There is a reason Boston College voted against implementing cost of attendance.
You can see it pretty plainly in a report from The Chronicle of Higher Education outlining what each Power 5 conference school is prepared to offer their players now that legislation has passed to cover the full cost of scholarships.
The figures vary widely from school to school. BC athletic director Brad Bates told me in an interview several months ago those disparities could ultimately give programs offering more money a recruiting advantage.
Surprise, surprise, The Chronicle reports seven SEC programs are in the Top 20. Its analysis "included a review of institutions' financial-aid websites and cost of attendance figures that the colleges report to the federal government."
In the Atlantic Division alone, BC is being put at an even bigger disadvantage. Louisville is prepared to offer more than $5,000 to cover the full cost of attendance, the only ACC school to crack the Top 20. The next two schools on the ACC list? Florida State and Clemson, at more than $3,500 each. BC is right around $1,400, though The Chronicle notes "Elite private institutions sometimes underestimate students’ personal expenses in their published cost of attendance as a way of limiting the sticker shock that can accompany their tuition bills."
The Chronicle also reports "athletics officials from several programs told The Chronicle that they have had conversations with campus admissions and financial-aid officials about raising their institutions' cost-of-attendance figures."
Another surprise there.
Schools can start paying full cost of attendance in August. While these figures are subject to change, the numbers listed for Clemson, Virginia Tech and Florida State are the same ones their respective athletic directors have used when discussing what they would pay out.
Take a look:
Louisville: $5,202
FSU: $3,884
Clemson: $3,608
Pitt: $3,300
Miami: $2,780
Virginia Tech: $2,770
Virginia: $2,564
NC State: $2,430
Wake Forest: $2,400
UNC: $2,236
Duke: $2,206
Georgia Tech: $1,720
Syracuse: $1,632
Boston College: $1,400