The COAs at big public D1 schools went way up several years ago when the NCAA starting allowing teams to give athletes a stipend equal to the COA estimated incidentials. Penn State athletes got a stipend of about $6000. Alabama’s athletes were getting about $2500. Nick Sabin wasn’t happy. Suddenly the COA went up at Alabama.
NCAA athletes were never allowed to have their personal transportation (to and from home) paid, but now they can include it in COA. Some schools even have different costs for instate and OOS.
Colorado State lost their football coach to UF, and part of the release was a cash payment to CSU of about $1.5 Million. CSU said they were going to use that money to pay the stipends for their athletes.