Financial Aid. BEWARE.

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Southern California
121

<p>This is such a stressful topic, I can understand why those who got the shock of reduced FA are posting (venting too) here. In cases where there have been changes in circumstances, it is regrettable but understandable that FA has been adjusted. That doesn’t make it any easier for those families, but those are the rules.</p>

<p>For incoming Freshmen who got better FA offers elsewhere, there was time back in April to make a college decision that took that into account.</p>

<p>For those, like Write, who are stumped as to why a continuing student with identical circumstances is suddenly getting must less FA, I really hope it’s simply a bad mistake that can be corrected–and soon. The fact that the FA office is not responsive is adding to the frustration. </p>

<p>Many of us reading your posts are trying to help make sense of this flurry of complaints, as we have NEVER encountered claims of FA downgrading at USC before. So, at worst, this might be a signal to us all that things may be changing (which I truly hope is NOT the case), or, at best, a swamped FA office taking it case by case and making corrections to messed up awards if there were errors made.</p>

<p>Please post when you get your final answers. Hope all will be made right.</p>

122

<p>I would call them instead of sending email. I had success removing charges by calling USC. My daughter had been trying with emails with no luck.</p>

123

<p>Write (#120), I have a problem evaluating the change you call “dramatic”? This is not exclusively directed at you. This whole thread suffers from the problem.</p>

<p>Let’s try something quantitative, yet still anonymous.</p>

<p>What were the ratios of (work study)–(loans, sub and unsub)–grants–(family contribution), as a percentage of estimated cost of attendance, this year and next year? Those should be easy to give while remaining anonymous. These numbers are right off of the FA summaries on Oasis, if you are familiar with those. The family contribution is labeled as additional loan eligibility at the bottom, being the difference between estimated cost of attendance and total financial aid.</p>

<p>I’ll show you mine:</p>

<p>year WS:loans:grants:FC (% of COA)
08-09 5:13:72:10
09-10 6:14:66:14</p>

<p>As you can see, our work study, loans and family contribution went up some this year and the grants down some. The actual difference in family contribution is $2,000 that we have to come with. Is it dramatic? I say no, because in our case our annual family finances varied some too, in the direction of more income and assets. So I am still in the doubter/happy-camper crowd here.</p>

124

<p>Hi, Dramatic maybe isn’t the best work. I agree about 2K. I would be thrilled with only a 2K increase in EFC from last year. I am not thrilled about a 20K increase. I really don’t want to reveal any more than I have.</p>

125

<p>I agree with columbia student. If you’re having trouble reaching the financial aid office through email, definitely try calling them. In fact, you may even be able to negotiate with them better. I attempted to appeal my financial aid through email with no luck (they replied, but simply said that they did the best they could with my financial aid package); however, I decided to call the financial aid office afterwards and managed to get more financial aid. Good luck!</p>

126

<p>Hi write - just checking, but are both of your two in college undergraduates? In an earlier post you mentioned that your son was a sophomore in college the 05-06 school year - has he graduated? Because, as I understand it, only undergraduates split the EFC. Also, all of the undergraduates in the family have to be full-time students and under the age of 24. (FAFSA rules, not USC rules.) I am sure you accounted for all that, but I just wanted to check. Hope it works out for your daughter.</p>

127

<p>Yes. Both in college are undergraduates. Oldest has graduated. The year he graduated, another started. </p>

<p>They are full time students. (Only one is at USC)</p>

128

<p>Well, then, there are three possiblities.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>USC is singling people out for devestating reductions in aid while maintaining aid awards for others. Two formulas are being applied, for no apparent reason, in breach of USC’s published promise to meet 100% of need on which people have relied to their detriment. (class action lawsuit to follow) USC is in such dire financial straits that it is balancing its budget on the backs of a few unfortunate returning undergraduates.</p></li>
<li><p>There is a valid explanation for your reduction in aid.</p></li>
<li><p>USC made a mistake in your case that it will be anxious to correct.</p></li>
</ol>

129

<p>we thought we were the only ones… our D also received no FA this year (2nd year) then we found out her room mate from last year also received a significant reduction and can not come back to USC. What is going on? We are still struggling with the FA dept trying to sort this all out. After reading these posts it looks like we are in for a big disappointment.</p>

130

<p>Dude, I just checked on all your posts, you attend NOTRE DAME!!! This is pretty low of you to be commenting on a USC thread just to hurt our reputation.</p>

131

<p>My daughter says she knows of kids not coming back because of the changes in FA. In my opinion, some of these actions by the FA office are at best underhanded. I think the students/parents should complain to Pres. Sample if they don’t get a satisfactory and logical explanation of the changes. Any downgrading in FA will hurt the university and make it more difficult to compete with other schools to attract the top students it wants.</p>

132

<p>I’m reporting back with an update. </p>

<p>Good news. The appeal was successful.</p>

133

<p>Seems like most appeals are being successful, great to hear.</p>

<p>Although this was a bad situation, I must say the university is handling it better than I expected.</p>

134

<p>^^^ I appealed… my dad is terminally ill, just quit his job. My parents combined did make 100k before my dad retired in may.</p>

<p>They went from giving me NOTHING, NADA, ZILCH to… a whopping 3k! I laughed, took a sec to make sure it wasn’t 30k, then said **** me.</p>

<p>Oh, and socially, I fit the SC stereotype as well, so I was baffled.</p>

135

<p>binks09, Again, I am very sorry about your family’s health troubles. Are you saying that you received more attractive financial aid offers from more sympathetic universities and it is only USC you see as “unfair?” When you posted here a few months ago, detailing your $40,000 EFC and near-one-million-dollar home equity, several posters advised that you could not expect significant need-based aid based on a future difficulty and that you should choose your other (excellent) option of UCLA (which, according to your recent posts, you have. Congratulations!). As you reported earlier, USC said that when your father was no longer able to work they would re-evaluate your need for aid.</p>

<p>Did another university give you a different answer? Most California residents in your family’s fortunate financial position find that UCLA is the better choice financially than USC, and you are very sensible to have made that choice.

By fitting the “stereotype,” what do you mean? Are you referring to the “University of Spoiled Children” stereotype? And you feel that students who fit that stereotype should receive need-based financial aid? I know you have come on this board and insulted students (like my daughter) who DO receive need-based grants from USC - in what way do you feel you are more deserving than she?</p>

136

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<p>Well alamemom, I think we know we can trust our admissions and financial aid counselors who feel both your daughter and I are more than worth the financial aid over…binks09.</p>

<p>Honestly mate, it’s a terrible thing to hear about your father, and if you wish to appeal based on that grounds I have very little doubt it would be successful (I just got through with a second successful appeal after being unable to locate loans after this whole debacle, the office was very understanding and helped give me an amount that would make it far more doable to pay off my 1st semester working and with the little of my parents money so I can worry about loans second semester since it’s become slightly more difficult), but if you have a 40,000 EFC and your house is worth one MILLION dollars, why wouldn’t you go to the public school, not the private where you know that people that can afford to pay out of pocket must?</p>

<p>Enjoy westwood though, you’ll get a good education there too and it should be much more affordable.</p>

137

<p>You are ignorant if you really think someone with a $40,000 EFC can actually afford to pay $40,000 each year for a college education. Its just not feasible. The calculation system is very flawed and as a result the middle class gets screwed the most. </p>

<p>Just because his house is worth 1 million doesn’t tell the whole story. They could have bought it 10 years ago and it went up in value for all you know. Its not like they have 1 million in cash, its stuck in the value of the house.</p>

138

<p>4orce, The EFC is always a shock - regardless of your income level. Families who find they have a $5,000 EFC and zero (or negative) home equity are at as much of a loss of how to come up with that amount as families who have an EFC of $40,000 and a million dollars of home equity. You will have to agree that though there is a process involved in getting a home equity loan, someone with one million dollars in home equity is more likely to be approved for a home equity loan than someone with no home equity.</p>

<p>Also, the definition of “middle class” varies based on personal perspective. I always considered my family to be middle class, but binks09 has called me “dirt poor,” and implied that only richer students who fit “the stereotype” should be given USC grants.</p>

<p>binks09 has come on this thread to say that USC has treated him unfairly, and I feel it is important to point out that USC has granted binks09 $3,000 MORE grant aid than he qualifies for, and that other universities did not offer any. His family is facing a health crisis, but they are not at this time facing a financial crisis. USC assured him they would re-evaluate his need if a financial crisis ocurred in the future. As his father has now retired from a high-paying job, it seems that his family has prepared well for such a crisis and will weather it well in term of finance.</p>

139

<p>If your house is worth $1 million dollars, you aren’t a typical middle class person. Upper middle class maybe.</p>

140

<p>Earlier on this thread, Write posted a link to a FaceBook group claiming they were “screwed” by USC. Since then, besides Write receiving the aid she requested, the FaceBook group has renamed itself because the Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, L. Katharine Harrington, not only contacted the FaceBook group, she arranged a meeting with the group’s administrators. She adressed their concerns and questions, acknowledged USC’s slow responses, and provided contact information for those unable to resolve their problems. Here is the letter she sent to the FaceBook group’s administrators after their meeting:

<a href=“Facebook Public Group | Facebook”>Facebook Public Group | Facebook;
Sorry for this very long post, but I feel it is important to point out USC’s responsiveness on this issue. It makes me very proud to be a member of the Trojan Family.</p>

<p>I also would like to mention that many, if not most, other private universities do NOT accept applications for financial aid from continuing students who did not apply as freshmen, and do not offer financial aid to transfer students at the same levels offered to those that enter as freshmen. USC accepts applications from any USC student, regardless of whether they applied as freshmen. Transfer students receive the same aid as 4-year attendees.</p>

<p>Fight On.</p>