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Program Expenses

A cohort tuition model is used for students in the PA Program. The tuition for this group/cohort of students, and each cohort thereafter, will be set before the cohort begins the program and will remain the same throughout the seven semesters/28 months of the program. Tuition will not be subject to annual or periodic increases as students progress through the seven semesters/28 months of the PA curriculum. This will allow candidates to better plan and project the cost of their education in the Program.

If students remain in the program beyond seven semesters, they will be moved to a new cohort and will be charged tuition at the same rate applied to other students in that new cohort.

Included with Tuition

Some PA programs maintain numerous fees in addition to baseline tuition. The JMU PA Program tuition is based on a cohort model. There are no hidden course fees, lab fees, insurance fees, or technology fees. Everything listed below is included with the base tuition:

Basic Life Support (BLS) Certification
Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) Certification
Electronic Logging System (eMedley)
Assessment software (ExamSoft)
Materials & supplies for cadaver lab, health assessment lab, skills workshops, etc.
Patient simulation software
Trained standardized patients

Tuition for cohort beginning Fall 2023

Tuition rates for the fall cohort
Tuition	Virginia Resident	Non-Virginia Resident
Didactic phase (16 months, 74 credits *)	$51,800	$65,490
Clinical phase (12 months, 29 credits*)	$20,300	$25,665
Total (28 months, 103 credits)	$72,100	$91,115

*VA Residents @ $700 / credit; Non-VA residents @ $885 / credit.

Tuition for cohort beginning Fall 2022

Tuition rates for the fall cohort
Tuition	Virginia Resident	Non-Virginia Resident
Didactic phase (16 months, 74 credits *)	$49,210	$63,344
Clinical phase (12 months, 29 credits*)	$19,285	$24,824
Total (28 months, 103 credits)	$68,495	$88,168

*VA Residents @ $665 / credit; Non-VA residents @ $856 / credit.

Other Costs

The following estimates for additional costs are offered to assist students with planning. The estimates are based on costs incurred by previous students. Actual costs will vary depending on individual student situations and choices. Travel to, and secondary housing at clinical sites beyond commuting range is the largest expense and varies widely depending on the location of clinical sites, the assignments of individual students, and the housing needs of individual students. The program assists students in finding housing for the clinical phase, but does not explicitly provide it. The program does not require membership in any professional organizations, but does strongly encourage student membership with VAPA.

Additional costs associtated with the program
Item	Approximate Expense
Medical equipment (otoscope, ophthalmoscope, stethoscope, short white coat, reflex hammer, etc.)	$1,200
Textbooks (approximate – depends on new vs. used)	$2,000
Drug test & background check (subject to change)	$80
Membership - Virginia Academy of PAs (optional, but encouraged)	$20
Membership – American Academy of PAs (optional, but encouraged)	$75
Laptop computer	$500 - $1,000
Annual parking pass, JMU campus	$300
All associated expenses during clinical phase (this includes, but is not limited to, travel/gas, housing costs, parking fees, etc.)	$0 – $10,000 (average: $4,000)
TOTAL	$4,175 – $14,675

Loan Repayment Opportunities

Scholarship Opportunities

JMU Graduate School Fellowship Funds
- Funds are generously provided to our program on an annual basis from the JMU Graduate School. This typically allows for five individual $6,000 scholarships that are awarded on an academic basis. More details are provided upon program matriculation.
JMU Graduate Student Recruitment Scholarships
- Funds are provided annually for 1-2 individual $8,000 scholarships that are awarded on a needs-basis. Eligible students will be contacted by the program just prior to matriculation.
PA Foundation Scholarships
NHSC Scholarships

Refunds of Tuition and/or Fees

Refund information regarding tuition and financial aid can be found with the University Business Office.

Physician Assistant Studies