<p>To anyone curious about my post on pg 57, I called the financial aid office this morning to double check to see if my Cal-Grant was going to remain at its $9,708 or if it was going to be subtracted from my University Grant, and another Financial Aid rep told me that the $9,708 Cal Grant ontop of my $23,668 in University Grant were going to remain at those values and NOT subtracted as it had my first year because the Cal Grant had already came into in the Financial Aid office.</p>
<p>However, to all the new/transfer students, your Cal-Grant is indeed going to be subtracted from your total University Grant dollar for dollar because it has not arrived into the Financial Aid office yet.</p>
<p>Just wondering how long it took for them to process your appeal for FA , we submitted paperwork 2 weeks ago including denial of parent plus loan , statement of house valuation etc, but FA page is still showing parent plus loan on there, dont want to bug them as I know they are busy at this time, but does make a big difference with parent plus loan paying $200 a month without $2000</p>
<p>I don’t remember how long exactly it took, but it did take a few weeks along with a couple of document requests made by the FA office. Usually when they ask for more documents, it’s more than likely a good sign that they’re considering your case and determining the proper amount to give you additionally.</p>
<p>I never said it was a free ride, just a full ride covered through AID. Note that I didn’t say SCHOLARSHIPS, which would imply it being free. It is still rare to get USC to cover everything through aid, even if loans are included. Most people have to take out private loans to cover all costs.</p>
<p>Tuition is $42k. That remainder the OP can use towards his or her costs of living/books/fees/etc.</p>
<p>@xdzzzrawr … thanks for the help! thats actually exactly what i’m doing. i’m including bank statements, mortgage statements, and other documents to help support my case. i’m also including a copy of my transfer transcript because i earned a 3.96 cumulative gpa and had dean’s honors every semester. </p>
<p>even the slightest bit will be a huge help. do you think my cal grant won’t be deducted next year? since i’m going to be a continuing student and it will go straight to them next time?</p>
<p>Wow let me get this straight, if you transfer your cal grant over to USC it will FOR SURE be deducted from the university grant? It’s really baffling me bc my EFC at my current school is 0 and it costs ~5000 to attend. Then again it’s a state school… This would mean I’d have to take a 10k loan and pay around 6000 out of pocket, which I can’t even do at my current school? Weird…</p>
<p>@hyethga4lyfe I dont think your cal-grant is going to be deducted from your university grant if you’re a continuing student, but I would call to make sure whether they already received your cal-grant; if they have then it won’t be deducted.</p>
<p>@monzaaay just to clarify, I don’t think the deduction of the university grant using the cal-grant is actually “taking money away” per say.</p>
<p>Think of it this way, if they estimated you deserve a total free aid of $20,000 and have given you a university grant of $20,000 without listing a cal-grant on your award or considering it during their calculations, you’re getting $20,000 total regardless.</p>
<p>And when the Cal-Grant does come in, they’ve decided that the $9,000 in cal-grant will be used to supplement into the $20,000 in free-aid they’ve determined prior, and therefore you have $11,000 in University Grant and $9,000 in Cal-Grant. It seems like they “deducted” it from your total amount, but in reality that’s the total aid they believe you deserve. </p>
<p>In a way it is them taking the Cal-Grant away from you, but in their standpoint, they’re a private institution and therefore have a standard tuition rate for any student across the U.S, therefore, they don’t necessarily grant an advantage of more aid to California students as do the UCs.</p>
<p>I’m honestly not sure what I’m looking at here…if anyone can give me an explanation I’d really appreciate it. Also, I’m a veteran and I will be receiving Post 9/11 GI Benefits and I will be living off campus. </p>
<p>Your Financial Aid Awards for the 2011-2012 Academic Year:
Spring 2012 Total Tasks<br>
Grants/Work-Study<br>
University Grant $13431 $13431 </p>
<p>Work Study<br>
Federal Work-Study $1500 $1500 Tasks </p>
<p>Loans<br>
Federal Perkins Loan $2750 $2750 Tasks<br>
Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan $3500 $3500<br>
Federal Direct Subsidized Stafford Loan $2750 $2750 </p>
<p>I just received my financial aid package 2 weeks ago. I have $17k in grants, 3k in work study and $8.5k in loans. My expected contribution is 28k. I come from a working middle class family and firmly believe in the motto “where there’s a will there’s a way”. So here I am, wondering how any decent working middle class family can possibly afford to pay for 4 years of tuition at USC?</p>
<p>One of the ways some of us have cut the bill was by going to another U 1st & getting GE credits & transferring so we only have to pay 2 or so years at USC. It may not be as exciting as going there all 4 years but it is ONE way of saving. Another way of shaving some time off is by entering with a LOT of credits (AP, getting college credit while in HS).</p>
<p>One problem with transferring is that less merit & perhaps FAid awards are traditionally given when you don’t enter as a freshman.</p>
<p>An important thing to remember is that hope and optimism is NOT a plan. Sit down with your folks & pencil things out as to HOW you will be able to come up with all the funds you will need to graduate. </p>
<p>It looks to me like you & your folks will have to be coming up with 28K + 8.5K (loans) for a total of 36.5K/year. This would translate to $146K+ over the course of 4 years. That is WAY too much debt, IF you or your family could even get loans to cover the $28K expected contribution. If your family has the 28K/year and/or could pay it out of current earnings, that’s another story and you’d only need the 8.5K/year x 4 years or a total of $34K+ interest that may accrue while you’re in school.</p>
<p>Question: If I need to take an extra semester or year to complete all courses for my major and minors, would my financial aid from USC be in effect for that additional time? Including grants and loans and work study offered now? I just wonder if all of this is based on a maximum of four years. Thanks for any advice.</p>
<p>Best to contact FAid & check for a DEFINITIVE answer. Nothing any of us opines is binding. If you can get something from them in WRITING, you will have something to rely upon. Good luck!</p>
<p>Our daughter just started USC. Loves it. But man, I can’t imagine a more expensive school (we live on the East Coast and have to travel for everything). After much haggling and begging we got them to lower our EFC to about $5,000 above FAFSA. My question is about next year. She just pledged a sorority and we thought “oh no!” – even more $$$ that we don’t have. But now we have been told that living in a sorority may be a few thousand $$$ less per year than USC food/housing even with sorority fees. So we’re happy. But what will USC fin aid do next year we wonder?</p>
<p>I’m holding my breath as well for my now freshman daughter. They’ve been so good to us, just hope its the same next year… income not likely to change very much.</p>
<p>I’ll admit that, especially between freshman and sophomore years, my FinAid packaged changed significantly — even though my EFC lowered. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that being a freshman is costly.</p>
<p>However, my mom was very diligent in providing documents to the schools detailing how my family, at that time, could not afford to pay the amount of money USC expected them to in my second year. It took a bit of “back and forth” but we eventually were able to receive more money than I did my freshman year.</p>
<p>If you have documents to back up for claims for adjusting aid, you usually have a good chance of pleading your case to FinAid.</p>
<p>hey… i am gonna ask something a little off topic. i am from India and m looking forward to apply at USC school of cinematic arts for fall of 2012. i went through the link ([USC</a> Financial Aid - Applying & Receiving Financial Aid - Graduates & Professionals - Costs](<a href=“http://www.usc.edu/admission/fa/applying_receiving/graduates2/costs.html]USC”>http://www.usc.edu/admission/fa/applying_receiving/graduates2/costs.html))
where they have mentioned the costs and it left me all the more confused. they have mentioned that the overall fees, including the housing and transportation etc is $64,029 and am applying for an MFA which is for 3 yrs. so the doubt i had was, do i have to pay 64k every yr fr 3 yrs or is it for the entire MFA. thanks.</p>
<p>I’m sure it’s EVERY year for 3 years, NOT the total cost for all 3 years. Even for undergrads, costs are > $50K/year. Not an inexpensive U & I’m not sure how much FAid they give, especially for international students. My D is there as an undergrad in cinema–having a great experience.</p>
<p>Hello all,
I am trying to figure out how to complete my fafsa right now, USC states that the fafsa is due by March 2nd unless there is some sort of special circumstance. I am getting married March 30th therefore I i wll be an independent. I would like to file as an independent so I can receive more financial aid. If anyone could help me out it would be greatly appreciated!
thanks in advance.</p>