Summer Financial Aid
Limited summer financial aid is available to USC students. Students must meet certain conditions to qualify for the available programs. All programs, except Summer Federal Work-Study, require enrollment in the summer session. Contact your academic department directly for information on departmental aid which may be available for summer school.
Summer Federal Work-Study
Eligible continuing students can earn up to $3,000 through Summer Federal Work-Study. You do not need to be enrolled in summer school to participate. Funds are awarded to students with the greatest financial need who:
- intend to register at least half-time at USC for the fall 2009 semester;
- are on-time applicants for 2009-2010 financial aid;
- meet all general eligibility requirements for financial aid, including Satisfactory Academic Progress;
- demonstrate financial need for both the 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 academic years; and
- submit a Summer Federal Work-Study application, completed by both you and your prospective USC employer, to the Financial Aid Office by March 31, 2009. Summer Federal Work-Study applications are available online in late February at www.usc.edu/financialaid.
Summer Loans
The following loan programs may be available to eligible students who enroll at least half time at USC (6 units for undergraduate students, 4 units for master’s candidates and 3 units for doctoral candidates) for the summer session: Subsidized and/or Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loan, the Federal PLUS Loan (for parents of undergraduate students), the Federal Graduate PLUS Loan (for graduate and professional students) and other private financing programs.
To apply for a summer Federal Stafford Loan or a Federal Graduate PLUS Loan, submit a completed Summer Loan Request Form to the Financial Aid Office. To apply for a summer Federal Parent PLUS Loan, submit a completed Summer Loan Request Form along with a Parent PLUS Loan Request Statement to the Financial Aid Office. To apply for a private financing program, submit a Summer Loan Request Form to the Financial Aid Office and contact your lender directly to apply for the loan.
Note: You should apply for your loan(s) at least three weeks before the start of your first summer session. Not all students qualify for a summer loan. If you are relying on a summer loan to pay for your summer class(es), we strongly recommend that you apply early so that we can determine your eligibility before the deadline to withdraw from your class(es).
Summer Federal Pell Grant
To be considered for a summer Federal Pell Grant, you must meet the following conditions:
- be an undergraduate student who has not yet completed a first bachelor’s degree prior to the start of the summer session
- complete a 2008-2009 FAFSA before June 30, 2009 and have unused eligibility for a Federal Pell Grant for the 2008-2009 academic year
- complete a Summer Federal Pell Grant Application available at www.usc.edu/financialaid.
You must enroll at USC for 12 summer units to receive a full-time Federal Pell Grant payment. If you enroll less than full time, you may qualify for a prorated Pell Grant.
Summer Cal Grant Programs
Continuing undergraduate students who receive Cal Grant funds may request that a portion of their funds be used for the summer session. To be considered for summer payment, and for more information, call the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) at (888) CA-GRANT. Twelve units are required for the full-time grant and six units are required for a half-time grant. Students are cautioned that CSAC considers the summer session as one full semester of eligibility in calculating your overall Cal Grant eligibility, regardless of your unit count. Using your Cal Grant during the summer means that you will not have use of the Cal Grant for one of your remaining semesters. We recommend that you contact the Financial Aid Office at www.usc.edu/contactfao to determine whether using your Cal Grant for the summer is the right option for you.