<p>At least as recently as 2006, all NMFs who chose USC at their 1st choice by sometime in May got 1/2 tuition Presidential Scholarship. Sometimes the individual schools/departments also added additional funds & I believe there was another $1000 renewable a year or so for all NMFs.</p>
<p>Thank you both for the information!</p>
<p>I have seen other general financial aid advice which suggests (for Freshmen anyway) that FAFSA should be filed ASAP in January to be sure the student receives all the aid for which he is eligible. In particular the SEOG money runs out at some schools. My son will be a sophomore at USC next year. The deadline for returning students to file FAFSA and CSS Profile is March 2. Will we be okay as long as we meet this deadline? It is my impression that USC is so good at meeting need that they will give him the same package either way and if SEOG is not available they will make it up with a USC grant. Is this a safe assumption?</p>
<p>"It is my impression that USC is so good at meeting need that they will give him the same package either way and if SEOG is not available they will make it up with a USC grant. Is this a safe assumption? "</p>
<p>NO, you should get the FASFA information entered ASAP.</p>
<p>
The FAFSA and CSS/Profile should both be submitted on or before the March 2nd deadline for returning students. USC will calculate need and meet 100% of that need for on-time applicants, regardless of the specific date the applications were submitted as long as they were on-time (on or before March 2nd).</p>
<p>If everything on your CSS/Profile and FAFSA is exactly the same (and it never is 
) your student’s Stafford loan will increase by $1,000 sophomore year, and they may be offered more in work/study than in their freshman year.</p>
<p>Tax returns are due in May for returning students. Packages are presented in mid-to-late-June.</p>
<p>My personal recommendation for submitting the FAFSA and CSS/Profile for returning students is to time it carefully for after you have paid bills for the month, made IRA contributions, and completed any planned large purchases so that bank balances are as low as is honestly possible. It simplifies things if you can get taxes done early and do your final submission in your first go-round rather than having to remember to make corrections later. I also recommend starting the FAFSA and CSS/Profile well in advance of the March 2nd deadline in case you find you do not have all the information you need and require more time to complete it.</p>
<p>Note to California students receiving CalGrant: It is essential that the FAFSA is submitted on or before March 2nd. The California Student Aid Commission is inflexible with that deadline. USC will not replace CalGrant for students who would have been eligible but did not receive the grant because they missed the March 2nd deadline.</p>
<p>^^^^^^Thank you! Thank you! </p>
<p>Everything you said is just what I was thinking (hoping!) </p>
<p>I will certainly start things well before the deadline. I would like to get taxes figured out first and make sure we have paid as many bills as possible.</p>
<p>If I am a transfer student, do I need to fill out the CSS form as a new student for undergraduate? I keep seeing things that talk about high school and I want to make sure I fill everything out meticulously. Also the CSS application asks about my parents income and who provided more financial aid to me. What if neither parent provided me with any financial help, I don’t see an option for that.</p>
<p>Yes, transfer students who wish to apply for financial aid must submit both the FAFSA and CSS/Profile. It is important to note that your deadlines are the SAME as the freshman applicant deadlines: The new student deadline of February 2, 2012 [USC</a> Financial Aid - Applying & Receiving Financial Aid - Undergraduate - New Students](<a href=“http://www.usc.edu/admission/fa/applying_receiving/undergraduates1/newstudents.html]USC”>http://www.usc.edu/admission/fa/applying_receiving/undergraduates1/newstudents.html) . </p>
<p>The terminology tends to be confusing for transfers because they aren’t “new” students in that they have already been attending college, but they are “new” to USC. </p>
<p>For dependent undergraduates (as defined by the six questions at the beginning of both the FAFSA and CSS/Profile), parent information is listed even if the parents do not contribute at all to the student’s education.</p>
<p>In your case, however, it appears you are 26 years old and qualify as an independent student and so parent info is not required for your FAFSA and CSS/Profile. Double check that you entered your birthdate correctly and answered “yes” to any question asking if you are over age 24. (I am going from memory here as we are not filling out the forms this year - HOORAY! - so don’t be concerned if you there isn’t a question asking that.) The FAFSA should automatically eliminate parent questions, but I am not sure about the CSS/Profile. If the parent questions continue to appear on the CSS/Profile, leave them blank. Let me know if the CSS/Profile will not submit with the questions left blank, and I will research how to submit w/o parent info.</p>
<p>In some cases, much later in the process USC will ask for financial aid applicants to fill out a budget form to see how they are able to meet expenses with the income/assets they list on the CSS/Profile and FAFSA. If your expenses exceed your income they will ask you to list the other sources of income or assistance that help you to meet expenses. If that info is needed, USC will contact you and request it so you don’t need to worry about that now.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Keeping things organized A question from another thread:<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-southern-california/1275599-fafsa-css-income-tax-returns-deadlines.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-southern-california/1275599-fafsa-css-income-tax-returns-deadlines.html</a>
For MERIT awards:
The FAFSA, CSS/Profile and tax returns are not required for scholarship consideration or to be awarded merit scholarships.</p>
<p>For NEED-BASED FINANCIAL AID:
All three - the FAFSA, CSS/Profile, and copies of both parent and student 2011 tax returns are REQUIRED before need-based aid packages will be awarded. Need-based aid will be coordinated with any merit scholarships that are awarded (that is, the scholarship will meet part of the “need,” so aid will be awarded on the remaining need).</p>
<p>DEADLINES:
The FAFSA and CSS/Profile deadline for new students (this includes both freshmen and transfer applicants) is February 2nd, 2012. If you have not completed your taxes at that point, use estimates and then submit corrections to the FAFSA when you file your taxes. The tax returns are due March 2nd, 2012 or as soon as possible thereafter. THIS is the year to try to get your taxes done early - USC will NOT present a need-based package until the FAFSA is updated to “already filed” and copies of signed tax returns have been submitted.</p>
<p>USC uses the CSS/Profile to calculate your need, so the amount you will be expected to contribute may differ from your FAFSA EFC (and by “differ” I mean it might be more).</p>
<p>USC Financial Aid website w/deadlines: [USC</a> Financial Aid - Applying & Receiving Financial Aid - Undergraduate - New Students](<a href=“http://www.usc.edu/admission/fa/applying_receiving/undergraduates1/newstudents.html]USC”>http://www.usc.edu/admission/fa/applying_receiving/undergraduates1/newstudents.html)</p>
<p>Read the first couple of pages here for answers to LOTS of your questions: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-southern-california/839970-faq-usc-financial-aid.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-southern-california/839970-faq-usc-financial-aid.html</a></p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Hi alamemom, just wondering if it’s possible to still get need-based FA if you only submit the CSS. I’m leaning towards no, but I don’t have any experience with FA.</p>
<p>Without the FAFSA you are ineligible for federal aid.</p>
<p>For USC-aid (USC grants): While it is possible (depending on income/assets) to receive federal and/or state aid if you only file the FAFSA and not the CSS/Profile, it is very unlikely you would receive USC grants if you only file the CSS/Profile and not the FAFSA. USC grants are USC’s own money and they can set whatever rules for receiving that money that they choose - submitting the CSS/Profile, FAFSA and copies of tax returns are what USC chooses to require.</p>
<p>If you have some sort of special circumstance keeping you from filling out the FAFSA, you could call financial aid and ask, but they would certainly want to know why you are not willing to complete the FAFSA. Typically, those who are ineligible to complete the FAFSA are international applicants who are ineligible for need-based aid at USC anyway.</p>
<p>I also hear from applicants who’s parents are unwilling to fill out the FAFSA because they do not want to disclose what they feel is private information. That does not sound like your situation because your parent is willing to disclose that information on the CSS/Profile. Again, USC grants are USC’s own money and if your parent is unwilling to disclose private information they are free to refuse, but USC will not blindly hand out money in that case.</p>
<p>The other reason (and I am not suggesting this is your case - I am just passing on info from similar questions in the past) I have been given by applicants is that their parent does not file taxes and does not want to fill out the FAFSA because then the IRS will be aware of them. To be brutally honest, if an applicant’s family was refusing to fill out the FAFSA in order to hide income or assets from the IRS, USC would not grant ANY aid of any kind to that applicant.</p>
<p>Filing the FAFSA is free (it is the FREE Application for Federal Student Aid), so I do not see what would prevent you from completing it. At $57,000/year, USC is very costly without aid - I feel it is always worth submitting the applications. Even if it is only a small amount, every dollar helps.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>Alamemom, first of all thank you for everything! You have been a huge help to me while going through this entire admissions process and regardless of whether I get in or not, I really appreciate the help.
With that being said I have further questions. In regards to financial aid, I haven’t lived at home with either of my parents in nearly 8 years. I gave my mothers information on the CSS profile but am unsure if I will be able to get any of my fathers information. Will this adversely effect me? Also my mother rents a home and owns no property will the university need proof that she owns no home? </p>
<pre><code>As for scholarships, am I automatically applied for those when I filled out the FAFSA and CSS profile. I was researching the website and found nowhere to apply for the few that I am eligible for.
Thanks again for all of your help!
</code></pre>
<p>Hello!</p>
<p>Sorry, I didn’t see this until today :)</p>
<p>According to your profile, you are 26 years old, and if that is correct your parent information is not required on the FAFSA or CSS/Profile. If you have already submitted, I would log back in to the FAFSA and make a correction by removing parent information. For the CSS/Profile, if you have already submitted, print out a copy and make changes by hand and then FAX, scan and email or mail the corrected copy. Most importantly, make sure the field where it asks how much your parent(s) will contribute is “$0.”</p>
<p>For USC merit scholarships, all that is required is an on-time application for admission. There are some other scholarships that required additional applications (NTSAF, alumni scholarships, Town and Gown, etc.). I don’t know which you might be eligible for, so it might be a good idea to look into it. I link a few of those in another thread - I’ll go find that and add the thread link to this post in a few minutes.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>EDIT: Found it! A few scholarships are linked here: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-southern-california/1270679-any-scholarships-you-can-apply.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-southern-california/1270679-any-scholarships-you-can-apply.html</a></p>
<p>Sorry if this has already been answered (I didn’t want to read through 50 pages of responses) but I made a huge mistake. I did not think that I would be able to qualify for financial aid when I was finishing my Common App so I did not fill in the bubble asking if I intended to apply for need-based financial aid. Now I regret it and think that I might be able to get a few bucks but has the ship sailed? Is there anything I can do? This is for USC. Thanks in advance.</p>
<p><a href=“I%20didn’t%20want%20to%20read%20through%2050%20pages%20of%20responses”>quote</a>
[/quote]
Well… I took the time to write SIXTY THREE pages of responses…</p>
<p>Okay, I am over feeling slighted and ready to answer. As a matter of fact, because The Common App is new this year, your question has NOT been asked yet! 
I am certain it will not be a problem. Neglecting to check that box would only be an issue at a school that was need-aware in admissions, and USC is need-blind.</p>
<p>Be sure to file the CSS/.Profile and FAFSA by February 2nd and submit copies of your tax returns as soon as possible. Send a quick email to your admissions counselor now saying that you did not check the financial aid needed box, but that you intend to apply for aid.</p>
<p>It will not be a problem.</p>
<p>thanks i appreciate it</p>
<p>Hi alamemom,</p>
<p>In 2011 I earned roughly $333 from a part-time job, so I selected “Will not file” option under the Student IRS section in the FAFSA. Does this mean that I have to submit a non-filing statement form to USC?</p>
<p>Yes, if you do not file taxes you must submit a non-filing form.</p>
<p>With USC are you dependent from when you start school and when you end? If I were to have a baby would I become a independent? It says:</p>
<p>At the time you complete your FAFSA, and at the time of entry to USC, you have children who will receive more than half of their support from you during the award year and the summer preceding the award year.</p>
<p>Does that mean it would change the next time I file a fasfa?</p>
<p>If you enter USC as a dependent student, you will remain a dependent throughout your four undergraduate years regardless of your FAFSA designation in subsequent years.</p>
<p>If you have plans to start a family during your undergraduate years, it would be a very good idea to discuss that with the financial aid office now to get an idea of what to expect, and if they would consider that a “special circumstance” that you could use to request a financial aid adjustment.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>