My daughters finally received aid packages after calling every day last week.
But one is NMF and it’s not included. (She listed USC first awhile back but guess they haven’t seen it yet.)
She also received a grant. Will the NMF 1/2 tuition scholarship REPLACE the grant she received? Just still trying to figure out what she will be paying!
What a crazy, long process.
I called with with Exact same question (my daughter is also a National Merit Finalist). They said it will reduce the grant by the amount of the NMF award so your financial need still remains the same. For example, if after the grant they determine you will still need to contribute $25k, it will still be $25k after national merit is applied. The financial aid rep said your financial need is still your financial need so nothing changes. Wasn’t the answer I was hoping for but I least I know. My daughter’s NMF has not hit her account yet so I can’t confirm 100 percent. I thought I’d pass what I learned along in case it helps. I waited on hold along time - lol. 
It does help. Thank you! Yes I will have to say that’s disappointing. Not what I wanted to hear either.
My daughter who is also considering Rice does it differently. She received a merit scholarship from Rice. They did not count the merit scholarship against her aid. So that definitely makes it more affordable than USC!
Fingers crossed (for both our sake) that I am wrong and the person I spoke with was confused but she seemed pretty confident in the process.
That’s how I understand it as well but for such a big question always confirm with the FA office.
When it comes to financial aid offerings, most colleges and universities operate with the same guiding principal that they will lower any grant money being offered as an offset to account for any new scholarship money that they are aware of. Basically, once they know of new scholarship money available to a new or returning student, they readjust the perceived need for money given their calculations of a family’s ability to pay. And that calculation is what can vary widely by school.
Most schools will expect families to convert assets or equity into available cash for college expenses. They evaluate both parents, whether still married or not, in terms of all known or disclosed personal and business assets versus all known or disclosed personal and business liabilities. If there is perceived net worth there… whether liquid or not… and whether individually owned (in terms of divorced parents) or jointly owned by a married couple, they do expect you to pay utilizing some if not all of it, even if you have to borrow against non-liquid assets.
It simply comes down to what they know about your family situation in total and how they then calculate your “ability to pay”. And that of course often does not correlate well with the family’s perception of their own ability to pay. And this calculus can vary widely given the parameters being used. For example, some schools do not think that a student should have to go in debt with loans, some say that a family should not have to pay tuition for their student if the combined income is below a certain threshold, etc. But even such declarations are not iron clad if schools are also evaluating perceived net worth and available assets that could be used in some manner… whether liquidated for cash or borrowed against.
And even if a family’s ability to pay is calculated to be very low, schools like USC will expect the student at least to have a work study job and utilize student loans to contribute toward the cost of attending.
So, in the end, scholarship money and grants will not stack as most families would hope. The only real prospect for a more favorable FA offering will come from that “ability to pay” calculation. Does the college or university truly understand your financial situation fully? Have you actually listed every known or projected liability? Have you made them aware of every recurring monthly or yearly expense? Is there a medical condition that they need to be made aware of… or an obstacle with your family business, if applicable, etc? Is your income situation somehow untenable moving forward, possibly reducing your projected income? Any extra potential relief from the cost of attending for a family will come via an analysis of income, assets, liabilities and the like. So, just make sure that they fully understand your family’s financial condition now and projected moving forward before you abandon all hope.
Good luck on that front to those still trying to work out the numbers via FA…
Does this mean that having a work study job is actually required if they provide you with aid?
No—it is a means for the student to earn money that can be used for college expenses, but it is not required. Parents can pay that amount on the student’s behalf.
No. Students are not required to accept a work study job, but those numbers are still considered part of your aid offering. It is the same as loans. Even if you do not borrow those funds, they would have to be offset another way by the family or student. So, as stated above, if a student elects not to take such a work study job, the family is expected to make up that money still owed via another means… like via a direct payment from the family or via student or parent loans.
Got it. Thank you.
you’re welcome
Son just got his Thematic Option acceptance. Anyone else doing it? Seems perfect for him.
Congrats to your son! My daughter was also accepted. Agree it seems like a great program. She is still deciding if USC is for her. TO definitely makes the school more appealing.
Me too!
Has anyone heard back regarding the USC Dornsife’s Freshman Science Honors Program?
My son got in today also. He is super excited!
My son is majoring in architecture. He’s narrowed it down to USC, Harvard, Columbia, and UPenn. We visited USC a few weeks ago during Explore USC and he loved it. He just went to visitas yesterday and today and is going to Columbia Wednesday and UPenn hopefully Thursday. Definitely hard to make a decision when you’re just a senior in high school and making a decision that can heavily impact the rest of your life.
Amazing choices - congrats to him and good luck! Don’t think he can make a wrong decision with any of those!
Our daughter is a Trojan! We can’t believe it all fell into place. She is beyond excited and we are thrilled for her. Fight on!
Congratulations! Glad it all worked out. 