Massachusetts athletic director Ryan Bamford announced via Twitter Tuesday that UMass will provide cost of attendance money to each student-athlete on a full or partial scholarship starting this upcoming school year.

UMass student-athletes on full scholarships will receive an additional $1,600 per year in four installments to pay for cost of living expenses that were not previously covered, while student-athletes on partial scholarships will receive proportionate figures. For example, half-scholarships and quarter-scholarships would draw $800 and $400 respectively.

Bamford said Tuesday’s decision will cost the University’s athletic department around $400,000 for the 2015-16 school year, according to MassLive. He added that this amount may increase in following years with UMass’ expected expansion of scholarships.

According to MassLive, Bamford said securing complete cost of attendance coverage was one of the first initiatives he discussed with UMass chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy after being hired as the University’s athletic director in March.

The decision serves as a benefit in recruiting and follows the path of the NCAA’s “Power 5” conferences – the Big Ten, the Big 12, the ACC, the Pac-12 and the SEC – which all cover cost of attendance for all student-athletes.

“It’s paramount for us to stay on track with all the Power 5 schools,” Bamford told reporters Tuesday. “We aspire to bring on the best and brightest student-athletes and this will help us in recruiting. And it’ll help the current student-athletes with the experience that they have at UMass.”

Funding for the new plan came from increased student fees this summer as well as from Subbaswamy and some reallocations of internal funding.

With the introduction of its cost of attendance plan, Bamford said that financial education among student-athletes will be a focus. All full-scholarship recipients will be required to attend a seminar concentrating on money management.

“It really does differentiate us from other schools, not only in the Atlantic 10, but other peer schools that we look at and compare ourselves to,” Bamford added about the decision. “It’s going to put us ahead. I know a lot of our peer schools in the A-10 are looking at doing it across the board. The fact that we’re going to do it in hockey and football and basketball and all of our Olympic sports is really, really smart.”

Among UMass’ 600-plus student-athletes currently enrolled, less than 300 are on scholarship, according to Bamford.

Anthony Chiusano can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @a_chiusano24.