COA
Abbreviation with 9 meanings
| Stands for | Cost of attendance |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 9 |
| Categories | Education & Academia, Medical, Business & Finance, Law & Legal, Writing & Everyday, Military |
| Also written | CoA |
COA has nine meanings. The most common are Cost of attendance (academic) and Coarctation of the aorta (cardiology); it can also stand for Chart of accounts, Condominium owners association, Cause of action, Certificate of appealability and Certificate of authenticity, plus 2 more listed below.
Meanings of COA at a glance
| # | COA stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cost of attendance | Education & Academia › Academic |
| 2 | Coarctation of the aorta | Medical › Cardiology |
| 3 | Chart of accounts | Business & Finance › Accounting |
| 4 | Condominium owners association | Business & Finance › Real Estate & Mortgage |
| 5 | Cause of action | Law & Legal › Litigation |
| 6 | Certificate of appealability | Law & Legal › Criminal Law |
| 7 | Certificate of authenticity | Writing & Everyday › Classified Ad |
| 8 | Change of address | Writing & Everyday › Mail and Postal |
| 9 | Course of action | Military › Military Term |
1. Cost of attendance
Education & Academia · Academic Abbreviations
Total estimated cost of one year at a college, set by each school, covering tuition and fees, housing and food, books and supplies, transportation and personal expenses. Federal rules cap total financial aid at the COA.
Example: The COA for out-of-state students is $58,000, though tuition is only about half of that.
COA is the "sticker price" from which grants and scholarships are subtracted to get the net price. Students can ask the aid office to adjust the COA for documented costs such as childcare or a required computer. Off-campus living allowances are estimates and may not match actual rents.
2. Coarctation of the aorta (CoA)
Medical · Cardiology Abbreviations
Narrowing of the aorta, usually just beyond the left subclavian artery near the ductus arteriosus. It causes high blood pressure in the arms with weaker, delayed femoral pulses, and severe forms present as shock in newborns when the ductus closes.
Example: BP 160/90 in the right arm, 110/70 in the leg, delayed femoral pulses: suspect CoA, CT angiogram ordered.
Often shortened to "coarct" in speech. Chest x-rays in older patients may show rib notching from enlarged collateral arteries and a "figure 3" sign. Coarctation is associated with bicuspid aortic valve and Turner syndrome. Repair is by surgery or balloon angioplasty with stenting, but hypertension may persist and lifelong follow-up is required. In biochemistry CoA means coenzyme A.
3. Chart of accounts
Business & Finance · Accounting Abbreviations
Structured list of all accounts in a company's general ledger, each with a number and name, grouped into assets, liabilities, equity, revenue and expenses. A well-designed COA lets a business report consistently across departments and periods.
Example: We added three expense accounts to the COA so marketing spend can be tracked by channel.
A common numbering convention reserves the 1000s for assets, 2000s for liabilities, 3000s for equity, 4000s for revenue and 5000s and up for expenses. Some countries, such as France with its Plan comptable général, prescribe a national chart of accounts. In other contexts, COA means certificate of analysis or change of address.
4. Condominium owners association
Business & Finance · Real Estate & Mortgage Abbreviations
Association of unit owners in a condominium building or complex that maintains common elements, such as roofs, hallways, elevators and grounds, sets the budget and collects dues.
Example: The COA approved a $25,000 special assessment per unit for the facade repair.
After the 2021 collapse of Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida, the state required milestone structural inspections and fully funded structural reserves for older condo buildings, sharply raising dues in many buildings. Also called a condo association or council of co-owners.
5. Cause of action
Law & Legal · Litigation Abbreviations
Set of facts that gives a person the right to sue another and obtain relief, such as breach of contract, negligence or fraud, each with its own required elements. Complaints are organized into numbered causes of action or counts.
Example: The Third COA, for unjust enrichment, fails because an express contract covers the same subject.
Each cause of action requires proof of every element, and missing one is grounds for dismissal or summary judgment. California pleadings usually label claims "causes of action", while federal complaints often use "counts". In habeas practice, COA instead means certificate of appealability.
6. Certificate of appealability
Law & Legal · Criminal Law Abbreviations
Permission a prisoner needs before appealing the denial of a federal habeas corpus petition or a § 2255 motion. A judge grants it only if the prisoner makes a substantial showing of the denial of a constitutional right.
Example: The district court denied relief and declined to issue a COA, so he must ask the circuit for one.
Created by the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 and codified at 28 U.S.C. § 2253(c). The certificate must identify the specific issues for appeal. Under Slack v. McDaniel (2000), the question is whether reasonable jurists could debate the district court's ruling. In civil litigation, COA means cause of action.
7. Certificate of authenticity
Writing & Everyday · Classified Ad Abbreviations
Refers to a document certifying that an item, such as signed memorabilia, artwork or a luxury good, is genuine. Listings note "with COA" to reassure buyers.
Example: Signed game ball with COA from a recognized authentication company, plus a display case.
A COA is only as trustworthy as whoever issued it, and forged certificates are common in sports-memorabilia fraud. Established authenticators such as PSA/DNA and James Spence Authentication let buyers look up certificate numbers online. Microsoft once attached COA stickers to PCs to prove a genuine Windows license.
8. Change of address
Writing & Everyday · Mail and Postal Abbreviations
Refers to the notice given to the postal service, banks and other organizations when someone moves, so mail is forwarded or records are updated. USPS accepts COA requests online or on PS Form 3575.
Example: Submit a COA with the post office at least two weeks before your move to avoid lost mail.
USPS forwards First-Class Mail for 12 months after a permanent change of address and periodicals for 60 days. Online requests carry a small identity-verification charge to deter fraud. COA filings feed the National Change of Address (NCOA) database used by mailers. In collectibles, COA means certificate of authenticity.
9. Course of action
Military · Military Term Abbreviations
Possible way to accomplish a mission, developed during planning and compared against others before the commander selects one. Staffs typically present two or three distinct COAs.
Example: COA 2 attacks from the north and avoids the flooded river crossing.
Each COA must be feasible, acceptable, suitable, distinguishable and complete under Army planning doctrine. Staffs war-game COAs against the enemy's most likely and most dangerous courses of action. Business strategy writing has borrowed the term.
Related abbreviations
More academic abbreviations
- CGPA – Cumulative grade point average
- CHEA – Council for Higher Education Accreditation
- CMOS – Chicago Manual of Style
- Co-PI – Co-principal investigator
- CPT – Curricular Practical Training
- CRN – Course reference number
- CSS Profile – College Scholarship Service Profile
- CV – Curriculum vitae (course of life)
See all 124 academic abbreviations →
More cardiology abbreviations
- CIED – Cardiac implantable electronic device
- CLI – Critical limb ischemia
- CMR – Cardiac magnetic resonance
- CO – Cardiac output
- CP – Chest pain
- CPB – Cardiopulmonary bypass
- CRT – Cardiac resynchronization therapy
- CRT-D – Cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator
See all 229 cardiology abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical or legal advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.