NIL glossary
What is cost of attendance?
Cost of attendance is a college's estimate of the full cost of a year at school, including tuition, fees, housing, food, books and other expenses, and several state NIL laws say a scholarship covering it is not NIL compensation.
On this page
In detail
California's and Virginia's NIL statutes, for example, exclude scholarships covering cost of attendance from the definition of compensation, so they cannot be treated as NIL pay or revoked because of NIL earnings.
Frequently asked questions
Is a cost-of-attendance scholarship NIL money?
No. Several state NIL laws, including California's and Virginia's, say it is not compensation.
Sources
- California Education Code § 67456 — FindLaw (California Code)
- Code of Virginia § 23.1-408.1 — Virginia General Assembly
This is general information, not legal advice. NIL rules differ by state, school, association and sport, and they change often. Check the official sources linked on this page and talk with your school's compliance office, your state association or a licensed attorney before you sign anything.