Financial Aid

Entering Undergraduates 

USC has a long tradition of meeting 100 percent of the USC-determined financial need for undergraduates who satisfy eligibility requirements and meet all deadlines. The USC Office of Financial Aid's website contains key information to help clarify and explain the financial aid application process for undergraduate new students, continuing students and their parents.

USC offers a wide array of ways to pay for college, including installment plans, prepayment plans and long-term financing options.  Students must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, and must meet all other eligibility requirements to be eligible for federal, state, and university financial aid programs.


Application
To ensure that you receive notification of your financial aid eligibility before the May 1 National Candidates' Reply Date, apply as early as possible. To be considered for USC merit scholarships, apply for admission by December 10. Respond to any additional requests from USC within 30 days. To monitor your status, log on to My Financial Aid & Documents.  Please review the information on the sidebar for application details.

 

 

USC Merit Scholarships

USC administers more than a dozen prestigious scholarship programs, ranging up to full tuition waivers. Unlike loans, scholarships do not have to be repaid. They are awarded based on academic excellence, leadership, service, talent and other criteria.

Scholarships will generally change the composition of your financial aid award—in most cases, reducing your student loans or Federal Work-Study. For specific information about your award, contact the Financial Aid Office. scholarships.

 

School of Architecture Awards
The School of Architecture awards close to a quarter million dollars annually in merit scholarships to continuing architecture students.

Many of these awards were funded by individuals or groups to honor or memorialize an alumnus or an academician of the School. Often the fund is specifically designated for a special purpose or to recognize a specific quality of academic achievement in the student recipient. Endowed funds at the School provide annual student awards at the School in perpetuity. Several outside agencies also provide scholarship awards to which students of the USC School of Architecture may apply directly.

 

Related Info

2009–2010 New Undergraduate Students

1)    Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online. This application qualifies you for the low-interest Federal Stafford Loan and enables you to be considered for certain grants.
  • Use your best estimates of 2008 parent and student income.
  • USC’s Federal School Code is 001328.
  • Apply on or after January 1, 2009.
2)    Register for and complete the College Scholarship Service (CSS) Financial Aid PROFILE® online. This application determines your eligibility for USC student aid funds.
  • Use your best estimates of 2008 parent and student income.
  • USC’s CSS School Code is 4852.
  • USC does not participate in the CSS IDOC program.
  • USC does not require the CSS Non-Custodial Parent form or the CSS Business Supplemental Form.
3)    (California residents only) Apply for a Cal Grant, worth about $9,700 annually at USC. Deadline: March 2, 2009.
  • Many California schools automatically submit the form for their students, so check with your school before completing the following steps.
  • Download the 2009 Cal Grant GPA Verification Form by visiting www.csac.ca.gov and clicking on the name of the form. Fill out the student portion of the form and sign it. Ask the registrar at the school you currently attend or most recently attended to verify your GPA (grade point average).
  • Make a copy of the form for your records and mail the original to the California Student Aid Commission as soon as possible.
  • Transfer Students: To ensure continued receipt of the Cal Grant, transfer students currently receiving a Cal Grant must transfer the grant to USC. Request a Cal Grant Record Change Form for Students from the California Student Aid Commission at (888) CA-GRANT or complete the form online at https://mygrantinfo.csac.ca.gov.
4)    Fax student’s and parents’ federal tax returns to the Financial Aid Office. For faxing instructions, visit www.usc.edu/contactfao.
  • Fax complete copies of signed student and parent 2008 federal income tax returns—including all schedules and W–2 forms as soon as possible. Copy W-2 forms on a separate page (not covering page 1 of the return).
  • Write your name and USC ID number on your parents' federal income tax return.
  • If you are not legally required to file a federal income tax return for 2008, fax a completed 2009–2010 Student Non-Filing Statement Form.
  • USC does not require state tax returns.
If your parents . . .
  • are married and filed separately: Submit both tax returns.
  • are divorced or separated: Attach only your custodial parent's 2008 federal tax return or if your parents filed jointly for 2008 submit that return. If your custodial parent has remarried, submit tax returns for this parent and your stepparent.
  • are not legally required to file a federal income tax return for 2008: Fax a completed 2009–2010 Parent Non-Filing Statement Form.
  • do not live in the United States and do not file a U.S. tax return: Submit a 2009-2010 Parent Non-Filing Statement Form and attach translated documentation of their income, such as a foreign tax return, employer statement, etc. Convert all amounts to U.S. dollars.
5)    (If applicable) Fax the 2009-2010 USC Custodial Parent Form, with appropriate documentation, to the Financial Aid Office. For faxing instructions, visit www.usc.edu/contactfao.
  • Completing this form is required only if your custodial parent is currently single, divorced, separated, remarried, or was never married.
  • USC does not require the CSS Non-Custodial Parent Form.
  • USC will determine an expected contribution for the custodial parent, the non-custodial parent, and the stepparent, as appropriate.
©2007 USC School of Architecture and The University of Southern California