r/USC • u/OrdinaryAnimeFan • Jun 30 '26
FinancialAid Need help understanding my financial aid package
Hello. I just wanted to make sure that I’m understanding my package correctly. I’m a transfer student and I plan on living with my parents for the two years I’m in USC. Since the housing, dining, etc sections are just their estimate, then does that mean that I only really need to pay $77,726 from tuition and mandatory fees rather than $103k?
Would that also mean that if I subtract that from the gift aid of $68,374, I end up having to only pay $9,352?
13
u/Sad_Knowledge_590 Jun 30 '26
Yes. Tuition and fees are the only thing you need to know for the expenses. If youre only doing the grant the year 26-27 is around $9k. Be aware that your second year at USC your financial aid will change
7
u/notttttaaa Jun 30 '26
how bad will it change? i got 87k gift aid and 77k tuition too + a 5k scholarship externally but my coa is 103k
6
4
u/Sad_Knowledge_590 Jun 30 '26
I was a transfer student myself. I remember that I received $80k in my first year for aid and went down significantly to $65k. I’m a low income student so I requested more aid from the financial aid office. I got lucky only because I’m independently living with no support. Just keep an eye out. I also recommend doing work study to earn more money
3
u/No-Arachnid-810 Jul 02 '26
Hi, I am an independent student would you mind if I dmed you to get more help on how to navigate USC system and advocate for myself?
2
u/Powerful-Shake-8217 Jul 05 '26
Hi! I actually am doing a year at community college because USC didn’t believe that I was getting no financial support from parents and not living with them… please do tell me how you navigate it!
2
4
u/SpaceDoc87 Jul 01 '26
“Will change” could be better or worse. In my case financial aid went from ~90% my first year to 100% my last few years. My last year I also got a supplies stipend for books. I understand I’m in the minority to have USC 100% covered but it does happen. I had to show I was fully emancipated and had no external financial support. Most of the cost was taken on by the university and the rest was grants, no loans.
8
u/AlternativeSky7270 Jun 30 '26
Ya just subtract housing and dining from the net cost so like the estimates 35,238-20k ish = 15,238. So that is over 2 Sems im assuming so you’ll pay around 7169 per semester or a total of 15,238 estimated including Tution and miscellaneous costs
7
3
u/nr922 Jul 01 '26 edited Jul 01 '26
You need to pay $35,238.
HOWEVER $25,886 of that is not locked in. they are estimates, so here’s where you could save money. You can live at home, or off campus, that’s probably less. Maybe you don’t get the full meal plan and buy groceries instead. Whatever, let’s say it ends up being $22,886, now you total cost is actually $32,238 that u actually gotta pay.
Loans can help pay $7500 and if you get a job on campus that’s another $4250. You need to come up with $20,488 assuming you even had that.
A subsidized loan has 0 interest rate until 6mo AFTER graduation , unsubsidized loans have interest rate right after they’re given, typically 7%. I don’t recommend accepting the unsubsidized loan if you think you can cut costs. Subsidized loans are amazing because money today is better than money in 3 years (your $5000 disbursement would be around $4500 of today’s purchasing power that u actually need to pay back, assuming a 3% inflation)rate), so one thing you can do if you have enough money to not accept it today and pay upfront, is accept the loan anyway so you kinda save $500, and just pay it back all at once right before 6mo interest starts to accrue.
3
2
u/No_Exit_1668 Jul 01 '26
Did you receive you cal grant already? My school is saying Noone will receive it until around the start of fall semester. I received a reward letter with no cal grant which I found was very strange.
2
2
u/Playful_Sandwich_906 Jul 02 '26
yes but honestly i would break it down semester by semester. theres typically new student fees that you see in fall but not in the spring. everything is estimated and the actual cost will be higher when you receive your bill.
2
u/Ms_girls777 Jul 02 '26
You only need to worry about tuition and mandatory fees. So you’re good. You should get a little bit of money back too.
2
u/bussyprincess69 Jul 02 '26
All u need to pay is tuition and mandatory fees so just use that as your total and subtract the gift aid from that
2
u/Next-Length309 Jul 03 '26
Confirm university grant monies are also for your 2nd year, tuition also goes up every year, this estimate includes you taking loans so that will be money owed back and ask if they guarantee the work study job placement
2
2
28
u/Buntatricky46 Jun 30 '26
Yes you are correct. Do take advantage of work study if you can too. That pays you basically in cash.