Still waiting for financial aid

<p>Yeah, I guess you're right. I think we'll be able to figure something out. :). But I got in, and that's what matters, right? :-D!! haha</p>

<p>My daughter received her acceptance March 2nd. She received a "no big scholarship but you might qualify for other scholarships" letter early in the year. Is there any chance that being accepted by early March might bode well for a smaller scholarship? I've read through the thread and picked up hints that possibly might be the case? Thanks.</p>

<p>Estimated Cal Grant A $9,708 $0
Estimated Federal Pell Grant $4,050 $0
Federal SEOG Grant $1,200 $0
University Grant $18,443 $0
Federal Perkins Loan $3,380 $0
Subsidized Federal Stafford Loan $2,625 $0
Federal Work-Study $2,500 $0
Total Financial Aid
$41,906</p>

<p>The difference between your estimated cost of attendance (shown below) and your total financial aid eligibility is
$5,200</p>

<p>Do you guys think my financial aid is good? I am extremely poor and I don't know where I would find $5200. May be loans? I only live here with my sister and we barely make enough money to survive. I want to attend USC if I could though. So my question is, would this financial aid stay the same for 2nd,3rd, and 4th year? If it doesn't, I have no way to getting this much money.</p>

<p>You are getting lots of grants and few loans. I'd say you have a good deal, but I don't know the specifics of your situation. If you work over the summer, you could make that $5,200 easily. Get a job right now!</p>

<p>My question is will I still get the same amount of financial aid 2nd,3rd, and 4th year if our income doesn't change?</p>

<p>The figure USC uses includes about $1,500 in personal expenses. You will have those expenses regardless of whether or not you go to college. One way of cutting down expenses is to live in an apartment with several others, and prepare all your own meals, and not buy a huge meal plan from the university. I lived off of ramen noodles (6 for $1) all through college.</p>

<p>I will do that in my sophmore year since I will have made many frds by then. But I still want to know if the financial aid would stay the same after first year. This my biggest worry.</p>

<p>My understanding is that you re-apply each year, and if your financial siatuation is the same (or worse) then I would be optimisitic that your F/A would continue the same. If your Financial situation changes (for the better) than all bets are off.</p>

<p>I believe that the only thing guranteed, outright, are Merit scholarships (since they are not based on your Finances). However, with Merit Scholarships, you need to maintain at least a 3.0 gpa. Since your Grants are not Merit based, but are Need based, then you would simply update your Finances via some form next year. This is getting beyond my knowledge level. </p>

<p>What you REALLY should do is call the USC Financial Aid Office.</p>

<p>Is it recommended that I call or is e-mail better? (that is, to either talk it over with the financial aid officers or to schedule an in-person/telephone appointment?)</p>

<p>hey that is what I should do. Thanks lovetocamp.
Cipher3D, are you going to ask the same question? If so, keep me posted.
Thanks in advance.</p>

<p>vagan, what are your stats?</p>

<p>SAT 1910 (one sitting), Math IIC 780, Chem 720 (new immigrant). EFC for FAFSA is 0.</p>

<p>Junior yr 4.0 no honors/APs my first year here. Senior yr 4.0 unweighted 3 APs. Hope it helps...w/e you are trying to figure out.</p>

<p>I was accepted a little bit early too (not for the Presidential scholarship thing though). I still haven't gotten my finaid yet either...But when I looked up my finaid status on sigway, it said USC still needed my/my parent's tax returns, which I have promptly turned in. Hopefully, they will be up soon....</p>

<p>Please use OASIS, and NOT SIG.
OASIS is more accurate.</p>

<p>Actually it's the same lovetocamp. I used both and my fin. aid showed up today on both. So, you can use either one to check.</p>

<p>I don't even have an OASIS thing... just SIG. But I keep checking it, and one day it'll tell me I have everything turned in that I need, then the next day a random new form pops up. It's driving me nuts--I'm just anxious to find out how much money I'll get so I can finally decide b/t my schools!</p>

<p>I called the Fin Aid Office, they said that everything should be done this week and posted up online and sent out by this week as well...</p>

<p>This is frustrating.</p>

<p>SIG works fine too along with Oasis. Did you know that the letter asking for some forms (monthly expenses) were actually sent out on march 23rd? (finally came today) lucky i already turned things in, but a girl named Ann Thuy Nguyen came with mine...=_=;; i had to mail it to her, but if anybody knows this person (in state of WA) then tell her its going.</p>

<p>what is OASIS and how do i get it?</p>