Trying to get those university grants
https://financialaid.usc.edu/glossary.html#/i has your answer for USC.
One USC page says 24 and another one says 26
Also after I’m that certain age, either 24 or 26, is USC definitely going to consider me independent? Are they still going to ask for additional financial documents from my parents?
I read: “However, there are circumstances where after receiving the FAFSA and CSS/Profile USC will request your parental info. This most often happens when it is clear that you and your spouse’s income is not sufficient to cover your expenses or that you are living with family members. In both cases it is apparent that you are receiving outside financial support and are not financially independent. In those cases your parental information may be requested.”
^This sucks because if USC looks at my parents financial info, there will be no way Ill ever afford this school
Lots of students have that problem. Their parents may have assets or income, but for various reasons don’t want to drop a quarter of a million dollars on an undergrad education for a kid. But there are plenty of other colleges in the US, you don’t have to attend this one. Most students don’t get to go to the college they like best on paper.
Your story is a bit all over the place since you are asking about transferring after you said you dropped out because of bad grades. Trying to get anything from USC after dropping out because of bad grades is unlikely. If that is the case, I would put your efforts elsewhere.
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@goodevew posted:
10-15-2018 at 3:33 pm in Internships, Careers, and Employment
Should I finisg my bachelors in film at USC or should I transfer to a cheaper university in Florida and get a degree in something more practical like economics?
This^ and, becoming an independent student doesn’t mean that your chances at a full ride will increase. It just means they will look at how you are functioning independently.
If you can’t or haven’t been able to support yourself, you won’t be getting a full ride. They will ask for your parents’ income.
IOW: being independent doesn’t change much of your financial aid status.
My grades weren’t that bad, still above a 2, still could’ve graduated on time, it was more for financial reasons.
Also financial aid is need based not merit based
@“aunt bea” I called USC about this, once you’re 26 they don’t consider parent financial information, so if you’re broke you can get tons of financial aid maybe even a free ride
This caused me a lot of confusion as well. I saw 24 and 26. I was relying on the Parent PLUS loan to take a summer class. I needed this class before I could officially graduate. USC doesn’t really give much in terms of financial aid during the summer session, so I needed this loan to pay for my class. I was 23 during the summer, but I was going to turn 24 in September and this created a bit of a problem. The financial aid office refused to disburse the loan because I was going to turn 24 that year. I had to argue a bit and proved that the summer semester was still considered part of the current academic year. I got my loan in the end, but the lady I spoke with in financial aid said I would have definitely been considered an independent student in the fall semester. So it does seem like 24 is when your are considered independent.
Who told you that you will get “tons of financial aid”?
If you are broke and you are a freshman student, you may get some money, but you are a returning transfer.
Do you actually believe they will fund you for $72K per year as an independent student? Have they promised you more money, as an independent student? I don’t believe that to be true.
@zettasyntax at 24 you are independent for FEDERAL aid, at 26 you are independent for UNIVERSITY grants from USC
@“aunt bea” Your Financial aid is recalculated every year. Once you turn 26 you are considered independent by USC. This qualifies you for university grants. If you, the student, have very low income/assets, this qualifies you for large university grants. Possibly even a full ride. Parent financial information is not looked at at this point. When students younger than 26 with poor families attend USC they can qualify for large university grants. When students older than 26 with low income attend USC they can qualify for large university grants
Your financial aid is determined by your expected contribution. Low income= low expected contribution
@goodevew Even so, nobody really gets a “full ride” as you call it. I was on food stamps (I guess they call it EBT now) and everything, but USC still expected me to pay something. Tuition might be largely covered, but there are other things that you might have to pay for such as insurance and housing costs. I had to take out loans to pay for the student insurance as I was uninsured at the time.
There is also the obvious issue of getting accepted back into a school that someone dropped out of with bad grades. Particularly when thousands of other applicants will have stronger resumes. There are a lot of older students like vets and true life hardship cases that USC likes to work with. Keep in mind they will still have your past file - they will see all of your history - your grades, past income, payments made - you will not come in as a new applicant. I would not bank on a positive outcome here. Frankly, I think you are trying to play the system, but naive to how that system works, and I just don’t see it working out the way you think it could. “I’m independent now cause I made bad grades and goofed around till I was 24 or 26” is not an appealing case for admission to any school, and particularly not USC.
Otherwise, maybe everyone should just surf till they are 24 or 26 then go to school for free? Ya, it doesn’t play out that way. Because there is always someone else who was willing to do more to get that spot. You really need to work on a different plan.
@CADREAMIN I don’t have to “Get accepted again”, I’m still considered a student by USC, I’m technically just on a leave of absence. And I didn’t “goof around until I was 24 or 26”, I had to drop out because my single mother couldn’t afford to pay tuition.
MODERATOR’S NOTE:
Closing thread as the OP is no longer a member of the site.