<p>I'm the first in my family to go to a private college, USC, in this case. My parents have always wanted me to go to the traditional public colleges, which is UCs in my case. They seem to always have this myth/story going on about USC luring students in. They tell me that the aid will stop after first year and the more and more they would have to pay. </p>
<p>I TOTALLY do not believe in such a story. I love USC with all my heart. Can anyone prove this story false if EFC stays the same all four years. (I also know that the amount I can loan increases each year so the grant diminishes little by little along the 4 years.) </p>
<p>So, can anyone tell me about the financial packages offered after the first year? </p>
<p>3 years ago in 2008 when USC’s endowment lost a significant portion of its value, USC increased its total finaid budget by 8%. for the 2011-12 year USC increased its budget by another 7%. </p>
<p>my finaid packages were the same every year, and indeed got even better junior and senior year because my EFC decreased. also remember that you can always appeal your finaid statement as long as you have a legitimate reason.</p>
<p>For me, it really depended on my parents’ financial situation over the course of my time at USC. It fluctuated from year to year – sometimes getting larger, sometimes smaller – but the difference was ~+/-$3,000 from my freshman aid package.</p>
<p>USC does NOT lure its students in with flashy aid packages. Unlike a lot of schools, the financial aid office will work with you to make sure you are able to return if you need to appeal your aid package.</p>
<p>I don’t know what your parents have heard about the UC’s to make them think their financial aid packages are attractive. I just remember laughing out loud when all UC Santa Cruz offered me was a $500 loan! (No, really. It’s still hilarious.)</p>
<p>If any university was in the habit of doing that, i imagine that word would spread about it fairly quickly. Tell them it’s not true, and maybe speak to some administrator at USC who can confirm this.</p>
<p>I haven’t heard any credible stories about USC doing this. Also, in my opinion, it does not serve in the interest of a school to do that - if they “lure” a student in with an optimistic initial financial aid package and decrease finaid packages in later years, it doesn’t exactly pay off for a student to potentially drop out or transfer from the school. After all, universities want the highest possible graduation rates, since that factors into rankings.</p>