Preparing for Your Study

Fee Payment

Program fees can be paid in several ways:
• Charge Card: Visa®, MasterCard®, or Discover®
• Cashier’s check or money order drawn on U.S. dollars
• Personal check drawn on U.S. dollars from a U.S. bank
• Travelers checks in U.S. dollars.

Note: Payment in cash and wire transfers are not accepted. Make checks payable to USC Language Academy. When paying by check, please write your full name on the bottom of the check and your file number.

Early Payment Discount

In order to make the check-in process easier, we encourage you to pay your program fee before arriving in the U.S. If you pay before the early-payment deadline, you will receive a $100 discount. Please see our early payment deadlines.

Late Arrivals

It is very important to attend the first day of the program to get a good start for the term and take the placement exam. If for some reason you must arrive late, please contact us at langacad@usc.edu. If you will be leaving your country after the date shown on your I-20, you may have problems entering the U.S. If you contact us before you leave, we can fax or send a letter to you requesting that you be allowed to enter the U.S. after the date printed on your I-20. Show the letter requesting late entry to the DHS official upon arrival. You should then be allowed to enter the U.S. If necessary, our office can also issue a new I-20 with a revised entry date. Students arriving after the third week of the program will be considered auditors. Students staying less than six weeks will not receive a certificate. Please contact the Academy office for additional information.

Temporary Housing

If you arrive before your check-in date for University Housing or before you have found a private apartment, you may need to stay in temporary housing for a few days. The following are some options near USC:

Radisson Hotel Los Angeles Midtown at USC
There is a Radisson Hotel directly across from Gate 1 at USC on Figueroa Street. This is the closest hotel to USC, about 1 minute walk to campus and 10 minute walk to the Academy office. They have a special USC student rate. In order to receive the USC rate, you must make a reservation with the hotel by calling (213) 748-4141, ask for extension #1370 and tell them that you are a USC Language Academy Student.

Vagabond Inn Motel
There is also the Vagabond Inn just two blocks North of campus. This motel is about a 10 minute walk to campus and a 15-20 minute walk to the Academy office. They also offer a special student rate. These rates also may change. For more information or to make reservations call (213) 746-1531.

Oakwood Apartments
For students looking for a short-term (weekly or monthly) fully-furnished apartment, USC has arrangements with this corporate housing company. They offer luxury apartments downtown (about 5 km from USC) and throughout the Los Angeles area. Students would need to make their own transportation arrangements. For more information or to make reservations call (818)710-5444 and tell them that you are a USC Language Academy student.

Please Note: The Language Academy does not offer a housing placement service for students after arrival. We will help guide students toward useful housing resources, but students who arrival without housing, will be expected to find their own housing arrangements.

USC Language Academy
950 West Jefferson Blvd. JEF Suite 200
Los Angeles, CA 90089-1292
Telephone: 213-740-0080 • Fax: 213-740-0088