standardized COA methodologies.

The COA Transparency Project is made possible with generous support from the Lumina Foundation, Strada Education Foundation, Gates Foundation, Hildreth Steward Charitable Foundation, and Tech Forward.