University of Southern California (USC) is an excellent private university located in Los Angeles, California. It was established in 1880, and since its establishment, the university has contributed greatly in areas such as science, technology, business, engineering, social sciences, and humanities. In the last two decades, USC has been pioneering the field of technology, starting from the start of the internet. It has contributed greatly to the field including contribution to ARPANET and the start of the Domain Name System.
This university is ranked very high in well-known ranking systems. Forbes ranks USC in 30th place among USA universities. Also, US News ranks the University of California on 22nd among US universities and 62nd worldwide. These high rankings are due to many factors including excellent academics, world-class professors, high graduation rates, and high satisfaction of its students.
Currently, there are approximately 20,000 undergraduate students and 25,000 postgraduate students studying at this excellent university. In this article, we will be looking at the USC scholarships and financial aid available to prospective students.
USC Cost of Attendance
Before we look at the scholarship available at USC, we will be looking at the cost of attending this institution. As a private university, the cost of attendance is the same regardless of your state of residency. The annual cost is approximately $75,000, and tuition is $55,000, room and board are $15,000 and the rest is personal expenses.
This is a huge sum for most families. The good news is that the scholarships that are offered by USC are generous, and there are even some high-value scholarships too!
USC Scholarships
To be eligible for merit scholarships, you need to submit your admissions application by December 1. Some scholarships require additional supplements. Also, many of these scholarships require an interview once you make the initial cut.
1. Stamps Scholarships
Stamps Scholarships are four-year full-tuition scholarships plus $20,000 stipend spread over 4 years. ($5,000 a year). As you can see that this is a very prestigious scholarship due to its monetary award. The competition is fierce, and you do need to have 99th – 98th percentile ACT/SAT scores to be considered to receive this scholarship. Other factors that are evaluated in the process are talent, leadership, and innovation. Approximately 5 awards will be given each year.
2. Mork Family Scholarships
Mork Family Scholarships is a four-year full-tuition and $5,000 a year stipend scholarships that are given to high achieving students. Approximately 10 students from the entering freshmen will receive this scholarship. So, it is very competitive to receive this award.
3. Trustee Scholarships
Trustee Scholarships are four-year full-tuition scholarships that are given to approximately 100 freshmen who are entering USC.
4. Presidential Scholarships
Presidential Scholarships are half-tuition scholarships given to approximately 200 entering freshmen.
5. Dean’s Scholarships
Dean’s scholarships are quarter-tuition scholarships that are given to students who have excellend during high school. Approximately 250 students are awarded this scholarship annually.
6. National Merit Finalist Scholarships
These scholarships are given to students who have been chosen as National Merit Finalist because of their high scores in the PSAT. If those students mark USC as the first-choice institution, then they will be eligible to receive half-tuition scholarships per year.
For more information about these scholarships and others, visit the Scholarships Page! So, make sure to visit this page to learn about various scholarships available!
USC Grants
There are many grants that are available for incoming freshmen. These grants include University Grant, Federal Grants (Pell Grants, etc.), and Cal Grants (If you are a California Resident) You do not need a separate application except to file FAFSA and CSS Profile. Note that there is a separate application for Cal Grants if you are a California resident.
Financial Aid Deadlines
If you are applying for merit scholarships, you need to file your application by December 1. For scholarships needing supplements, you need to submit those by December 1 as well. For financial aid documents such as FAFSA and CSS Profile, you need to file those by February 13. If you are applying for the Cal grant, you need to submit the documents by March 4. However, it is highly suggested that you file the financial documents as soon as possible. For more details, visit the Scholarship Deadlines Page!
Frequently Asked Questions
To help students and parents, the University of Southern California has made a list of Frequently Asked Questions about financial aid. If you have any questions about financial aid or even anything related to admissions, academics, policies, etc., you can go to FAQ Page. They have answers to over 600 questions, so there’s a good chance that your questions have been answered there.
Facts about USC Scholarships
Now, let’s look at the USC scholarship facts so that you have a better idea of the financial aid available for prospective students.
- In one year alone, the University of Southern California awarded approximately $570 million in financial aid. This is a huge sum of money even for a large institution like USC.
- Over 20% of the freshmen applicants received merit scholarships from USC.
- Approximately 80% of the financial aid package consists of grants and scholarships, which do not need to be repaid.
It is true that the University of Southern California does a great job of making its education affordable to its students. I highly recommend you to apply if you are interested in this university.
I hope that this article on the University of Southern California Scholarships and Financial Aid was helpful. If you are from California, there are a lot of excellent universities in your state. You need to consider applying to public universities like UC Berkeley and UCLA since you pay in-state tuition and have a much better chance at admissions. These are prestigious public universities that many students would dream of going.
To learn about scholarship opportunities in California, visit the California Scholarships Category. If you are from other states, it is worth your time to explore scholarship opportunities in your state. I highly recommend going to Authority Scholarship Website and go to your state’s category!
