<p>The thing about expected contributions is that our own looks overwhelming to us, and anyone’s that is lower looks soooooo wonderful. It is important to remember that others with lower contributions are not looking at it from our perspectives - their expected contribution is every bit as overwheling to them as yours is to you and mine is to me.</p>
<p>A big difference is that families with the highest need often do not have the borrowing power or extended family resources the rest of us take for granted. I always remind myself that there are countles families with “0” EFCs that would gladly trade places with me for the pleasure of shouldering my problems.</p>
<p>Before I email the FAO, does anyone know where the funds for a research scholarship would be applied? My S is a trustee scholar and also was selected as a research scholar, which adds another $3000.00 to his financial aid. However the research scholarship isn’t listed in his aid, so when it is applied will it reduce the EFC or the loans in the package?</p>
<p>It depends on if it is a research “scholarship,” or a research “stipend.” If it is a scholarship, your son may be able to use it to replace work/study and/or subsidized loans first. If it is a “stipend,” it doesn’t go towards any of the financial aid components, it is credited to the student account to be used for expenses related to a research project. </p>
<p>Your situation may be different, but here is some info:</p>
<p>I am not familiar with an entering student research scholar situation, so it may be VERY different - possibly handled as a scholarship - but as a Provost’s Research Fellow, my daughter submitted her research propsosal including a budget before receiving her stipend. The stipend was paid as a check made out to her. After the completion of her project, she had to turn in a paper detailing the project and its results. It did not affect her financial aid at all. Perhaps contact the awarding department and ask how the Research Scholar award will be paid, and if there are any steps your student must take to get it.</p>
<p>Could that be it? If so, it looks like a paycheck for working with a professor - sweet! The student would be able to keep the wages. And FOUR years! If that is it, it is GREAT!</p>
<p>It is implied as if it is a “scholarship” but I will get clearification. I planned on contacting FAO the begining of next week to ask but I guess we should contact Viterbi, as for steps that need to be taken. It came with an acceptance form which he completed and mailed back, I believe that was the only requirement.</p>
<p>Actually that would be the same program and the first paragraph is in the letter we received. However the second paragraph explaining that it is paid bi-weekly was not in the letter. Clears up that question.</p>
<p>If that is it, it works out better than a scholarship - Trustee scholars are strictly limited in receiving additional USC scholarships, so this is a great way to allow the student to benefit without reducing aid. PLUS, they will get their name as an assistant on a real research project(s) for four years - that will be invaluable when it comes time to apply for jobs!</p>
<p>Can anyone speculate about why our EFC keeps going up (twice in the last few weeks). We are getting notices that its been reviewed and the our EFC goes up by a few hundred dollars. What I do know is that USC is submitting the form to FAFSA</p>
<p>Schools can make changes to the FAFSA directly - there can be different reasons, but the one I see mentioned most often is they correct errors between the FAFSA and tax returns or W-2s. If FAFSA says it was USC who did the corrections, you can call and ask what triggered them - but you may be put on hold for a very long time, so emailing <a href=“mailto:fao@usc.edu”>fao@usc.edu</a> might be a less-stressful way to inquire.</p>
<p>To alamemom: Keep up the excellent job!!! You are appreciated by a significant majority of readers and posters!!!</p>
<p>To all parents: Many times the way you word your comments comparing USC financial aid to other schools comes across as complaining. I (and alamemom and others) understand you may be disappointed with USC financial aid. All private schools do things differently and do calculations differently. Harvard has the largest or one of the largest endowments to allow it to do things differently and has put in place a program to help students financially. Not all private universities are doing the same thing. My son, now a USC soph, applied to 2 public OOS schools and two private schools. The USC and the other private schools differred in FA. I made the effort to determine possible reasons why there was a difference and then the difference made sense. I also knew in the future, the difference would not exist so the FA would be close to identical.</p>
<p>For all parents with younger siblings: Start by reading alamemom’s postings and the book she recommends and LEARN about financial aid. Yes everyone has time to research schools and costs and financial aid. This is a major purchase!!! Do your homework and guide your child through the process. Start when they are sophs in high school, preferably when they are freshmen in HS. Don’t wait until their senior year!!! Even if your child doesn’t know what they would like to major in or where they might like to go to school, there are things you should be aware of and maybe do financially to get better FA but some of those things need to be done earlier than senior year. READ the book alamemom mentions!!</p>
<p>Even though my son is at USC, I am not a USC “booster”. I am a “booster” of where I went to college. I am just happy my son is happy where he is and it fits him and his personality!</p>
<p>Alamemom is providing an invaluable service with her knowledge and experience!!! And it has nothing to do with positive or negative viewpoints. </p>
<p>Everyone’s financial situation is different, especially to private universities. It is not limited to income (salary) as much as we would like it to be. What we think we can afford will always be different than what universities think we can afford. </p>
<p>I salute you alamemom and so do the silent majority who read your posts!!!</p>
<p>thanks alamemom. I’m thinking it may have been because we had $ coming back to us from the feds and state. I’m hoping it doesn’t change the bottom line too much from what we received from USC, but ultimately we received such a generous package that I’m not too worried.</p>
<p>MitchKreyben, did you try appealing? (Our USC EFC is $44k, which they used to calculate our package for S2, an entering student. When I first called, they said that S1, a current student, could expect a similar package of small loans, primarily, meaning I’d have to shell out upwards of $88K for one year. Then the rep called back and said that she spoke in error and they’d respond to my appeal within 7 days.)</p>
<p>Were all of your materials in on time? What shows up on your financial aid page - not $$ amounts, just type of aid: Stafford loan, USC Grant, scholarship, Cal Grant, other grants - anything?</p>
<p>You will get a hard copy of the aid award in the mail, and that is pretty final - except that a few students will find that University Scholarships may still appear after geting the hard copy.</p>
<p>If all of your materials were in on time, it might be worth an email (or a call if you are a patient person) to ask when you can expect your aid package.</p>
<p>There isn’t really a final notification date because - believe it or not - some students have not yet applied for aid and packages will continue to be presented as financial aid applications come in.</p>
Yes, it did appear mysteriously.</p>