Paying for Your Graduate Studies at USC

Plan Ahead Be sure to give yourself sufcient time to decide which nancial programs you wish to pursue and to contact the appropriate ofces for information and application procedures. You will need to le a separate application for each type of nancial assistance. Many funding sources have application deadlines that are earlier than USC admission and nancial aid deadlines. Plan to make your inquiries at least one year before you expect to begin graduate study. Graduate School Fellowships The USC Graduate School offers highly competitive fellowships to incoming Ph.D. students who show outstanding promise for academic careers in research and teaching. The highest awards offered by the Graduate School are Provost Fellowships and Provost Diversity Fellowships. These two-year awards provide a substantial stipend, payment of tuition, health and dental insurance, and certain fees. For more details and fellowship information visit www.usc.edu/dept/gradschl . Graduate Fellowships, Scholarships and Assistantships Scholarships and fellowships are available through USC schools and academic departments. Awards from the schools draw on resources unique to each discipline. Fellowships and scholarships require no repayment. They are usually awarded by academic departments to their full-time graduate students, on a competitive basis. Graduate assistantship positions are awarded by university departments on the basis of scholastic accomplishment, academic promise and competence. These positions usually require 20 hours of work per week under the supervision of USC faculty. Teaching/laboratory assistants are assigned specic duties that aid the teaching staff of the university and further the students own graduate career and development as a researcher, scholar and professional. Teaching and lab assistants do not serve as the course instructors of record. Research assistants aid the faculty in research-related tasks while furthering their own research goals.

inancial assistance for graduate study at USC is available from several sources.

Most graduate departments and professional schools offer fellowship and assistantship opportunities. The USC Graduate School administers several fellowship programs and provides information about funding sources outside the university. The USC Financial Aid Ofce administers the following federal programs for Graduate and Professional Students: Federal Work-Study and federal loans, including the Federal Stafford Loan (subsidized and unsubsidized) and the Federal Graduate plus Loan. In addition to need-based aid and scholarships/fellowships, USC offers a wide array of ways to pay for college, including installment plans, prepayment plans and long-term nancing options. Several federal agencies and private foundations offer assistance for students engaged in research in specic elds of study. In addition, many corporations provide fellowships or tuition reimbursement for their employees. USC subscribes to the resolution of the u.s. Council of Graduate Schools, which sets an April 15 deadline for the acceptance of nancial assistance.

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Graduate Scholarships, Fellowships and Assistantships

Name of Award Provost Graduate Fellowships (administered by the Graduate School) www.usc.edu/dept/GRADSCHL

Award Amounts A substantial and highly competitive stipend, payment of full tuition, certain fees, and student health and dental insurance.

Selection Criteria Academic achievement and additional criteria may be established for each award.

Eligibility Requirements

Additional Requirements

Nominations made by department Priority consideration for funding and school dean. Incoming Ph.D. applicants who show outstanding promise for academic careers in research and teaching. will be given to those applicants who submit all application materials by December 1. The university will continue to accept and consider applications submitted after December 1.

Provost Diversity Fellowships (administered by the Graduate School) www.usc.edu/dept/GRADSCHL

A substantial and highly competitive stipend, payment of full tuition, certain fees, and student health and dental insurance.

Academic achievement and additional criteria may be established for each award.

Nominations made by department and school dean. Incoming Ph.D. applicants who show outstanding promise for academic careers in research and teaching, and who will serve to increase the representation of underrepresented groups as doctoral students in their disciplines in U.S. universities.

Priority consideration for funding will be given to those applicants who submit all application materials by December 1. The university will continue to accept and consider applications submitted after December 1.

Norman Topping Student Aid Fund

50% of tuition.

Community awareness, volunteer eorts, extraordinary circumstances, nancial need and rst-generation college status. Applicants who reside in communities immediately surrounding the University Park and Health Sciences campuses, in addition to rstgeneration college students, receive primary consideration in the selection process.

High nancial need and extraordinary levels of community awareness. All NTSAF applicants must obtain and complete all forms required by the USC Financial Aid Oce by required deadlines.

Separate application, available at www.usc.edu/ntsaf, please refer to the website for deadline dates.

Graduate Assistantship (Teaching Assistant, Research Assistant, or Assistant Lecturer)

812 units tuition remission per semester; minimum academic year stipends for 25% time to 50% time.

Scholastic accomplishment, academic promise, and competence; positions available based upon departmental need. English uency required for teaching positions.

Students must be admitted with graduate standing to a USC graduate program and be enrolled in graduate studies full time. Students with teaching appointments must participate in training programs.

Apply directly to the department oering the assistantship.

Head Resident or Graduate Resident Advisor

Room and board, plus varying tuition and stipend amounts.

Management and leadership ability; requires residential or Greek (fraternity/sorority) life experience.

Student works in undergraduate residence hall or campus fraternity.

Apply directly to the USC Oce of Residential Life.

Departmental Fellowships and Scholarships

Award amounts vary.

Vary by department.

Vary by department.

Contact major department for more information.

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Assistant lecturers, who may serve as instructors of record, help provide instruction for the Writing Program and language programs in the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, and for certain other programs approved by the Associate Vice Provost for Graduate Programs. Other assistantship opportunities are available in the American Language Institute, the Social Science Research Institute and the Thematic Option Program in the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. Other Fellowship Resources Many federal agencies, foundations and corporations offer awards to students. The nancial aid ofce or graduate school of your current university can provide you with a list of resources. Information is also available on the Graduate Schools website: www.usc.edu/dept/gradschl . Helpful sources on the Web include a nancial aid page (www.naid.org) and the FastWeb Scholarship search (www.fastweb.com). For further information, visit the USC Financial Aid Ofce at www.usc.edu/ nancialaid, or contact the ofce at fao@usc.edu, or (213) 740 -1111 . Financial Aid for Professional School Students Business, law, dental, medical and pharmacy students should contact their schools nancial aid ofces for information about loan amounts, interest rates, repayment options and related topics. The Cost of Attending USC The estimated cost of attending USC includes tuition and mandatory fees, room and board, books and supplies, personal expenses, transportation and orientation. Some graduate program costs may vary by major or department. Also, the cost of attendance will vary depending on the number of units you are carrying and number of semesters for which you are enrolled. Detailed information concerning current costs, including tuition and fees, can be found at www.usc.edu/nancialaid. Federal Financial Aid Eligibility Eligibility for federal loans and Federal Work-Study are based on your nancial need. Financial need is the difference between the cost of attending the university and the amount you and your spouse are expected to contribute, as determined by USC. Because federal loans and Federal Work-Study have maximum dollar amounts, you may nd that they do not cover the full cost of attendance. If so, additional funds can be borrowed through the Federal Graduate and Professional Student plus Loan program detailed at www.usc.edu/nancialaid.

You must:  Be either a citizen or eligible non-citizen of the United States. The following individuals may also be considered for federal nancial aid: non-citizens who were granted asylum, admitted as refugees, or paroled indenitely for humanitarian reasons; Cuban-Haitian entrants whose status is pending; non-citizen nationals; and permanent residents of the Northern Mariana Islands and the Trust Territory of the Pacic Islands.  Be admitted to a program of study at USC that leads to a degree or approved certicate.  Be enrolled at least half time at USC. (Some awards, however, require enrollment in eight or more units per semester.) You must be enrolled in classes that are required or that are prerequisites for your degree objective. Audited courses do not count for nancial aid purposes; nor does concurrent enrollment at another college or university.  Have a valid Social Security number.  Not be in default on repayment of any student loans, or be able to document that you have regained eligibility for federal nancial aid.  Not owe federal grant refunds to any institution.  Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (sap) toward your designated degree. sap standards are set by each academic department.  Be registered with the Selective Service, if required to do so. How Your Financial Need Is Determined To calculate your expected contribution, our ofce considers income, assets and number of family members, among other factors. The total amount of your nancial aid awards combined with all departmental or outside agency fellowships, assistantships, scholarships, grants, federal subsidized loans, and any other awardscannot exceed your nancial need. Non-need-based aid (such as the Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loan and private nancing programs) combined with needbased aid and all other awards cannot exceed your total cost of attendance, as determined by the university.

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Applying for Financial Aid

o apply for federal nancial aid at USC, follow the steps below. Be sure to keep copies of all documents for your records. All graduate and professional school applicants (except international students) will be considered for the Federal Stafford Loan program. Graduate and professional school applicants who meet all the nancial aid application deadlines and who plan to enroll in at least eight units per semester (ve or more units for some programs) will also be considered for the Federal Perkins Loan and Federal Work-Study programs. (Please note that some professional school students are not eligible for Federal Work-Study; check with your school for further information.)

Documenting Changes in Income If your income will show a substantial decrease from the previous year due to full-time enrollment at USC, submit a detailed letter of explanation, a Student Projected Year Income Statement form, documentation to verify your job loss/reduction, and documentation to verify your total expected income. Student Projected Year Income Statement forms are available at www.usc.edu/nancialaid. In some cases, the Financial Aid Ofce may require additional documents. Please respond promptly to requests for information. Contact the Financial Aid Ofce If you would like additional information, visit our website at www.usc.edu/nancialaid, e-mail us at fao@usc.edu or call us at (213) 740-1111 (9am-5pm Monday-Friday, p.s.t.). Financial Aid for International Students International students who hold an f1 , f2 , j1 , j2 , or g or l Series visa, or who possess only a Card i-688 (United States employment authorization) are not eligible for Federal WorkStudy or any other type of federal nancial aid offered by the USC Financial Aid Ofce. However, international students are eligible for most fellowships, scholarships and assistantships through the academic departments. Information about these awards is available directly from the departments, which will also furnish the required application forms. For private nancing programs and scholarship opportunities available to international students, visit www.iefa.org, www.iefc.com, or www.internationalstudentloan.com. Private Financing Programs USC offers a wide array of ways to pay for college, including installment plans, prepayment plans and long-term nancing options. For more information, visit www.usc.edu/nancialaid. Veterans Benets To receive benets, students must register with the Ofce of Veterans Affairs (va) each semester. If you change your unit load or eld of study, notify the va in person (Room 01 , John Hubbard Hall [jhh]) or by phone, at (213) 740-4619).

Step One:
Complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (fafsa) as soon as possible after January 1.
Use your best estimates of income. On the fafsa, ll in USCs federal school code: 0001328. To be considered for Federal Work-Study, you must complete the deadline listed online at www.usc.edu/nancialaid.

Step Two:
If you wish to be considered for Federal Work-Study, submit a complete, signed copy of your (and your spouses) federal income tax return including all schedules and w-2 forms to the USC Financial Aid Ofce.
If you and/or your spouse will not le a federal tax return (and are not legally required to le), you must submit a Student Non-Filing Statement form to the USC Financial Aid Ofce. Forms are available online. You must submit this documentation by the deadline listed online at www.usc.edu/nancialaid. Please Note: Students who miss the nancial aid deadline for Federal Work-Study program will be considered for the Federal Stafford Loan program.

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