Summer Financial Aid

If you plan to enroll in the summer session, limited funding may be available through the Financial Aid Office and some academic departments. Contact your department directly for more information about any financing they may offer.

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Loan and Grant Requirements

To qualify for most loans or grants, you must:

• Meet all general financial aid eligibility requirements.
• Be enrolled in classes at least half-time (6 units).
• Meet the following deadlines:
  • Apply at least four (4) weeks before the start of your first summer class.
  • Submit a Summer Loan Request form (available starting March 18, 2024) through your FAST portal, or your Summer Pell Grant Application by Friday, May 3, 2024.

  Federal Work-Study Requirements

  Federal Work-Study does not require you to be enrolled in classes. To apply, submit the Summer Work-Study application by, April 30, 2024.

  Be sure to apply as soon as possible so that we can determine your eligibility for loans before the end of the summer session Drop/Add period.

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  Summer Loans

  The following loan programs may be available to eligible students who enroll in the USC summer session at least half-time (6 units) and follow the application instructions below.

  Please be aware that your loan could be cancelled if it is based on plans to enroll in two (2) summer sessions and you do not complete both sessions, or if your total enrollment drops to less than half-time for the entire summer.

  Instructions for submitting your documents can be found in the Help & Contact page. Your summer loan application will appear on the “Required Info and Forms” page of your FAST portal.

  Federal Direct Subsidized and/or Unsubsidized Loans

  Submit your Summer Loan Request form through your Financial Aid Summary and Tasks (FAST) portal, starting March 18, 2024.

  Please Note: Direct Loans are available on a limited basis for summer study. You may have some limited eligibility for loans if you:

  • Have not already borrowed your full 2023-24 academic year loan eligibility.
  • Will graduate at the end of the summer 2024 or fall 2024 semesters.
  • Will advance from freshman to sophomore status at the end of the spring 2024 semester.
  • Will advance from sophomore to junior status at the end of the spring 2024 semester.

  Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan

  This loan is for parents of undergraduate students.

  • Submit your Summer Loan Request form through your Financial Aid Summary and Tasks (FAST) portal, starting March 18, 2024.
  • Apply for a Parent PLUS loan at studentaid.gov.

  Private Financing

  Available for all students.

  • Submit your Summer Loan Request form through your Financial Aid Summary and Tasks (FAST) portal, starting March 18, 2024.
  • Contact your lender directly to apply for the loan.

  Loan Advisory

  Before applying for private loans, students should exhaust all Federal Title IV assistance available, including Federal Pell Grants, Direct Loans and Direct Parent PLUS Loans. The repayment terms of federal loan programs may be more favorable than those for private loans.

  Private student loans cannot be included in Federal Direct Consolidation Loans, are not eligible for federal Income-Based Repayment plans and are not eligible for Federal Economic Hardship Deferments.

  Visit Private Financing for more information.

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  Summer Federal Work-Study

  Continuing students can earn up to $3,500 through summer Federal Work-Study. You are not required to be enrolled in summer classes to qualify. Funds are awarded to students with the greatest financial need who:

  • Intend to enroll at least half-time at USC for the fall 2024 semester.
  • Meet all general eligibility requirements for financial aid, including Satisfactory Academic Progress.
  • Demonstrate financial need for both the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 academic years.
  • Are on-time applicants for 2023-2024 financial aid.
  • Submit the Summer Work-Study Application by April 30, 2024. You will be required to log in with your USC NetID. The Summer Work-Study Application will be available in early March.

  Potential Effect on Your Future Financial Aid Eligibility

  The federal government requires that summer Federal Work-Study earnings—minus any employment-related expenses—be considered when determining your financial aid eligibility for the following academic year. As a result, your eligibility for other financial aid programs may be reduced.

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  Summer Cal Grant

  Cal Grant recipients can request that a portion of their funds be used for the summer session. To be considered, you must:

  • Be an undergraduate student who has not completed a first bachelor’s degree.
  • Be enrolled at USC at least half-time for the summer term and be eligible for the Cal Grant, as determined by USC.
  • File a 2023-2024 FAFSA before June 28, 2024, including USC’s Federal School Code (OPEID) of 001328, if you have not already done so.
  • File a 2024–2025 FAFSA before June 28, 2024, including USC’s Federal School Code (OPEID) of 001328, if you have not already done so.
  • Complete a Summer Cal Grant Application and submit it to the Financial Aid Office.

  Instructions for submitting your documents can be found in our Help & Contact page.

  Please note: When calculating your overall Cal Grant eligibility, the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) considers the summer session a full semester of eligibility. This means your eligibility for the regular academic year will be reduced by an equivalent amount, so it is in your best interest to maximize your summer session unit count. Twelve (12) units are required for the full-time grant, six (6) for the half-time grant.

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  Summer Pell Grant

  Applicants for a summer session Federal Pell Grant must:

  • Be undergraduate students who have not earned a first bachelor’s degree before the start of the summer session.
  • Have used their full-time annual award amount for the fall 2023 and spring 2024 semesters. Students who did not use the full amount must exhaust their remaining annual limit before becoming eligible for the additional Summer Pell Grant. *
  • Have remaining Pell Grant Lifetime Eligibility (details below).
  • Meet satisfactory academic progress (SAP) requirements.

  If you are eligible for Summer Pell Grant funding, your eligibility will be automatically included on your financial aid summary when you enroll in summer courses.

  If you wish to have your Summer Pell Grant added to your financial aid summary before you enroll in classes, please complete a Summer Pell Grant Form and list the courses that you are planning to take. Please upload your application form through the “Document Library” of your FAST portal as an “Unknown or Unlisted” type of “Financial Aid Document.”

  Students who do not enroll in summer courses will not use their summer Pell Grant eligibility.

  *Pell Grant Lifetime Eligibility Used (LEU): Federal regulations allow students to receive a maximum of 12 full-time equivalent semesters of Pell Grant funding while they are completing their first undergraduate baccalaureate degree. Using a Pell Grant during summer counts against your lifetime eligibility. To find out how much Pell Grant funding you have already received, and how much of your lifetime eligibility remains, please visit studentaid.gov and log in with your FSA ID.

  For more information about how the lifetime eligibility limit is calculated, please visit the Department of Education website.

  
  Declining Your Pell Grant Award

  Although we are required to award you a Pell Grant for summer enrollment, you have the right to decline it to preserve your Lifetime Pell Grant Eligibility for a future semester.

  To decline Pell Grant funds, please submit a Summer Pell Grant Form and check the box indicating that you do not wish to use your Summer Pell Grant. Please upload your application form through the “Document Library” of your FAST portal as an “Unknown or Unlisted” type of “Financial Aid Document.”