International Students
Every year, students from all over the world apply to USC. We are proud to have one of the largest international student populations of any university in the United States. Whether you are from Canada or Croatia, Hong Kong or Hungary, India or Italy – you will feel at home here. USC also offers special international student orientations and a variety of student services to ease your transition to university life in the United States.
At USC, an international student is an individual of foreign nationality who will be entering, or has already entered, the United States with a student visa. Students already residing in the United States and holding other non-immigrant visas (E2, H2, or L2, for example) are also considered to be international students. (More information on immigration law.)
International students do not qualify for need-based financial aid. Permanent residents of the United States, naturalized U.S. citizens, and U.S. citizens residing abroad and attending school outside the United States are not considered international students and are eligible for need-based financial aid.
How to Apply as an International Student
International students must follow the steps for applying to USC listed either on How to Apply as a Freshman or How to Apply as a Transfer Student. They must also submit Form 8a & b- Financial Statement (Confidential) of Personal or Family Support (PDF).
For question 4 on Form 1a (Undergraduate Application), please write your name as it appears on your passport. This will be the name used on your I–20 or DS–2019. If the name on your school record is different from your passport, enter that name for question 5. All international students must provide a foreign address, even if your current mailing address is in the United States.
- Academic Records
- Test Scores
- English Language Requirements
- About the Financial Guarantee Statement (Form 8a)
- Office of International Students
Academic Records
You must provide one official copy, sent directly from your school and accompanied by a certified English translation, of all records of academic course work. Required records include:
- yearly secondary school records that indicate the courses taken and grades/marks received;
- yearly records from each college or university attended that indicate the number of lecture and/or laboratory hours per week, per course, and the grade received in each course (transfer students only); and
- official documents in your native language, verifying the award of all secondary school diplomas and/or academic certificates with the title and date conferred, accompanied by an exact translation into English.
Test Scores
USC requires scores from either the SAT or the ACT (with the optional Writing test) from all freshman international students attending high school in the United States and all freshman international students attending an accredited American or International school abroad.
USC requires that applicants whose native language is not English take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). A TOEFL score is required from international students applying for programs in Journalism and Cinema-Television.
- More information about the SAT exam.
- More information about the ACT exam.
- More information about the TOEFL test.
English Language Requirements
Academic success in the United States depends on your ability to communicate effectively in English. A degree from USC signifies that the holder has achieved the proficiency in English that is required for professional and academic endeavors.
Therefore, all new international students whose native language is not English must demonstrate language proficiency by taking USC's International Student Examination (ISE) prior to their first registration. The level of achievement on this exam determines whether a student must enroll in intensive English classes at USC's American Language Institute (ALI) before or during the initial period of study. Achieving proficiency in English may require as much as one additional year of study.
More information on USC's International Student Examination.
Exemptions from taking the ISE are allowed for:
- students with TOEFL scores of 600 or more on the paper-based test (250 on the computer-based test), or
- 100 on the Internet-based TOEFL (IBT) with no less than 20 (out of 30) on the listening, reading, writing, and speaking components; and
- students with scores of 600 or more on the Critical Reading section of the SAT.
Students interested in coming to USC to study only English must submit a different application. Contact:
USC Language Academy, University Park Campus
Los Angeles, CA 90089–0062
Tel: (213) 740–0080
Fax: (213) 740–0088
langacad@usc.edu
www.usc.edu/langacad
About the Financial Guarantee Statement (Form 8a)
The United States government requires all international applicants to provide proof of ability to pay tuition and living expenses before a formal letter of admission, or the forms needed for obtaining a visa, can be issued.
Each applicant relying on personal or family support must furnish, at the time of application, an original financial-guarantee letter— preferably a bank letter—stating the sponsor's name and address and verifying the ability to pay the annual cost of education-related expenses (approximately U.S. $46,000) for the first academic year (nine months). This document must be verified by a bank. It is crucial that students submit a financial-guarantee letter with the application if they wish to receive notification of admission in a timely manner.
Applicants whose financial support will come from their home governments or other official agencies (e.g., AMIDEAST) must submit appropriate documents from their sponsors at the time of application.
International students cannot meet the full amount of their educational expenses by working while in the United States. U.S. government regulations strictly limit employment authorization, and employment opportunities are further restricted by the requirement that holders of student visas must be full-time students. International students do not qualify for need-based financial aid.
Note: International students are required to have health and accident insurance. University-provided insurance costs are added to a student's fees unless proof of adequate coverage is provided.
Office of International Services
The Office of International Services assists international students with all aspects of their USC experience.
