@FutureUSCdad, section D would be loans. Is that section blank? S was offered some subsidized and unsubsidized loans but they are not all listed clearly. The amounts that can be borrowed can vary from Freshman to Sophomore to Junior and Senior years. Subsidized loans do not accrue interest, as I understand it, and do not have to start paying until six months after graduation. The unsub loans accrue interest right away but also do not have to be paid right away, at least that is my understanding of it. Also, I think there is a limit that the student can borrow in total, I believe under Federal law? and that may be somewhere around $24,000, assuming that is offered to your D. Keep in mind that loans are considered a form of fin aid even though not a grant or gift. I believe @CCMThreeTimes is correct that the section and amount can change so check back periodically. Also, I heard that if you did not get an email from USC to check your portal, it may likely change still, but not sure if that is accurate. Anyway, gonna get off CC for a while. Ivy day today and Stanford decision on Friday. Might check back over the weekend. Good luck, Happy Easter, Happy Passover, Happy Spring Break… and Fight On!
@Nomorelurker Section D isn’t blank…it isn’t even there! After Section C there is just boilerplate. I wouldn’t have even known there was a Section D, but for the fact someone mentioned it higher up in the thread. I suspect we won’t be offered any loans, and don’t expect we’d take any, unless the rate is so low it is practically free money, and we are better off leaving savings in 529 invested and growing a a faster rate. Section C say it is "Determined by subtracting your Total Financial Aid (Sec B) from your Estimated Cost of Attendance (Sec A). So it does seem to imply any financial aid, beyond merit, and without strings would appear in B.
If anyone can inbox me housing suggestions I appreciate it. Parkside Arts and Humanities will be my first choice since in Dornsife and is a good fit. Stumped after that. Have heard mixed opinions about Fleur. Help.
@FutureUSCdad, I am not an expert but I believe the more of the 529 you might use in the first year, depending on how large it is, as it becomes a smaller asset, it could impact whether you qualify for future loans. The subsidized loans, as I understand it, are interest free until six months after graduation when the student or family can start to pay it off or pay it all off if able to do so. The subsidized ones are about 4.5% rate currently but can go up each year, possibly more frequently (again, I am not an expert but it may be tied to Prime?). Anyway, you can always try to reach Fin Aid but they are probably swamped right now with calls this week.
@camcam2022 my S loved Parkside. Beautiful newer dorm, great dining hall. Only drawback, it’s on the other side of the campus from everyone else, including all the stores/restaurants at the village. He is a Law, History and Culture major and got put in with 7 performing arts majors, but it was fine. They were always doing fun activities in Parkside. This year he lives in Webb (next to Flour) and it’s in a great location but older dorms (no filtered water stations in the halls, old elevators) and I believe Flour is the same. But his is apartment style with a kitchen, which he loves. Hope this helps a little. Good luck!
@camcam2022, I believe both of those are air conditioned. I recall @CADREAMIN speaking highly of Parkside (not the one for Int’l students) so if that is Humanities for all students, it may be a good choice. As I recall, Fluor has a fair amount of athletes due to its location and is suite style. I think some like Birnkrant due to the location near Levy library and the Starbucks… but it is older without AC and more of a traditional dorm with public restrooms on each floor. it used to be the Honors dorm before McCarthy opened in the village. It is very social but maybe not as “wild” as some others? Ok, that’s the little I have read/heard about dorms. Maybe others can weigh in.
As for housing, preferences can clearly vary based on perceived wants or needs.
If you equate “nicer” to mean newer and with more space and A/C and private baths, etc. - then the suites at Parkside (not International) and anything available in the new USC Village are likely your best options, as I have come to understand it… followed by Fluor suites and Webb apts (if Webb is again available for freshmen / wasn’t last year - but was before) and then Cardinal Gardens apts (if still a freshmen option). All of the above are either suites or apartments. And all have A/C.
In the case of my daughters, the preference list began and ended with suite and apartment options with A/C. They had zero interest in roughing it in exchange for perceived “social” advantages in any traditional dorm with less space, a community bath and likely no A/C. They would prefer to socialize wherever (including at a friend’s dorm, for example) and then return to their “nicer” suite or apartment. But that being said, there are also clearly many who will favor dorm living.
Luckily, you each get to make a list of your own preferences. Please note though that locating a roommate and then having each of your preference lists match in the same exact order is also the best way to achieve getting assigned to one of those top choices for both of you.
Yes AC is a must and don’t we need to list 5 choices? @WWWard can you inbox me 5 suggestions? Thank you
Yes… I believe so. Will do…
@Nomorelurker Luckily the 529 is funded (we started putting whatever we could into from birth until now), so not sure that matters. We are very fortunate with the merit $$ as it means we should have some 529 $$ left over after 4 years to fund a good chunk of grad school. I also heard about a plan USC has were we could possibly pay all 4 years up front, at the current price, and not have to worry about increase over the next 4 years–we could just draw the 529 down up front and write one whopper of a check. Have to do the math on that as well, to see if we believe expected tuition cost increases will be more or less than expected growth in the 529 with reasonable investments- I guess that is what some people call a “high class problem” (I hope that doesn’t sound arrogant, as I don’t mean it that way at all, and we are not exactly “high class”…there is a different expression some people use, but I don’t want to use it here!). Also need to find out what the implications are in that scenario if child drops out, or transfers, or doesn’t complete the 4 years at USC for any reason—do we lose the $$, or does it come back to the 529?
Can anyone else not get onto the housing app?
@screencom yeah mine says there are too many people. “increased load” as they say
My D cannot get in either.
@screencom It often locks people out until the demand lessens. This is very common during the first 1-3 hours after it first opens. But it can ultimately make little difference whether you do it now, later today or tomorrow. Many do not even sign up until after Explore USC events or until late April. More important than initial timing is likely locating a roommate and then having each of your preference lists match in the same exact order. Even so… I would still sign up as quickly as feasible. You can always change your preferences later to match. And whomever was first would aid you both. If that is not an option or not a goal… then signing up quickly is of course wise… but I would not stress too much about it. Doing so later today or tomorrow will all likely be safe in terms of being among the first to do so.
@screencom yeah, the housing site is jammed, probably too many ppl have logged in for application.
the site is still jammed for me…
I can’t get in either ughh
Is someone willing to help me proofread my appeal letter? (I have printed out 3 versions with my own revisions, just wanna have an objective POV of this).
Housing
Everyone has strong beliefs about their own priorities, this was just ours - we think apartments are counter intuitive to the freshman experience. Had one at Parkside and was very happy, over achieving engineering student, that wanted AC over Birkrant scholarship dorm or any without AC at the time. Totally went for the AC and it is close to engineering campus. Was matched with great suite mates. Loved it, no question. But…in hindsight, he strongly feels being over with all the freshman in that dorm area was really the way to go. Cannot deny the social part of being in the freshman quad area of dorms, it is where and how you will meet the most people you can as a freshman and that was my current student’s goal. She loooooves Birkrant which is known as 8 floors of open doors. And for her, apartment living first year (which is why she chose not to live at McCarthy/Village as a freshman), even with AC, is not the way to go, too isolating. As someone said, virtually everyone is an honors kid these days at USC, so you are going to have great students around you wherever you live. But she is living at Village as a sophomore since they guarantee sophomore housing now and that is where sophomores go. Prior to Village, virtually all students wanted to get off of campus as quickly (sophomore year) as possible.
If goal is to meet as many people as you can, then Birkrant, Pardee, Marks Tower, are our preference over Marks Hall and New North, mainly because they are taller and chance to meet more people. Guys/gals separated by elevators on middle of floors. But sorority/fraternity types love New North. For mine that wasn’t a good fit. All these in the freshman quad are literally just across the street from the Village so easy to cruise over to Target.
If you have to have A/C then it is Parkside, Village or Fluor. It’s all about personal preferences. Did not know Fluor is athletes, it use to be Parkside Apartments, but it could be for some athletes, there are a lot of athletes to house there.
.
I’d be happy to proofread…Have lots of experience with applications etc…Im a mom of an admitted student, physician and many years at an academic institution admitting medical students etc…