@CADREAMIN forgive me if this has been asked/answered already, I didn’t see it: do you have any specific idea of when financial aid packages will be released? Is it possible they could be released over this weekend? Or is there a specific day next week we can expect those?
@CollegeOdyssey2001 What is a Norman Topping fee? And what are Student Program fees for? Are they assessed every semester for four years?
@marcy123 it is great to get a ballpark idea of what club and sport fees are.
@Pocket22 if you can give an approximation of Greek fees, that would be great.
I appreciate all of your input. It really helps in this time of virtual visits. 
Hi @lkg4answers. Here is a link to the common fees and transactions you will see on your bill at https://sfs.usc.edu/student-account/common-fees/
The Norman Topping fee of $8/semester was voting in by students beginning in 1970 to support scholarships for low-income students.
I suspect the Student Program Fee of $64/semester (for 2019-20) is for events planned by student government, and possibly to fund student organizations.
These mandatory fees appear to be assessed each semester.
@amsunshine early next week, could start Monday…
USC allowed $10k per semester to be paid by credit card with no fee, so if your student will fly to LA it may be worth it to use an airline rewards card to get some points towards flights. But you can’t pay with the credit card if you set up the monthly payment plan.
The university scholarship was a nice surprise and I couldn’t find anything about it anywhere either.
Editing and out of time so will replace later!
Your stats are closer to my daughter’s. After reading all of the near-perfect stats, I have been reluctant to disclose my daughter’s. Your post solidifies the holistic approach taken by USC. Congratulations!
Hey I’ve been seeing you have applied to many of the same schools as I have. Mind sharing your outcomes?
if the fast portal just recently asked me for a “copy of parents’ 2018 federal income tax return for verification” will this affect my financial aid package? ie coming out later than other people? I submitted FAFSA and CSS profile back in late November and have been consistently checking the portal but they recently just asked for verification
Congratulations to all the students who got acceptance from USC! It’s a great school!
My son is appealing to USC for his admission! USC was his dream school so trying to give another shot! We will appreciate if anyone can help us with the process! Thanks much in advance.
@typiCAmom you’re welcome. You may be right. They all at least seem to be admitting more out of an abundance of caution… likely worried about yield rates in this new topsy-turvy world.
Those are some loaded questions…
USC is not going to base it on you specifically. They are going to project costs based on averages. If applying for FA, that can either be to your benefit or detriment… depending.
I concur that during freshman year, students do not really need much extra $, especially if you go with the plan with extra dining dollars. I think I only gave them an extra $50 per week for extras. That plan with the extra dining dollars helps to break up the monotony of residence dining halls and with the Starbucks runs. And yes… there are many student jobs with flexible hours to supplement parental contributions. Anything needed for school specifically I just reimbursed. Greek life can be a whole lot more. Just for the first semester, spring semester, it could be $2-3K. Afterwards, it depends on whether you live in or out. Those living in at a sorority or fraternity house can still count on an extra $800-1000 in additional fees. Its more manageable if they are living in too in my opinion, as those living out have parlor fees too. Our travel was FL to LA, so about $225 each way times 8 flights per year… if you come home for every break. That of course can vary widely.
@amsunshine Assuming a complete FA file, likely Monday to Wednesday.
@socmom9 I suggest reviewing the thread on this topic from last year…
LOL. Our file is definitely complete. They’ve asked for and we’ve given them everything but the kitchen sink!
@amsunshine Yep… that’s their methodology lol. But they do tend to be generous with aid. I guess that all depends, but they were in my family’s case at least.
You better hurry up and fedex them that kitchen sink, then!
I am not at all knowledgeable about the FA process, and we have received nothing from USC requesting additional information (which I take as a bad sign based on what I am reading). When I click on the FA link on the right of the screen and click through to 2020-2021, all I see is Eligibility Checks with a green check, Application Started with a green check, and then Application in Review with a clock. Can anyone decipher this for me? Does it simply mean we just need to wait? Or are we perhaps missing some documentation?? When I click through the USC FA it says Required Info and Forms “no items required.” Thanks.
@5OnTheHill At this point, it appears nothing else is needed from you to complete your financial aid. We were told the financial aid would come 7-10 days after the admission decision.