<p>Wow, yeesh. I’m not trying to attack USC’s aid, I’m just saying that [this</a> thread](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-southern-california/732999-financial-aid-beware.html"]this”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-southern-california/732999-financial-aid-beware.html), along with other sources, has me concerned. I apologize if I worded it badly, but of course I am aware it is not your “role” to “convince” me of anything; I was simply asking if there is evidence to the contrary of the concerns I have.
I have read this thread, and am aware of the things you mentioned. I am not asking for what my FA would be specifically, I am asking what FA is like for low-income families in general-- if such info is even known.
I’m not sure how being concerned about negative stories I’ve heard of USC’S FA makes me “unappreciative.” Nor am I sure why I should be sensing a tone of hostility here… I apologize if I’ve offended anyone, but I’m simply reporting what has me worried about USC. I know it’s a great school.</p>
<p>I am grateful for the anecdotes to the contrary. That was along the lines of what I was asking for.</p>
oxolojo, You are correct, it is unlikely that with an EFC of $99,999 you would receive need-based financial aid. USC’s cost of attendance is about $54,000, so your expected contribution is far more than the cost of attendance. If you think your EFC is way out of line with your income/assets, double check all the information you entered looking for errors. If you have siblings attending college at the same time you are, there would be a slight possibility of receiving aid. Sorry I don’t have better news , I know that USC is your top choice.</p>
<p>Prussia, I am sorry you were unhappy with my answer to you. I spent a great deal of time typing up detailed responses to your questions in the most straightforward manner possible. I have re-read my answers and am at a loss as to with what you are taking issue.</p>
<p>As for the “Beware” thread, if one reads it critically, all the way through, one would find that nearly all of the posters had their issues resolved. Others were unhappy with their high EFC’s (which were consistant at all the colleges to which they applied), and still others were upset that when their siblings graduated their grants were reduced (again, standard at all universities). Two of the posters were alternate screen names for the OP. As for the FaceBook group, please read post #140 to see that USC sought out the administrators of that group to specifically adress their concerns.</p>
<p>Thanks alamemom. You’re truly helpful to this board, and I know I can speak for most of us when I say that we’d be lost without you.</p>
<p>I’m bummed, that’s for sure. My mom got a bonus. A big bonus. At the wrong time.
I know I can get the stafford loans, because anyone can. Do you know if I could contribute using work-study or any other way? If I get into USC, I want to go. And while I don’t have enough money to pay for it, I will try whatever I can!</p>
<p>I know you can request for special circumstances. And I know that 2009 was a special circumstance for my family. My mom received a bonus that she will never receive again. And that bonus jacked up my EFC, I know that. Is there any way to tell USC this? We won’t be making nearly the same amount in 2010 as 2009.</p>
<p>Look at ##132, 133 in the thread you cite. On appeal, the awards were increased and the persons were satisfied.</p>
<p>This happens all the time. Somebody complains that their aid was reduced, we inquire about it, and it turns out there is a good reason for the reduction or a mistake was made, then corrected. Some people just like to complain, using the flimsiest of circumstances as an excuse to start up a new complaint. If 10 people complain, out of 15,000 people receiving financial aid, and 8 of the 10 turn out to have no reason to complain, should you still be worried?</p>
<p>Think about it. If USC had a consistent policy of baiting freshmen in with big awards which were then dramatically reduced in subsequent years, so people could not afford to finish, it would be a scandal and there would not be a 90% graduation rate.</p>
<p>I appreciate your time in responding to me, it is simply that I sensed a tone of hostility or exasperation in your answers, which I did not feel was deserved. Perhaps it was unintentional. That is the only thing I took issue with.
I really had only one question, and that was whether low-income students receive any significant amounts of FA in grants. You did answer that by naming the loans, work study, student contribution, etc, that are mandatory before grants are given out. I appreciate that being made clear, as I suppose I hadn’t realized they were standard across-the-board for all students, regardless of their income level.
The rest were not questions, simply statements. I do appreciate you having taken the time to respond.
I apologize if I have said anything to offend, as I did not intend to.</p>
<p>Thank you for the helpful response as well, dt. I see. I understand now that my fears were not entirely warranted.</p>
<p>oxolojo, yes, there are ways to let USC know about your special circumstances. If you have not yet filed the CSS/Profile, there is a place on it where you can detail special circumstances. You and/or your parents should also write up a letter to USC Financial aid. Tell them the family’s annual income for the past several years, why there was a special bonus this year, and why the bonus is not likely to re-occur in future years. Offer to provide full documentation if requested.</p>
<p>There are three possible responses:
They will not provide need-based aid this year because of your high income, but will assure you they will re-evaluate your aid in subsequent years.
They will increase your aid a small amount and again assure that it would be re-evaluated and possibly increased in future years.
They may make a significant adjustment (we can always hope for the best!).</p>
<p>Other options -
Federal work/study is only available if you show need (cost of attendance higher than EFC), but you can try to get a non-work/study job. Unfortunately, they are in short supply on campus.
You can get the unsubsidized Stafford, but as you say they are small compared to the cost of attendance: $5,500 freshman, $6,500 soph, $7,500 jr and senior years.
Transfer. If you have applied to a less-expensive university (usually your in-state public flagship) and are accepted, you could attend there the first year to save money and transfer to USC as a sophomore (and when your income figures are more reflective of your circumstance). Another, even less-expensive option is to attend community college for two years (but I know that is hard for accomplished students like yourself to even consider that option).
In future years, you could look into being a Resident Advisor. They receive free board in exchange for their work. It is a very demanding job and should only be considered if it is something you would truly enjoy.</p>
<p>I’ll let you know if I can think of any other ideas.
Good luck!</p>
<p>***- When do transfer students get their financial aid package? in some cases, transfer won’t know if they get accepted or not until mid-june or so b/c USC requests that we submit our spring grades… ***</p>
<p>Sorry, lakerforever24! I missed this one yesterday and just saw it today. You are correct, the wait for the transfers can be agonizing. From posts in previous years, it seems transfers get their aid packages within about 2 weeks after acceptance, which puts it as late as early July. The UC transfer commitment deposits are often due before USC gives a decision and/or aid package, so some students feel they need to reserve their spot at a UC while they wait to hear from USC. If this happens in your case, you might try contacting your other schools for an extension (in writing or email) while you wait for all your decisions and aid packages to be finalized. Good luck!</p>
<p>- When do returning students get their financial aid packages?</p>
<p>Returning students also get their aid awards in the summer. Just about two months before the August move-in for the Fall semester, and too late to make alternate plans if the aid is inadequate. It seems the FA department is consumed with churning out awards for incoming freshmen all Spring, and no one is available to process the returning students’ awards until after. </p>
<p>Fortunately, no one has ever reported here on CC that a returning student’s aid was dramatically changed from the prior year’s aid, where there was no apparent reason for a reduction, or where it was not a mistake quickly corrected. In other words, USC’s aid is consistent from year to year if the financial condition of the family is consistent.</p>
<p>Anybody fax the tax returns and W2 yet? My dad asked me to print out the “personalized cover and last page” for faxing the docs. No luck with that. The links keep looping back to USC Connect. Only the link for current students seems to work … goes to Oasis.</p>
<p>Is the USC doc management system for freshmen screwed up?</p>
<p>Just remember to click on Fax and not Electronically. And don’t click on Download at that point. Instead hit Next Step and it will give you an area to click on Download/Print forms. Click on that and the Cover/Closing sheets will come up. We just did it and it worked great.</p>
<p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<p>Anybody fax the tax returns and W2 yet? My dad asked me to print out the “personalized cover and last page” for faxing the docs. No luck with that. The links keep looping back to USC Connect. Only the link for current students seems to work … goes to Oasis.</p>
<p>Is the USC doc management system for freshmen screwed up?</p>
<p>my d is a national merit finalist . She will be getting a half tuition from usc and our EFC is $26000. Our family cannot afford because both my husband and i recently lost our jobs. If she goes to in state we have to pay $18000 wo scholarships. i know my d would really like USC but that is about $48 000 diff. I was hoping that USC will offer her a trustee scholarship :(… i guess she was not ask to go for any interview. </p>
<p>Do you guys know if USC will consider fin aid this year even though the taxes for 2009 shows $100K income.</p>
<p>USC uses both the FAFSA and CSS/Profile to determine your need, so the amount you are expected to contribute may differ from your FAFSA EFC. </p>
<p>Be sure to get your financial aid materials in on time and send in a letter to USC financial aid detailing your job losses. They may expect you to contribute the first year based on 2009 information, but would re-evaluate your aid in subsequent years if your income decreases.</p>
<p>In the past the NMF Presidential has included an extra $1,000/year for a total scholarship of almost $21,000/year for four years.</p>
<p>I don’t know if anyone will be able to answer this but… I have a weird family situation and I am not sure who my “custodial parent” actually is… I filled out my FAFSA with my real father’s information, along with my CSS profile. He, however, lives in Michigan, but I do live with him about 3-5 months out of the year. My mother, who I do not live with either, lives in CA but I put her as my secondary parent. </p>
<p>I am currently living on my own in CA… or was, until about a week ago. I’m too young to be considered independent, but my father is the one who is listed on a divorce agreement to pay for the 3rd year of my education, so that’s why I entered his information in… Should I contact the financial aid office and ask them this, I just don’t know if it’s too late to re-fill out the forms since I already had to do so… I’m so confused! I don’t want to feel like I’m scamming them either, since my real father is currently umemployed and has an EFC of basically nothing. So I don’t know what to do now.</p>
<p>Our son would like to be a film maker and has been accepted at Emerson with a 50% merit scholarship. He can also go to NC School of the Arts and UNC- Chapel Hill all at very reasonable prices.</p>
<p>We will not qualify for need based financial aid, so we have a really hard time justifying sending him to NYU or USC if he gets in unless he gets some kind of merit based consideration.</p>
<p>We feel bad because they are supposedly the best and most well connected schools for film and yet the full tuition just seems too high.</p>
<p>Question:Is there any point in sending in FAFSA info to USC and NYU? Won’t it hurt his chances for any merit based scholarships when they see we have had a good income for the past few years? (We use most of it to go back into our business, but it still shows up as income.)</p>
, I know that USC is your top choice.</p>