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Penn State could provide a nearly $5,000 cost of attendance stipend

Penn State could be in an advantageous position vs. other Big Ten schools when it comes to the cost of attendance stipend.

As part of the NCAA's autonomy reforms, schools in the Power Five conferences are allowed to provide stipends to cover the cost of attendance. Cost of attendance is tabulated by each school, and so there are some discrepancies from school to school for various reasons.

Need an example? Just look at what PSU lists as the cost for miscellaneous expenses for a student vs. what other Big Ten schools do. From PennLive.com:

Based on cost-of-attendance figures cited by CollegeData.com for the 2014-15 academic calendar, Penn State ranks at the top of the Big Ten with a miscellaneous expenses figure of $4,788. If it stays the same next school year, that means $4,788 of walking-around money during the nine-month period for athletes who receive full grants in aid.

In contrast, Ohio State ranks a mere 8th in the Big Ten, currently designating a mere $2,454 of tuition cost to incidental expenses - barely half of PSU's amount. You would expect Urban Meyer, Thad Matta and their messenger, Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith, to have a say in doubling that number or more by July when schools must designate any changes. Same with Jim Harbaugh and John Beilein at Michigan whose incidental expenses amount is currently designated as a relative pittance - $2,054, 12th in the conference.

Michigan State is last in the conference at less than $2,000 per student.

According to PennLive, Penn State coach James Franklin has said that stipends could be a factor in recruiting. While we've learned to rule out nothing when it comes to the recruitment process, would roughly $3,000 make a difference in a Penn State vs. Michigan State decision?

The disparity also shows the issue in the cost of attendance stipend. Since schools calculate it themselves, each school has a different number and there is some room for maneuvering. If schools could up their cost of attendance stipend to keep up with other schools in recruiting and retaining athletes, that tells you all you need to know about the depth and true accuracy of the number.

Ideally, the cost of attendance stipend for all universities could be calculated by an independent agency and isn't easily manipulated by schools themselves. That way, cost of living expenses and other factors can be considered without any possible number-rigging. But since cost of attendance stipends are quickly becoming a reality, we realize there's not enough time to set a system like that up.

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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!