<p>You didn’t include any information as to on what you are basing your appeal. Do you think there were errors on your CSS/Profile or FAFSA? Has your family experienced job loss or very high medical bills not covered by insurance? USC calculated your aid on the information you provided - unless there has been an error or a change it is unlikely they will make an adjustment.
Please read page one of <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-southern-california/839970-faq-usc-financial-aid-2010-a.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-southern-california/839970-faq-usc-financial-aid-2010-a.html</a> for information on how USC determines need. As I type over and over and over… at schools that use the CSS/Profile (like USC), your FAFSA EFC is ONLY used to distribute Federal aid such as Pell grants and Stafford loans. Your FAFSA EFC is NOT used to come up with your USC-determined need. USC uses the CSS/Profile which considers assets, such as home equity, that the FAFSA does not. In addition, any assets you were able to exclude on the FAFSA with “the simplified needs test” ARE considered on the CSS/Profile.</p>
<p>The package you post above does not make sense - is your total grant amount actually $38,000 rather than 3.8k? If so, then your situation is:</p>
<p>2010-2011 Cost of Attendance: $55,500</p>
<p>Grants $38,000
work/study $2,800
loans $6,500
Total; $47,300</p>
<p>Cost of attendance - aid = $8,200</p>
<p>All students are expected to contribute to their own education by finding summer employment and using the earnings toward the cost of attendance. The summer earnings expectation is ~$3,000. If students have internship or research opportunities over the summer they can contact financial aid to discuss that they may not be able to earn that much over the summer. Simply “not working” over the summer is not grounds for an appeal.</p>
<p>So $8,200 family contribuion less the $3,000 summer earnings expectation = $5,200 family contribution.</p>
<p>You can easily save $400 on the book budget item by buying used books online and at least $500 on the personal personal expenses item, brining your family contribution down to $4,300. If you sign up for the monthly payment plan it will be about $430/month (actually less, because much of that $4,300 will be out-of-pocket items not billed by USC).
If it is an outside (non-USC) scholarship, you should FAX or mail in the award letter as soon as possible (before the award arrives at USC) and request that it be used to reduce your subsidized loans or work/study rather than your grant. They sometimes honor that request. If it is a USC-scholarship, they will decide how to apply it.</p>
<p>Ideas to cover the $4,300: Your parents can apply for Parent PLUS loans for that amount if they cannot manage the ~$400/month payments. If they are turned down for PLUS loans, you become eligible for an extra $4,000 in unsubsidized Stafford loans. That should cover it.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>