Limited summer financial aid is available to USC students. Students must meet certain conditions to qualify for the available programs. All programs, except Summer Federal Work-Study and some financing programs, require a minimum of half-time enrollment in the summer session. Contact your academic department directly for information on departmental aid which may be available for summer school. Review carefully the information below:
Summer Federal Work-Study
Summer enrollment at USC is not a prerequisite for the Summer Federal Work-Study program. Please note that due to the limited availability of funds, not all eligible applicants will receive awards. To be considered for a Summer Federal Work-Study award, a student must:
- be admitted to USC, be a continuing student in good standing and intend to register at USC for the fall 2006 semester;
- have met all initial financial aid requirements and deadlines for the 2006-2007 academic year, as published by the Financial Aid Office;
- meet all general eligibility requirements for financial aid, as published by the Financial Aid Office; and
- submit a Summer Federal Work-Study application (available in late February ), completed by both the student and the prospective employer, to the Financial Aid Office by the deadline indicated on the application. Summer Federal Work-Study applications are available at the Financial Aid Office.
Summer Loans
The following loan programs may be available to eligible students who enroll at least half time at USC (6 units for undergraduate students, 4 units for master's candidates and 3 units for doctoral candidates) for the summer session: Subsidized and/or unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loan and the Federal PLUS Loan (for parents of undergraduate students). To be eligible for a Federal Stafford Loan for the summer, you must meet additional conditions described on the Summer Loan Request Form (SLRF), available online at afaweb.esd.usc.edu. Other financing programs are also available.
To apply for a summer Federal Staffford Loan, submit a completed SLRF to the Financial Aid Office. To apply for a summer PLUS Loan, attach a completed SLRF to the PLUS Loan application and return both to the Financial Aid Office. To apply for a private financing program, submit an SLRF to the Financial Aid Office and submit the private financing loan application to your lenders.
Note:
You should apply for your loan(s) at least three weeks before the start of your summer session. Not all students qualify for a summer loan. If you are relying on a summer loan to pay for your summer class(es), we strongly recommend that you apply early so that we can determine your eligibility before the deadline to withdraw from your class(es). Federal policy mandates that we disburse all loans in two installments: one at the beginning of the term and one at the mid-point of the term.Summer Financing Programs
There are various private and federal financing programs available for the summer session. To apply a student must:
- Submit a Summer Loan Request Form to the Financial Aid Office at least three weeks prior to the starting date for his or her first summer session. This form is available from the Financial Aid Office Web site at www.usc.edu/finaid.
- Mail a completed loan application to the appropriate lender. Information for the various programs and applications may be found online at www.usc.edu/finaid.
Summer Federal Pell Grant
To be considered for a summer Federal Pell Grant, you must meet the following conditions:
- be an undergraduate student who has not yet completed a first bachelor's degree prior to the start of the summer session
- complete a 2005-2006 FAFSA before June 30, 2006 and have unused eligibility for a Federal Pell Grant for the 2005-2006 academic year
- complete a Summer Federal Pell Grant application form
You must not have used your full 2005-2006 Federal Pell Grant eligibility prior to the summer session. You must enroll at USC for 12 summer units to receive a full-time Federal Pell Grant payment. If you enroll less than full time, you may qualify for a prorated Pell Grant
Summer Cal Grant Programs
Cal grants are not always available for summer payment. Current recipients who wish to inquire about information and deadlines for a summer grant must contact the California Student Aid Commission by calling (888) CA-GRANT. Students are cautioned that a summer session is equivalent to one semester of eligibility. We recommend that you use your award in such a way that you receive the most benefit from the program.
Withdrawal Implications for Recipients of Financial Aid
During the Drop/Add Period
During the university's published drop/add period, students who withdraw or reduce their enrollment may be eligible for a 100 percent refund of tuition for classes dropped. A financial aid recipient must immediately notify the Financial Aid Office in writing when he or she withdraws from one or more classes during the drop/add period if the student?s remaining enrollment differs from the enrollment plans on the student?s current Statement of Financial Aid Eligibility. The same applies if one or more classes are cancelled.
The Financial Aid Office will review the student?s new enrollment status and, if appropriate, will send the student a revised Statement of Financial Aid Eligibility based on the new enrollment status.
If a financial aid recipient withdraws from all classes or to less than half-time status during the drop/add period, all financial aid awards must be returned to their respective programs. If the student was given financial aid funds for other expenses, he or she will be expected to return those funds to the university.
After the Drop/Add Period
Students who are recipients of Title IV federal financial aid are also covered by federal policies. Title IV federal financial aid is awarded to a student under the assumption that the student will attend for the entire period for which the assistance is awarded and thereby ?earn? the award. When a student ceases academic attendance prior to the end of that period, the student may no long be eligible for the full amount of federal funds that the student was originally scheduled to receive.
The federal policy requires the return of ?unearned? Title IV federal financial aid to the U.S. Treasury if recipients withdraw from classes on or before the 60 percent point in the term based on the student?s last date of attendance, even if the student is not entitled to a refund of tuition.
A student is required to immediately notify the Registrar and the Financial Aid Office when he or she stops attending classes. If the student fails to notify either office, it is possible that the 50 percent point of the term will be used to determine the student?s last date of attendance, in accordance with federal regulations. If the student withdraws from all classes, the Financial Aid Office will determine whether that student?s period of attendance resulted in the earning of all of the federal financial aid that was originally awarded. If it is determined that not all of the scheduled federal aid has been earned, then the Financial Aid Office will calculate the amount to be returned to the federal financial aid programs.
The Financial Aid Office will bill the student on his or her university account for the amount returned. It is the student?s responsibility to contact the Cashier?s Office about settling the bill.
Veterans Benefits
Veterans must register with the Office of Veteran Affairs each semester in order to receive benefits. Students may expect an educational allowance based only on courses which are a legitimate part of the degree program approved for veterans. The student must notify the Office of Veteran Affairs immediately upon any change in unit load or change of major. The office is located in JHH 101 and is open Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit the office or call (213) 740-4619.