<p>does anyone know if usc is pretty generous with their appeals? i submitted mine a few days ago and did provide information about like my financial situations/information that had not been included on the FAFSA/CSS/anything so far and so they should raise my award, but do you think they actually will, or can/will they just say no???</p>
<p>^simplelife- that is really intriguing. USC is my D’s top choice but they financialaid pkg they sent doesn’t make it affordable for us. I sent in a financial aid appeal to USC asking for more $$ (with reasons to justify it). I also explained that she has several full rides & nearly full rides which she will choose to attend if USC isn’t able to increase her grants/scholarships. Based on your post, I’m thinking that they could find more $$ for her. We’re actually heading out to LA tomorrow to visit USC. We are excited to visit but somewhat reserved knowing that she may not end up attending if the $$ stays the same. Thanks for your post & good luck to your son</p>
<p>Im still waiting on my package as well, Im going absolutely crazy here. Unfortunately I had to make some corrections to previously submitted information so the wait is justified albeit nerve wracking!</p>
<p>They just sent a request for an Income Expense Declaration Form and my parents are divorced with my mother being my custodial and my father being remarried and all but out of the picture. Im assuming I include only my mother on this form am I correct? Furthermore, we rent. Do I have to attach a copy of the lease or utility bills to verify the expense? Do they ever ask for that? Im trying to cut out all future steps as the deadline is quickly approaching!</p>
<p>^Oh, legasp. I had no idea that people were still waiting for their FA awards, but I guess there are several of you. That must be very hard! :(</p>
<p>^^Good luck to you at USC, mommylaw! I hope your D gets the aid she’s looking for. My son did not appeal. We’ve never even spoken to the FA office. Then again, he did decline his offer to attend … did that start the “re-evaluation” ball rolling? We’ll never know. I do want to clarify that we’re not SURE they’re actually redistributing money from other students who have declined. That was a total guess. Who knows where that money’s coming from? But, yes, we also think it’s intriguing.</p>
<p>Have fun on your visit. It’s such an awesome school! Just in case it doesn’t work out, mommylaw … I don’t know if you’ve been through this with previous kiddos or not. I don’t want to explain something that you may have already experienced for yourselves, but at least with each of mine (who were all accepted to, but had to forgo their first choice schools because of costs) that somewhat biting sadness does subside in short order. We’ve found that telling yourself it’s over – you won’t be attending your first choice – is the hardest part. After that, in no time, the whole family is celebrating the “next best thing!” And “the next best thing,” in every case, has turned out to be a huge relief for all of us. There are often great benefits to a non-first-choice school, particularly in terms of finances, but in other ways as well. So, if it doesn’t work out with USC, fear not! There are likely big advantages to attending any of the schools on your D’s list! :)</p>
<p>(Congrats, btw, for all of her admissions success! So cool that she has so many full rides to choose between! 
Lucky, smart girl!)</p>
<p>^Simplelife, I have called the office several times and they keep telling me it will come with in a week, but thet’s what they said last time. Also, I’m worried I’m going to end up with horrible housing if I attend USC because I refuse to register for housng before I know my decision.</p>
<p>thenextbigthing, The housing deposit is $40, and many students find that is an amount worth risking to get housing priority if USC is among the schools they are considering as acceptances arrive. Students do not have to commit to USC or pay the commitment deposit to register for housing.</p>
<p>It is very stressful to have to wait, but it has been my observation that indeed, the packages are presented before the commitment deadline. In the unlikely event that yours is after that date here are some suggestions:</p>
<p>In the event your aid is not available before the May 1st deadline, you can request an extension of that deadline from USC and it will be granted. Be sure to get in it writing (such as in an email). Also ask the school you will choose to attend if USC’s aid is not sufficient for an extension - many will grant one, and be sure that is in writing as well. If the school you would choose to attend will not grant an extension, you may have to deposit there while you wait to be sure you have an affordable option.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>^^Oh brother, thenextbestthing. Sounds like you’ve done everything you can do. The wait must be excruciating!</p>
<p>It is true that many applicants choose to make their housing deposit before they get their financial aid, with the understanding that if they can’t attend, they’ll lose the money. After waiting this long without making the deposit, I can see why you would want to hold out the additional week!</p>
<p>Hopefully, you have a good, affordable second choice all lined up in the event that USC doesn’t offer you the aid you need. It sounds like you’re going to have to make a faster decision than most!</p>
<p>I wish you luck extending the decision deadline at USC and at your second choice college, if that’s what you choose to do. Hopefully, your aid package will arrive by close of business Monday, and this whole conversation will be moot! Even that’s pushing it, in my book. I feel for you!</p>
<p>D was just offered small 4 year merit schol from her admitting major. Not near the offer from the other college…but enough to put her over the edge for USC. We’re all thrilled about it…and in the end it’s a good indicator to D on two levels. 1) don’t give up…everything is negotiable. 2) They wanted her enough to do something. Makes a difference later as she’s paying off student loans.</p>
<p>I just got my financial aid appeal back. 6500 in stafford loans (which I will probably try and get more of, since my parents REFUSE to cosign loans or take out their own), 1230 Perkins loan, a work study of 2760 that I will milk completely and try to get more of during the year/second job and a university grant worth 3224. 16146 worth of financial aid, even if 7730 are in loans. </p>
<p>It’s better than not getting anything. I am going to try and become an RA next year, and I am going to do everything in my power to be eligible for university-sponsored scholarships from then on out. I also am hoping to maybe win ONE of the few scholarships I was eligible to apply for, plus I have very little bits of start up money and hopefully I will find a job. Work is impossible to get out here in my horrible little town. 4 interviews in one week and nobody wants me.</p>
<p>anyway…</p>
<p>alamemom, seeing as I will be 24 when I start the second semester of my last year at USC, will financial aid cut me some slack for that last semester and not look at my parent’s income?</p>
<p>I don’t know if they make a distinction when you turn 24 during the school year, or if you have to have turned 24 before the school year began. It would definitely be worth asking.</p>
<p>Glad to hear both sydney and Mitch’s daughter are joining to the Trojan Family - great news! Tenacity pays off!!!</p>
<p>I finally got my financial aid package and it isn’t sufficient. Somehow, my EFC is calculated at over 34k. Can someone who went through an appeal tell me by how much did their package increased by gift aid (no loans) and how long it took?</p>
<p>thenextbigthing,</p>
<p>From about 35k to 24k (not including 5.5k of Fed loans in either EFC) in less than 2 weeks.</p>
<p>Can any current student/informed parent please explain to me how USC came up with the $614.00 mandatory fee cost? In the 2010-2011 Estimated Costs (see link below) USC estimates $614.00 for mandatory fees and states the reasons as “Student Programming, Student Services, and Topping Aid.” But, when I calculate these costs from the “Schedule of Classes” web page, I come up with $84.00 per semester ($168 per year) (57.50 for programming + 18.5 for services + 8 for topping = 84). Does the $614.00 estimate lab fees or other “special class” fees?</p>
<p>[USC-FBS</a> - sfs - Estimated Costs 2010-2011](<a href=“Student Financial Services”>Student Financial Services)</p>
<p>PS.: Yes, I am also aware of the mandatory ~$480.00 Student Health Services Fee, but the “Estimated Costs” page lists that seperatly. </p>
<p>Thank you for your help.
I am just curious of how $168 becomes $614.</p>
<p>For this semester (Sp 2012), I see the following mandatory fees on my bill:</p>
<p>Student Programming (mandatory) $56.50
NTSAF - Topping (mandatory) $8
Student Services Fee (mandatory) $18.50
Student Health Center (mandatory) $236</p>
<p>That adds up to $319, and for two semesters that would be $638. I do not know why the number is a bit different than USC’s estimate.</p>
<p>Freshmen will also have a mandatory $150 orientation fee (this is a different fee than your summer orientation) their first semester.</p>
<p>As I mentioned above, we submitted a financial aid appeal based on some non-recurring income & expenses and were shocked when USC increased the grant portion of my D’s award by almost $10k! In our appeal, we also mentioned that USC’s original EFC= 45% of our income and would be burdensome. We also mentioned that D rec’d full rides & nearly full rides from several other schools and stated that if USC wasn’t able to increase her pkg, she would have to go elsewhere. We submitted our appeal on April 18 and had the appeal decision by April 21(another shock was that we got an answer so quickly). </p>
<p>Now, I have no idea which of the above-stated factors caused D’s grants to be increased, but I figured I’d share our approach with others in case it may work for you.</p>
<p>Good luck everyone. </p>
<p>Oh- after visiting campus on Sat, D is not 100% sure that she will attend USC-even with the increased pkg. She liked campus but didn’t love it as much as she thought she would. I, on the other hand, was ready to sign her & (and myself) up on the spot- LOL.</p>
<p>mommylaw,</p>
<p>Our experience has been virtually identical to yours … in every respect.</p>
<p>^^Wow, mommylaw and canenable! That’s really great news! Very interesting, too. Wishing the best of luck to your kids as they make their final decisions! :)</p>
<p>Hi all,</p>
<p>I haven’t received my financial aid package yet since I am transferring into USC, but I have a question about unsub stafford loans. In your experience, does USC automatically include the full amount of unsub stafford as part of the finaid package? I am hoping that there is a little bit left that I can use to pay for part of my EFC (which is pretty small, but I am pretty broke!).</p>
<p>I am so fired up about entering in the fall! Fight On!</p>
<p>Hello All,
Just wondering if you are a spring admit and the amounts that you are awarded for Spring 2012, will the be the same and or similar for the fall of 2012? Trying to figure out how this works??
Please help!</p>
<p>Has anyone received any last minute scholarships from USC in the past few days? If so, how much and under what name?</p>