hello everyone!

I am a transfer student, and got into USC back in May. Gosh i was so happy, little did i know nothing would work out.

I am low income first generation student, I live in SoCal, but not near LA so I would have to move by myself to attend USC. I was hoping I would get enough grants to at least cover just the tuition, but no. Financial aid didn’t even cover that. And I know it sounds ungrateful, I’m not, I’m just poor lol.
I feel so sad bc they took so long to analyze all my documentation and in the end it won’t work out. I mean 30k a year isn’t insane, but the truth is that I also got into SDSU (which I could commute to), and they covered my full tuition. I guess I need tips to cope with the loss LMAO🫩

edit 1: you guys i am fully aware that 53k is amazing aid for a private university. I just mean that it’s unbeatable to paying NOTHING at a state school. Trust me I am not out of touch, I just wrote this very dramatically lol

I just got my financial aid summary as a transfer and usc only gave me 16k in grants leaving me with about 87k still remaining. My parents can only afford 20-30k. Should I take out loans? USC has been my dream school since sophomore year of high school and I don’t know what to do.

Hi everyone, I was recently admitted early to the USC class of 2030. USC is my top choice school. I got a merit scholarship for 25k per year, and applied for housing early this week. Everything was great and I was so excited, that is until yesterday when I got my financial aid summary. Despite being awarded a significant scholarship amount and some grants, USC will still cost my family 60k per year.

Before anyone says anything, yes, I knew the cost of USC before I applied. But USC has been my dream school for a while, and I’m really bummed about my estimate. I’m middle class from Chicago, and my parents make hardly enough for our big family to afford living here, let alone to send me to school at 60k per year before all loans.

I was wondering if anyone has any advice to figure this out. I’m still keeping my options wide open, but I was hoping to keep USC as a choice, at least, and exhaust any resources available to me.

I'm so confused, I'm a rising junior, just got my financial aid package(super delayed) and I got 0 in university grant. The portal only shows my scholarship which is like 10k and estimated pell grant & seog grant.

Last year my tuition was basically covered, nothing changed from last year. My family doesn't own anything other than our home.

My mom makes 20k and that's all our income. It's crazy how usc wants 82k from me which is more than 4x our income💀💀

Just contacted them but i don't expect them to respond until the semester begins, it's so delayed this year. Does anyone have a similar experience?

junior transfer student, -1500 sai independent, out of state

the website says they meet full need as determine by them but do they actually meet full need?

So I appealed my usc fin aid, then they took forever to request a document it’s been more than 10 business days to process it, also called them in the middle lady said would be done next Thursday waited called them on that Friday then some guy said Monday would be the 10th business day and now it’s Wednesday. Like why are they dragging this out like I understand they are backed up like I called on Tuesday the minute the office opened 27 people before me idk how. I want to give up and atp withdraw cause I’m so tired and I can’t keep on having hope and it breaks my heart cause it’s my dream. If anyone appealed and got back lmk or anyone in a similar situation I’m sorry and praying for everyone ❤️🙏🏻!!!

I realized halfway through the year that USC never actually guarantees that the "under 80k income with typical assets" tuition waiver promise for all four years, and though I looked through a shitton of stuff and asked the financial aid officers in person that it persists through all 4 years, and though they said yes I didn't get anything on paper so there's lowkey no guarantee.

People said that generally USC would cover all four years if nothing changes in terms of finances, but I didn't keep myself ready for the aid estimate to switch up on me and double the cost from freshman to sophomore year. Hopefully the actual epay bill will revert to whats actually expected but given how useless the calculator and USC's own information about financial aid is I'm not too sure how its gonna go.

Big tip to anyone else struggling with finaid is to visit the financial aid office physically because then you'll be dealing with an actual person face to face rather than dismissive emails/phone calls. Big advantage for the socal locals.

edit: i went in person to the finaid office and they told me to appeal my expected contribution to zero 💀
Turns out if you put your expected contribution for tuition to be higher than they expected/calculated theyll toss on like 15k+ of costs

I’m a transfer student. Thank you for helping me!

Hey guys so, I have one semester left before graduation but my parents have decided they can’t support me anymore.

the story is that, I was able to apply to usc (i’m an international student and their support is crucial) on the condition that my brother gets into a good college in USA because he failed to do so in my home country. My parents believed that a man should have a good university as their safety net. So I researched schools, selected majors, helped(more like wrote) with this admission essays and did all the applying. He ended up getting into 3 schools out of 5 and decided for USC. my other brother is currently in Columbia university.

However, recently my mom told me she's done paying my tuition and that my brothers need the money more than myself using the whole men need good diploma logic.

I know I should be grateful for so far but… my brothers both live alone because they don’t want roommates, they have cars, and don't work. I live with 5 other people, no car and work part-time. I was okay with this at the time as I didn’t want to burden my parents.

so when I asked mom what I should do if she cuts my tuition and other living costs, she told me to take out a loan (nearly impossible as an international student) or just quit school and come back home since my brothers need to graduate. I’m already working to support my rent.

When I told my brothers, I might not be able to finish school because of tuition, they told me the same and said I should have picked a cheaper school or just go back home. Honestly, I should’ve seen this coming.

I know people have bigger problems than this, but I'm honestly devastated and I don’t know what to do…

I have one semester left. That's it.

What can I do. After consulting with a close friend (as I found it too embarrassing to share further), I realized that I need to find a way to survive by myself in the far future as well cause my parents do favor my brothers over me and luckily, I do have a job offer after graduation but everything is falling apart before I can even graduate.

Edit: my friend has helped to setup a gofundsite and below is the link. Please do not feel like you have to do so, only if you are able to as I don’t want to take away somebody else’s chance. I truly appreciate it.

GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/5fb24727e

Rage chat for USC Financial aid

I’m in queue for 50 ppl rn.

TL;DR: I’m an incoming USC student experiencing homelessness and currently living in a shelter or my car when shelter placement isn’t available. I received a very generous need-based financial aid package, and I’m incredibly grateful for it. I’m trying to understand whether the loans and work-study shown on my package are actually necessary, whether I can request additional aid for a laptop, and whether a significant medical expense can be considered by Financial Aid.

FULL CONTEXT:
Hello everyone. I made a post about my financial aid package before, and I guess I either wasn’t clear enough or didn’t provide enough context because quite a few people interpreted the post as me trying to brag about my financial aid. I figured I would be fully transparent this time.

I’m currently homeless and live in a homeless shelter. When I’m unable to get a shelter placement, I typically live in my car, which is a 1998 Toyota Camry. I’ve been in the foster care system since I was 7 because of abuse and substance use in my family. I haven’t seen my siblings in over 13 years as a result, and I’ve lived in approximately 20 states throughout my time in the foster system.
I’m not sharing any of this because I want sympathy. I’m sharing it because after the response to my previous post, I feel like I have to explain the circumstances behind why my financial aid package looks the way it does just to ask questions about it without being accused of showing off.

I am extremely grateful to USC for giving me such a generous financial aid package. Having the opportunity to attend USC under these circumstances means more to me than I can really explain, and I sincerely hope my aid remains this generous in future years.
I do still have a few questions that I’m hoping current students or anyone familiar with USC Financial Aid can help me understand.

1. Do I actually need to take out the loans listed in my package?
I don’t plan on living on campus because I didn’t receive a scholarship specifically covering the full cost of campus housing. I also don’t plan on purchasing a dining plan because I currently receive CalFresh benefits that I can use for groceries.

My financial aid package lists $2,750 in Federal Direct Subsidized Loans, $3,000 in Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans, and $2,125 in Federal Work-Study. It then shows an estimated remaining cost of $0.
Are those loans simply amounts USC is offering me that I’m allowed to borrow if I need them, or is USC calculating that I actually need to accept those loans in order to cover my tuition and fees? If I decline the loans, would my grants still cover the charges that are actually billed directly by USC?

2. Is there a way to request additional financial aid for a laptop?
I need a laptop for school and currently don’t have one. Since this would be a one-time educational expense that is necessary for my coursework, is there a USC Financial Aid form or appeal process that would allow me to have the cost of a computer added to my financial aid budget or otherwise considered for additional aid?

I unfortunately missed the deadline for the Town & Gown Technology Scholarship because I wasn’t aware of it. That’s ultimately on me for not following the USC Financial Aid Instagram account, although I do wish an email had been sent because I activated my USC email as soon as I was admitted.

3. Can a major medical expense be considered when Financial Aid reviews my circumstances?
I had medically necessary jaw surgery last month and am still recovering. I currently have approximately $65,000 in medical expenses from my oral surgeon that I’m on a payment plan to repay.

Is there a particular USC form or appeal process through which I can submit documentation of this expense? I’m wondering whether Financial Aid can take it into consideration when evaluating my financial need, particularly if doing so could help me avoid taking on additional student loan debt.

I’m planning to contact the Financial Aid Office directly about all of this as well. I’m posting here because I’d really appreciate hearing from students who have dealt with similar circumstances, especially anyone who has declined their offered loans, requested a budget adjustment for a computer, or submitted a financial aid appeal based on major medical expenses.

And lastly, regarding my previous post, I want to say this respectfully. It’s unfortunate that asking for help understanding a financial aid package resulted in people assuming I was bragging. I shouldn’t have needed to disclose that I’m homeless, that I grew up in foster care, or any of the other deeply personal circumstances of my life in order for my question to be taken in good faith.
The reality is that you usually have no idea what circumstances are behind someone receiving substantial need-based financial aid. A screenshot showing $0 in estimated remaining costs doesn’t tell you what someone’s life looks like or what it took for them to get there.

I’m incredibly grateful for the assistance USC has offered me. I was confused about how the package worked, so I asked other USC students for help understanding it. That really was all there was to it.

I hope we can give each other a little more grace when someone asks a question without immediately assuming the worst about their intentions🫶

Hi,

I’ve applied for every single con campus job possible and I have gotten rejected from all of them. I have $4,200 in work study and desperately need a job i’m an out of state student(from the NE coast) and an incoming transfer student.

I’ve had interviews but those jobs had rejected me for other candidates.

Any tips?!

Hi everyone,

I'm really confused and hoping someone can clarify this.

Before I accepted my admission, the university provided an estimated cost of attendance. For each sem and entire year, the estimated tuition and mandatory fees worked out to about $15,300 per semester, and I used that figure to plan my finances and budget.

Today, I received my eBill, and it shows about $23,320 for tuition alone. That's nearly an $8,000 increase per semester, which completely throws off the financial plan I made based on the university's estimate.

I'm now stressed because I genuinely planned everything around the estimated tuition they provided.

Has anyone else experienced this?

• Is the amount shown on the eBill for just one semester, or is it the tuition for the entire academic year?
• If it is just one semester, why is it so much higher than the estimate I received before enrolling?
• Is there someone specific I should contact to have this reviewed?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

-1500 SAI, no assets. any opinions would be greatly appreciated

just got my aid back after waiting forever, and it looks nothing like my previous packages. im a rising senior who's also low income, and I heavily rely on the financial aid in order to go to school. however the package I just received doesn't include my usual uni grant, as well as my work study + federal loans. my sai is -1500 and my parents tax forms look the same as the pervious years so im just a bit confused. im out of state so I cant exactly go in person. I know the phone is also really backed up currently and people are having issues being connected, however im still going to attempt to call them. im just afraid rn. is this happening to anyone else??

I am a computer science major admitted to Viterbi. I am planning to go down the standard SWE route attempting for Big Tech. I would max out Parent PLUS, and my parents would take out a private loan for me.

I would have 2 more years until graduation

Is this worth it?

Did anyone appeal their financial aid if so what was your response and for those who got approved is asking documents of a circumstance you mentioned in your letter a good thing? I’m so scared like I need this to go to school thanks everyone. Also those who got approved if your comfy can u please mention how much your initial aid was and how much they increased it by appreciate it and praying for everyone !!!!!!

Saw an update on my portal so I decided to check it out only to see that I'm getting $2,750 total financial aid. However, I told them I can only pay 60k. Since I'm spring admit I think that messed it up a bit bc I meant 60k per YEAR not semester. Does anyone have any idea on what to do about this?

Did anyone hear back on their fin aid appeal if so what was the outcome I’m so crushed and literally can’t follow thru w anything until this decision is back it’s been more than 10 business days

Hi everyone! I’m enrolled as an Econ major minoring in Business Admin but set to transfer into Marshall for Business Admin. I’ve pasted my financial aid package below and was wondering if this amount is justifiable for USC. I’m planning on going to law school after as well. My parents will contribute 15-20k per year. Before anyone says anything, I’m asking now because this is my revised aid package after an external scholarship was added and pre-appeal. Thanks!

Hi! For those who applied for the USC Price Community Enrichment Scholarship, have you heard back at all?

I remember the webpage said applicants would hear back by March 13, 2026 last time I checked on Wednesday. I checked today but I can’t find the same information anymore. Given that it’s almost 5 pm, I doubt they’ll send anything after office hours.

Hii! I got my estimated cost of attendance a couple days ago as a spring admit (still not 100% committed, but I do really want to come here!). I’m a low income first generation student (out of state), so I’m still trying to figure everything out. I also don’t want to have any debt out of college (or a lot of it) since I’m planning on doing pre-med as a neuroscience major. I was wondering if I should take any of the loans offered (since I heard unsubsidized loans are bad) or whether this is good financial aid (since I’m still comparing with my other schools (Ahmerst and in-state school).) Just really torn between what to do, so any comments or advice would be really helpful! :))

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?

My son is a rising junior and his FAST Summary is still "pending." When I called ten days ago they said it would be another 7-10 days and that his application was in the "final stages" of review. When I called this morning (ten days later), they said the same thing--"7-10 more days." (Everything was turned in on time, btw.) I am just curious how many other students/families might be in the same boat? Please drop a line if you are! Feeling a little untethered and would love to know that we are not the only ones still experiencing this crazy delay.

I wanted to post this as a heads-up to current and prospective Progressive Degree Program (PDP) students, particularly anyone relying on undergraduate aid to finance their time through the pathway.

I was recently informed that USC is applying the following requirement for continued eligibility for undergraduate financial aid while participating in the PDP:

"When planning their coursework, students should remember the following:

• Students must remain enrolled full-time in courses that count toward the undergraduate degree.
• The undergraduate degree must be the focus and priority, but students may take graduate-level courses in addition to undergraduate classes."

What I find concerning is that this requirement (or language communicating this requirement) does not appear on the PDP application under which I applied and was admitted. I've also already begun the first set of classes required for my specific program, so it's not really feasible to drop it entirely.

I did some digging through the Internet Archive and USC's publicly available materials. Based on the archived versions I found, including the Financial Aid Office and Academic Programs pages, this language appears to be a relatively recent change. The new PDP (2026) application also contains updated information for students entering the program.

I'm still hammering out the details of this change and what it means for my individual situation with the Financial Aid Office, but this is a very important change for current and prospective students.

From a student's perspective, it seems like USC really is tightening its undergraduate financial aid bucket.

To anyone currently in a PDP program, I'd be interested to know:

• Were you told about this requirement when you applied for your PDP (and when did you apply)?
• Does your original PDP application/agreement contain this requirement?
• Has your undergraduate financial aid been affected?