If you have special circumstances not fully explained by your FAFSA, your federal tax returns, or other documents you have submitted to the Financial Aid Office, please submit your letter of appeal with supporting documentation to our office. For document submission instructions, visit www.usc.edu/contactfao.
When considering your special circumstances, the Financial Aid Office takes into account the availability of funds, the timeliness of your original application for financial aid, the timeliness of your appeal, and the nature of the change in your circumstances.
Re-evaluation of your financial aid eligibility is subject to federal, state and university regulations. Approved appeals can be funded only if you are eligible for additional student loans. We urge you to carefully consider your total loan debt before borrowing additional loan funds.
Income Decrease
We will consider appeals from students whose income for 2012 will be substantially lower than their 2011 income, due to a reduction in employment to accommodate full-time enrollment. Submit a detailed letter of explanation and the Income and Expense Declaration Form. You must also submit a letter from your employer to verify your job loss/reduction, and a copy of your most recent pay stub.
Budget Adjustments
Residency interview expenses for 4th year medical students
In some cases, if you are a 4th year medical student applying to residency programs, we can increase your budget to accommodate travel expenses (airfare, ground transportation and hotel accommodations).
To document your budget increase, submit documentation of location of interviews, projected date of interviews and itinerary with an estimated cost of your travel and hotel accommodations.
Please note that we can only increase your budget for up to 12 interviews for residency.
Rent costs exceed standard budget
If you pay more rent than is specified in the standard budget, submit a copy of your current lease agreement and copies of cancelled checks (front and back) or money orders verifying payment of rent. (Cash receipts are not accepted.) Your budget may be increased if your rent level is deemed to be reasonable despite exceeding the standard budget.
Extra tuition costs or fees
If you incur extra tuition costs or fees that are not included in the standard budget, submit a letter itemizing your additional expenses.
Course-related expenses
If you incur course-related costs that are not included in the standard budget, submit a letter itemizing your additional expenses, along with receipts and a memo from your academic department supporting your request.
Disability-related expenses
If you incur expenses related to a disability during the academic year, and those expenses aren't covered by other sources of funding, you must be registered with the USC Office for Disability Services and Programs. To document your budget increase, submit receipts to verify your disability-related expenses and a letter supporting your request.
Travel expenses
Students who live outside Southern California and incur significant expenses traveling from home to USC may appeal for a budget increase to cover the cost of two round trips per academic year (minus the standard budgeted amount for transportation). Submit a letter itemizing your travel expenses for the academic year, and receipts or other documentation.
Child care expenses
If attending USC causes you to incur child care expenses for dependent(s) who are 12 years old or younger, submit a Monthly Income and Expense Form, together with copies of cancelled checks (front and back) or money order receipts. Provide the name, address and telephone number of your child care provider, as well as the name and age of each child.
Mandatory USC Student Health Insurance
A standard amount for students in the medical and physician assistant programs for Student Health Insurance is already included in the standard budget. If you are not already covered by health insurance, or if you were unable to obtain a waiver for USC Student Health Insurance, you can submit a written request, with appropriate documentation, for a budget increase for insurance fees in excess of the standard budget.