Financial Aid
At USC, we recognize that many students and their families need assistance in meeting the costs of an outstanding private education. Regardless of a family's financial circumstances, all domestic applicants are encouraged to apply for university need-based aid. Specific information on USC's financial aid program and complete financial aid application instructions can be found at www.usc.edu/dept/fao.
Please note: International applicants are not eligible for need-based financial aid.
Details on the cost of tuition can be found here.
Undergraduate Need-Based Financial Aid
USC administers one of the nation's largest financial aid programs, awarding approximately $190 million in aid to more than 60% of its undergraduate students each year.
To be considered for financial aid, undergraduate students must submit the necessary financial aid application forms, meet all deadlines and satisfy all eligibility requirements. USC offers eligible financial aid applicants a combination of federal-, state- and university-funded grant, loan and work programs to meet the student's full USC-determined financial need. In addition to participating in the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant and state-funded Cal Grant programs, USC makes available $80 million of its own funds for grants and scholarships to students who demonstrate need. USC also participates in the Federal Work-Study program, as well as in low-interest student loan programs.
Graduate Need-Based Financial Aid
Admitted graduate students who meet all federal and university eligibility requirements and deadlines will be considered for the low-interest Federal Stafford Loan and Federal Perkins Loan programs, as well as for the Federal Work-Study program. Applicants who miss any deadlines will be considered only for the Federal Stafford Loan program. In addition, USC participates in a number of long-term private financing programs. Eligible students can apply for financing to fund any difference between the financial assistance they receive and the actual cost of attending USC.
Merit-Based Aid
The USC Thornton School of Music awards scholarships to students with outstanding demonstrated talent in the student's chosen field of study. All students, both domestic and international, are evaluated and awards are given based on the following: [1] a recommendation from the faculty of the student's department and [2] availablity of funding. Some consideration may also be given to financial need. It must be noted, however, that a faculty recommendation for Thornton School of Music merit aid does not guarantee that a student will be awarded a scholarship. It must also be noted that, for students receiving need-based aid, the combination of all merit, departmental or outside agency scholarships or loans may not exceed the USC-determined financial need.
Teaching Assistantships
Many departments within the Thornton school offer teaching assistantships to qualified master's and doctoral students pursuing degrees within the Thornton School. A complete teaching assistantship application must be submitted directly to the appropriate department in order to be considered for TA positions. The deadline for Fall applicants is December 1. Typically, teaching assistantships are one-year appointments that begin in the fall semester, but in the rare case that a student would apply for a teaching assistantship beginning in the spring semester, the application deadline would be October 1. The teaching assistantship application and detailed instructions are available via the link below. These applications may also be obtained from the Thornton Office of Admission.
