Just received another ridiculous request for FIVE more documents. We have given these people absolutely everything - this has been a fine tooth comb probe. Can’t imagine what they think we have. Absolutely losing hope here.
@CAtransplant If there is no corresponding document in their library, it is likely a self-created signed statement that they are seeking as an uploaded PDF. This is likley in response to something provided by you that has suggested a change in projected total income for 2020 versus what it was in 2018 or 2019 or what you may have been expecting to receive prior to this pandemic. You could also attach pay stubs, proof of unemployment filing (if applicable), etc. If your current financial situation is different from what your FAFSA and CSS filings implied, it is in your advantage to detail those changes.
@VivienL This applies to you as well. It sounds like you may have notified them of a change in projected income. So they are simply trying to get as good a picture of what your family’s income might be realistically for 2020 in total. In many cases, them asking for more info or docs is ultimately beneficial. Absent such, they will just be going by what your total family income was for 2018. And for many, that prior income level is no longer applicable in 2020.
@WWWard Thank you SO much for that insight. You are so right! It’s going to be my whole day today but it’ll hopefully be worth it in the end. Our life has come to a complete halt financially because of pandemic enforced closures in our business and, for our business anyway, it won’t be back up and running until the fall. :neutral:
Thank you for shedding light on this stressful process. 
@CAtransplant I FOUND the Parent Expected 2020 Income Document! It’s in the portal!! Just click on “Expected 2020 Income Declaration Form - Parent” and then click next Step, on the next page add another email if you wish (I added mine) then click next. On the next page you choose a method to submit the document then click next again. On THIS PAGE you will see a “View/Print Requested Document” option to download or print the form. Tadah! I was SO relieved to find it!
Good luck!!
@VivienL Ohhh, thank you so much - I found it now too. That was NOT intuitive. Basically you had to click the dot next to the request and click next as though you were uploading something like a prior tax return that you already have, not one of their forms. @WWWard thanks, but they called it a form and it turns out it is a form, it’s just not in their Document Library on the portal which has other forms so that was confusing.
Yes, I was required to send this document a couple of weeks ago. I also received another request yesterday which I submitted right away.
Funny story.
Today I just got the mail and I got a thick USC viterbi package. I opened the letter and it said that there were stickers in the booklet to show off my USC viterbi pride. I dug deep into the packet and I didn’t find the stickers anywhere in the package.
I’m big sad now ?
Good morning/afternoon/evening/night everyone! I was wondering if anyone could help me figuring out if dorming as a LA resident and with financial adversities is worth it. You can read my full synopsis regarding this circumstance using the link below, and answer either there or reply to this answer. Thank you so much in advance 
@VivienL You’re welcome.
@CAtransplant Okay. Glad you found it. But they should have added a link in the Docs Library too then.
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Just got my FA back this morning. Received $0 from USC aside from a $103 loan despite their extensive document requests. My family makes well under $80k a year but do own shares in bars/restaurants, which have tanked due to the pandemic. How do they expect us to pay $72k/year for USC when our income is far less than that?
Extremely disappointed because USC was my dream school and the new FA policies they announced earlier this year led me to believe it would be affordable.
Sorry @Cjhastings322, assets are things that can be sold to pay for college, that is how they see it for everyone. And until this year, home ownership was always included in that calculation, which pretty much negated getting FA for anyone that owned a home in California that applied to USC. There are a lot of applicants that don’t understand financial aid, there are so many factors that go into it. It’s not as simple as “if you make less than $80K a year, your college is covered”, but unfornatley that is all the room they have in the headline, which is what people see. They never fill in the details so it can certainly be misleading. I hope you have other options that you like - you can make college great wherever you attend!
Still waiting for FA. Received FA from all other schools before 4/1, without any additional requests.
As a parent, I totally lost confidence on USC’s financial aid office.
Yikes, that’s too long, but there are always some this way. I suppose you have called them?
Are there any current or past parents who would feel comfortable sharing how much their students paid for off campus housing after freshman year? I’ve been seeing some worrying numbers. Thanks!
When my eldest daughter attended in 2011, we got an award for $ 5k. That was it. I called them: Financial officer and said my daughter would like to attend but this is way out of the ballpark for us. He went over everything and found that they weren’t calculating that we actually had a mortgage. They gave aid and I actually appealed for more aid. They requested copies of every check I wrote to show extensive medical bills. They worked with us but it was a lot of work. She did go to USC and got about 25k in tuition. It’s worth calling them.
We’ve been paying rent in outside housing for about 8 years now. My best guesstimate would be the lowest you will find is about $700-$800 and that is typically sharing a room kind of thing in an outside house. I haven’t heard of anyone spending less than $700, but could be wrong there. And they can go way more than that obviously. Average in the large complexes like Gateway are shared room of a 2 bedroom apartment (so 4 living in unit total) for $1200-$1400/month, and higher than that for singles/studio set ups. We pay quite a bit now but mine is literally across from Village with private parking. Another student of mine shared townhome with 8 people (many bedrooms), but it was still $1100 for each person per month. (Yes, rent was more than 8K a month for the townhome.)
This was shared on the Berkeley thread today and I’d love to know thoughts on how/if same thoughts apply to USC. UC President Janet Napolitano video talking today about the future college semesters, social distancing challenges and more…public vs private, but regardless, how do you social distance in shared dorm rooms, communal dining facilities, classrooms?
@WCWSM52 thank you for sharing that.
Just received an email request saying additional info required, but I received my FA summary yesterday morning. Anyone else get this?
@eugenie554 Our cheapest off campus scenario (for one year) was $725/month for a two bedroom set up for four… so $2900/month overall. For her senior year, next year, my younger daughter will be at Gateway. Her lease will be $1085/month after discounts/move-in special.