FAQ for USC Financial Aid

Zelda_Fitzgerald · June 20, 2011, 8:33pm

Private loans are helpful if you need to cover any remaining costs for your tuition outside of your parental contribution.

You fill out a small online application and note how much money you need a loan for. You can be approved immediately and the funds are transferred to your student account after a certain period of time.

There really isn’t another way to get bigger loans if you maxed out your federal loan eligibility for the year. Apply for as many outside scholarships as possible before you take out a private loan, if you can.

mebber · June 21, 2011, 6:14pm

Still waiting for our son’s financial aid package to post - he will be going into his second year at Marshall @ USC. I can tell from our parents’ class of 2014 fb page the awards are starting to be announced.

AgentM · June 27, 2011, 1:57am

I am highly interested in attending USC and would like to know what options are there for summer financial aid for summer housing. How the process works and what difficulties might I expect when applying for the aid. I currently attend school in New York and would like to avoid moving back and forth each summer.

I would also like to know what my chances are in actually being accepted, since I am an out of state student. I will be graduating this fall with an associate degree in applied arts and science and a GPA of 3.9.

Thanks.

HImom · June 27, 2011, 4:25am

USC is NOT a state school–it is a private U so they don’t really care whether or not you are a CA resident, tho being from the east, you will add somewhat to their diversity over another CA student, for example.

I have never heard of them or any U providing FAid for summer housing. Many folks put their items into storage for the summer or have apartments which have a 12 month lease whether they are in LA or not. Congrats on graduating this fall with such a high GPA! Your chances of being accepted depend partly on the program/field/major you’re applying for and the portfolio or other supplemental materials as well as your application.

Good luck!

AgentM · June 27, 2011, 10:35am

Thanks for the reply HImom!

The reason why I brought up this up is because I recently read a page on USCs site regarding summer housing. ([Schedule</a> of Classes: Summer 2011: Services and Programs: Summer Housing](<a href=“http://www.usc.edu/academics/classes/term_20112/services/summer_housing.html]Schedule”>http://www.usc.edu/academics/classes/term_20112/services/summer_housing.html)) I didn’t know that summer housing wasn’t something that was normally offered, so the fact that they even offer it is a very good thing to me.

My main concern is dealing with the process for summer financial aid, which there isn’t much information on. So if anyone has experience with this process and can provide feedback on it, that would be great.

I plan on applying to the USC School of Cinematic Arts and major in Interactive Media with a minor in Animation and Digital Arts. I am currently majoring in Digital Media Arts and although my GPA is high, I have to say its extremely exhausting to maintain it. So hopefully it will pay off with USC.

Does anyone have tips on how I can best prepare my portfolio for Interactive Media? I have a general idea, but would like to hit the nail on the head when it comes to such an important aspect of the admissions process.

Thanks.

HImom · June 27, 2011, 12:43pm

You may wish to post your FAid questions in the FAid section (rather than the USC section). Folks there are quite knowledgeable about FAid & include some folks who work on it professionally. Good luck–the program you’re planning to transfer into has VERY competitive admissions & I know someone who applied twice before switching to a different major within the school & was finally accepted.

Zelda_Fitzgerald · June 27, 2011, 9:41pm

There are SCA-specific threads here, so I would read those and then pose whatever questions you have on those threads.

I am guessing you will be a transfer student? Summer housing is of course offered, but if you live in USC housing, you will have to move from your apartment on USC’s move out day in May and into one of USC’s summer uildings.

If you need to stay over the summer, I suggest you look at apartments and houses in the neighborhood that aren’t owned or operated by USC as these generally have the August-August leases that allow you to live there in the summer. They are generally a bit cheaper than USC housing, too (and sometimes nicer.)

AgentM · June 27, 2011, 10:21pm

Thanks a ton for the replies, ladies. I will take your advice and follow through with the suggestions given.

HImom · June 27, 2011, 11:22pm

Please be careful not to acquire more debt than you (and/or whomever will help you) can pay off. It can be a crushing burden and there are MANY unemployed folks in this economy.

xdzzzrawr · June 30, 2011, 3:31pm

Hello again Alamemom,

I just received my financial aid package last week and have the following free aid shown below. I was quite surprised as to how much I received initially then I remembered that from last year’s experience, the financial aid office used the Cal Grant to subtract off my total University Grant and therefore I essentially lost $9,708 in aid. The total of $37,876 of this year was almost exactly the same as last year prior to the Cal Grant subtraction.

However, this time I called the Financial Aid office to address this concern and to see if I would receive this total aid without the subtract of the Cal Grant ($9,708) into my total University Grant, and the lady behind the phone said that this is my FINAL financial aid package and that the Cal Grant would NOT be subtracted from my University Grant because they have the final numbers in, whereas last year since it was my first year they were still estimating how much I’d receive and had not yet “received” the aid yet.

I was a bit perplexed as on the summary it says my Cal Grant and Pell Grant are estimates, however, she assured me and said that they are completely sure that they will receive those amounts from the State and Fed, and that the Cal Grant would not be subtracted from my University Grant.

I am ultimately wondering if the lady was misinformed, or other students/parents are in the same situation as I am.

Please let me know your thoughts and thank you in advance.

Estimated Federal Pell Grant: 4,100

Estimated Cal Grant A: 9,708

Federal SEOG: 400

University Grant: 23,668

Total Free Aid: $37,876

xdzzzrawr · June 30, 2011, 3:44pm

AgentM, to my knowledge USC/California/Fed don’t provide financial aid specifically for Summer courses. However, I’ve heard that if you have a yearly financial aid for Fall and Winter and wish to take Summer courses, the total aid will be split up into 3 parts rather than 2.

Also the cost of Summer courses are based off of the standard unit count rate, however, without financial aid you’re looking at $1,400 a unit, and seeing how most classes at 4 units it’ll cost you $5,600 a class, and not including all the additional fees will rack up to $6,000 at the minimum.

So I would highly reconsider taking Summer courses at USC unless you can allocate your financial aid or if you feel compelled to graduate on time/earlier

hyethga4lyfe · July 6, 2011, 6:34pm

hey guys, first time on the financial aid forum

i’m a sophomore transfer to SC and just received my aid package this morning. the details of my package are below:

Subsidized Stafford Loan - $3,500
Unsubsidized Stafford Loan - $2,000
Federal Perkins Loan - $3,000
Federal Work Study - $2,500
University Grant - $21,188

The total of my package is $32,000

I spoke to the financial aid office and they said that once they receive the info for my Calgrant, it will be deducted “dollar for dollar” from my University Grant. Should I appeal my package to get a larger University Grant? The $10K+ is definitely not do-able for my family. It would be great if my Calgrant was added to the package without making a deduction. That way I could get a private loan on top of the federal ones to cover the left over amount + books.

I’ve been reading up on appeals and people don’t always necessarily introduce new info. It seems like it depends on exactly how you pitch your case. If my family was able to afford the remaining amount, I wouldn’t complain. But we really can’t :/

Can you guys suggest how I should format my appeal?

HImom · July 6, 2011, 8:07pm

Actually, hate to say it, but USC costs SIGNIFICANTLY MORE than $32K. If you can’t afford the $10K in loans and the gap between the $32K & actual cost of attending USC (closer to $50K), it does not appear something within the reaches of you & your family finances, sorry! Generally, the total financial package should cover the ENTIRE cost of a year of school. $32 K won’t even cover all of the tuition for 1 year at USC.

Zelda_Fitzgerald · July 6, 2011, 8:10pm

Erm, how much are you looking to spend on books? Off topic, but there’s cheaper options than paying top dollar at the USC bookstore. I never spent more than $200 on books in an entire school year.

I didn’t know USC was now subtracting the Cal Grant from the University Grants. That sucks!

The main thing to structure your appeal around would need to be hard facts. It is usually best if a parent does this because it might involve your family’s personal financial information. If you family’s income has dropped since their last tax filing, have your mom or dad include pay stubs, mortgage statements and other proofs of financial hardship to the FAO. If nothing has significantly changed, you probably won’t get an appealed award – but if, for example, a parent lost a job or was injured recently, showing proof of this usually makes the FAO reconsider your aid package.

You can try appealing without new information, but the facts will still need to be there. Show exactly how and why your family can’t afford the remaining costs.

And HImom, I don’t get your reasoning for that post. It seems a bit rude. Are you chastising the poster for not receiving a large aid package from USC? Or are you insulting the fact her family can’t pay the full tuition amount?

I have rarely heard of financial aid packages covering the total cost of attendance. The poster is very lucky to get $32k as a transfer and I’m not so sure why you’re putting him/her down instead of trying to be helpful.

My family could never afford a $10k gap between an aid package and the cost of tuition (minus rent, etc.) – that is why we appealed my packages when my dad lost his job my junior and senior years. After tuition, I was able to attend USC without paying $50k a year because I didn’t need to live in the fanciest apartments or have a nice car or have a room to myself. It is possible and there’s a lot more the OP can do to get more money outside of appealing.

OP: Can you work this summer and save up some money? If you can get even $1,000 - $2,500 before school starts, that will cover some fees or a month or two of rent.

Do not live in USC housing if you can. It’ll save you several thousand dollars. Also, if possible, have a roommate. It will cut down on rent drastically. (A one bedroom apartment or studio apartment around USC can cost $800-$1500 a month; split between two people sharing a bedroom, the cost is manageable.)

Get an on campus job and use that money to pay for your rent and utilities, too.

Apply for as many outside, non USC scholarships as possible this summer and throughout the fall semester. Several small scholarships can add up and cover some costs for you.

As a last resort, take out the private loan. It isn’t uncommon and I (and many of my friends) did it for a year to cover costs. Just remember to not take out more than you need and you should be OK.

hyethga4lyfe · July 6, 2011, 9:25pm

@himom I realize that USC costs more than 32k. thank you. Thats not why I posted.

@zelda thanks for your detailed response … I really appreciate it. Yea I could lower the cost of books by getting them online. I did that at my old school. Im not worried about books as much as the left over tuition+fees.

Thanks for your advice on the appeal. I will probably try to put a draft together tonight. I could provide bank statements from my parents bank accounts as well as mortgage statements to show that there isnt much leftover after bills are paid and absolutely no savings/home equity.

I actually have a part-time job now but am looking for a second job for the rest of the summer so I can save a little bit of money. I know that any amount counts.

Btw I forgot to mention I am commuting from home.

I just wish I could get SC to let me keep the University Grant and Calgrant in full. That would be perfect.

HImom · July 6, 2011, 10:31pm

Sorry, didn’t mean to be rude, just didn’t want you to be surprised/shocked that there was a gap between what you posted and the total projected cost of attendance; this has been a tough reality for some folks. If there are documented medical expenses, I have heard some Us reconsider FAid packages. It’s true that a LOT can be saved on expenses, particularly on books & food/beverages (especially if you bring food/drinks from home while commuting). My S was very frugal & often made money from selling books at the end of the term for more than he paid when he acquired them.

If you post on the general FAid forum, you may get more advice on asking for professional judgment review, since there are several FAid officers who visit that forum and share their advice. You can also search for more threads & info about appeals & reviews. Good luck!

Ihateschoolzzz · July 7, 2011, 11:56am

University Grant $18428 $18278 $36706

Work Study
Federal Work-Study $1375 $1375 $2750 Tasks

Loans
Federal Perkins Loan $2000 $2000 $4000 Tasks
Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan $1000 $1000 $2000 
Federal Direct Subsidized Stafford Loan $2250 $2250 $4500

TOTAL

$25053 $24903 $49956

Heres my financial aid award. Alanmeonm (sorry if i didnt spell it right) Please can you give me some insight if this package is decent.

Zelda_Fitzgerald · July 7, 2011, 8:49pm

^ That’s basically a full ride covered through financial aid. You are pretty lucky! $50k is tuition + fess + then some!

xdzzzrawr · July 8, 2011, 1:26pm

@Ihateschoolzzz That is a really good financial aid award! Congrats! I wouldn’t go as far to say that is a full-ride, because Loans really aren’t free at all.

However, you really won’t be paying much for tuition out of pocket, all you really need to budget is your housing/living arrangement expenses.

Last year I received $10,000 less than your free gift in aid and I only paid around $6000 in tuition, however, the living expenses racked it back up.

xdzzzrawr · July 8, 2011, 1:40pm

@hyethega4lyfe

I would highly consider writing an appeal for your financial aid package. I transferred last year and when I saw my Cal-Grant I was happy, little did I know it was subtracted from my University Grant few weeks after receiving my package.

As you mentioned in your post, the Cal Grant will indeed be subtracted dollar for dollar from you University Grant in the next couple weeks once it comes in and if you’re calculating your total package aid based on that, I would would highly recommend writing an appeal.

I wrote an appeal last year after being furious when I found about the Cal-Grant dollar for dollar situation. I analyzed my parents’ bank statement/account balances, my father’s volatile low income, my mother’s low income, mortgage left to pay on the house, monthly expense payments, and lastly juxtaposing my free-ride in financial aid and financing experiences at UC Riverside to how I wouldn’t be able to finance my USC education.

As you can probably tell, it was an extensive letter with deep explanations and analysis as well as some pathos writing devices used. Because I put in so much effort in my explanations and did the appropriate follow ups with the financial aid office, I was able to receive $3800 more in free aid added onto my University Grant.

My suggestion is that you put in your utmost effort in making your cases and your appeal may be highly considered. While I realize getting a second part-time job can help you in saving some money for the school year, writing a thorough extensive appeal and potentially earning a couple thousands more dollars is by far more worth it and far more effortless than a second job. Always keep in mind that financial aid officers are creating thousands and THOUSANDS of award packages a year and the chance of them not being thorough enough to your package, let alone understanding your family’s circumstance is extremely high. You therefore need to appeal to your audience and truly convince them why you need their help, because in the minds of the financial aid officers, they aren’t personally giving their own money to help you, but if it is in their power to help an aspiring student in need, they’ll do it.

I never believed in the whole appeal system prior to writing my letter, however, when you put in the effort/organization into writing a eloquently analyzed letter, you too can receive free additional funds. All you need to do is think about how important it is to save you and your family money as I had and it’ll give you the drive to a successful appeal.

If you’d like to see my appeal letter, I’d be glad to e-mail you a copy for reference, just message me.

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