ACC players: Cost of attendance stipend helps in many ways

The cost of attendance stipend is quietly helping college players while the debate rages on whether they should be paid.

The modest stipend is a fraction of the millions college football generates, but is intended to provide players with money to buy an occasional pizza when university food service is not available or take in a movie. Some players use it to pay utility bills or help out family members, and there are coaches and administrators who feel it helps ward off the temptation to accept impressible benefits.

The money from universities, including Atlantic Coast Conference schools, varies based on how far from home the players play, the cost of living where they play and the status of their educational pursuits.