<p>Randy1991, I believe you should be able to get them to give you some more unsubsidized loans since your mom was declined. I’ll let alamemom handle it, though. I’m just stepping in so you have some hope and don’t have to freak out for as long.</p>
<p>Thanks Alamemom…I’ll tell my Mom to keep watching for the email. Hopefully it will come soon! I guess if its not here by next week she should call back again.</p>
<p>oh yeah…she is also waiting for the approval. She said we only sent the request for the loan and the specific funds to USC but have heard nothing for over 7 weeks…yikes! Our usc connect says they did receive the request, but thats it…haven’t heard a thing yet!</p>
<p>Randy1991, Serapher is exactly right - if your parent is turned down for the PLUS you are eligible for an extra $4,000 unsubsidized Stafford. That still leaves you $4,000 short - If you sign up for the payment plan, will your mom be able to cover it each month?</p>
<p>-Some of that $4,000 might be expenses that USC does not bill - such as transportation, books, etc., so you might be able to cut some of those. Be sure you have waived the health insurance if you are eligible. Also be sure to get in touch with USC Financial aid right away to discuss options - don’t wait until the last minute.</p>
<p>i called usc and they told me the person who was reviewing my case (i had to apply for independent status) wasn’t around that they. therefore they got to reviewing it on wednesday, and now i am receiving about $5000 in aid with contribution of $49,000. </p>
<p>so my next question would be, is there any way to get more aid this late in the game?</p>
<p>My mantra is, “It never hurts to ask.” Write up a letter with all the reasons you feel you need more aid. Use Serapher’s link in post #561 to see the things USC will consider - those are the most likely to result in more aid, but if you have others you think might make a difference throw them in as well. Good luck!</p>
<p>Just reading the sage advice of alamemommy…</p>
<p>My mom has been posting and asking questions on another area of the community discussions. She can now see why I felt so much better after I talked to all of you.</p>
<p>Anyway…hi.</p>
<p>I wonder whatever happened to dreamupsidedown?</p>
<p>Cost of attendance is sometimes adjusted when USC feels a particular student will have expenses beyond the standard room/board/books and expenses. Students doing study abroad, for example, sometimes are studying in an area where those items cost more, or they may have air fare to cover, and they can receive a cost of attendance adjustment. Students can request a one-time cost of attendance adjustment to purchase a computer for college use.</p>
<p>The change in cost of attendance *usually *does not result in more grant aid, it generally just makes you or your parents eligible for more loans by creating a gap. It is important to remember that Cost of Attendance is NOT an amount USC will bill you - it is an estimate of how much a year of attending USC will cost all together, including things like going out to the movies.</p>
<p>An adjustment to $65,000 is a bit more than I have heard of - it might simply be an error. </p>
<p>Or it could be that USC, in their professional judgement, has determined that you need more aid than the numbers from the FAFSA and CSS/Profile indicate and they have made the cost of attendance adjustment so they could give you additional grant aid without having to reduce any federal aid you have been awarded. This is how they meet federal guidlines for distributing federal aid while still having flexibilty to make an exception in special cases.</p>
<p>Remember - the cost of attendance is NOT an amount they bill - if it isn’t an error, it is something they have done to make it possible to give you more money, so it is a GOOD thing.</p>
<p>Hey, everyone! Potentially good news for people waiting for loans to show up before paying. I just got a “disclosure statement” from the government Direct Loans people regarding my loans. It says that USC plans to disburse on the 13th. Maybe it’s because certain departments go earlier, or maybe they’re just early this year?</p>
<p>I have a couple of questions. My parents want to enroll in the payment plan now. So if the federal loans are disbursed on/after the 13th, what will happen? And given that my parents enroll in the payment plan, when is the first installment due? The payment plan site doesn’t specify the due date for the first installment.</p>
<p>I am not sure what you are asking in terms of the loan disbursement - when the loans are disbursed on the 13th, they will be applied to your balance on your student account.</p>
<p>The first installment of the payment plan is due when you enroll in the payment plan. When you plan how much you would like to split into payments, subtract the amount of your loans (theoretically you know for how much you applied) to get the balance left to be paid. Divide that balance by 5 for your payment amount.</p>
<p>^i have the same concern too. My parents just want to use the loans for books and living expenses. When the loans get disbursed on the 13th, is there a way that i can get a refund of my loans right away and then my parents will just take care of my remaining balance for tuition?</p>
How about doing it so your parents take care of the books and the loans can just go against your student account balance? </p>
<p>I have not used the payment plan, so I do not know if they let you take the loan proceeds without first applying them to tuition and fees when you use the payment plan. Without the payment plan, I can tell you that no, they would not give you your loan money to spend without first applying it to your balance due. In that situation you can only get a loan disbursement after all of your tuition, fees, room, board, football tickets, parking passes, etc. have been paid.</p>
<p>You can call to ask, but it seems far more sensible to make paying tuition the priority. You can attend without books, but you cannot attend if you don’t pay your tuition.</p>
<p>I used the payment plan for my son last year. When you sign up for the payment plan, you have to tell them how much. I am not sure it will let you do a total more than your family contribution. As far as I know, All loan proceeds are applied to tuition, fees, room, board, etc. If there is any $$ left, you can get a refund for that to use for books, supplies, and other COA. I know that is how Parent Plus loan works and I assume all other loans also.</p>
<p>sorry, I’ve been internet-less for a few days, but we figured out that I didn’t get a scholarship, but my 529 showed up under that category for some reason. I don’t know why my COA went up, but as long as I don’t have to pay that much (and I don’t, I checked ePay), I’m happy. Thank you, though!</p>
<p>My minimum payment went up by 2000 dollars from about 7000 to 9000 after the FAFSA updated (informed by email), however, the our efc stayed the same. Why did the minimum payment rise?</p>
<p>Also consequently, the minimum payment is not different from the amount on the account statement.</p>
<p>Your “minimum payment” is not a financial aid-referenced number, it is a billing amount. It is the minimum amount you must pay by the due date for that statement, which for this billing period is August 20th.</p>
<p>If your minimum payment amount went up it is probably because they have added charges to your account: room, board, health insurance, tuition, football tickets, parking passes, discretionay account, etc. Your *financial aid information is not listed on your billing account<a href=“other%20than%20that%20is%20where%20the%20credits%20for%20loans,%20scholarships%20and%20grants%20appear”>/I</a>, your financial aid information is listed on your financial aid page. Look THERE to see if there was any change in your financial aid.</p>
<p>To see the individual charges that have been billed been to your account, choose “Transactions” in the bar above where you see your “minimum payment.”</p>
