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Financial Aid and Scholarships

FAFSA

A new FAFSA is available each year on October 1. You must fill out a new FAFSA each year to get aid. To be fully considered for all financial aid resources, complete your FAFSA and turn in any forms to our office by April 1. While all students are encouraged to submit a FAFSA, the FAFSA is not required for general university scholarships or state scholarships.

Filing Your FAFSA: Easy as 1, 2, 3

Each year's FAFSA is used for fall, spring and summer terms. The 2024-25 FAFSA includes the terms: Fall 2024, Spring 2025, and Summer 2025.

Follow the steps below to help you do your FAFSA and refer to the 2024-25 FAFSA Changes page.

Your Federal Student Aid ID is a username and password that lets you see your FAFSA records and sign your FAFSA online. Keep track of your username and password. Store it in a secure location. You will use the same FSA ID every year you apply for aid. Only one FSA ID and FAFSA application are needed per student, even if you are applying to more than one school.
Create your new FSA ID »

The FAFSA is free and available online at StudentAid.gov. You can turn it in any time after Oct. 1 each year you want aid. As you do your FAFSA, take the time to read all instructions carefully and be as accurate as possible. The FAFSA is needed for most types of aid that we offer. The school code is 003448.

Learn more info about the FAFSA »

Incoming transfer students for the spring or summer semesters must  add our school code 003448 to their FAFSA, so that we can receive the FAFSA results. 

We regularly communicate with you about your financial aid status through the Financial Aid Dashboard and USC email. Please check both often. Sometimes more information or action is needed before we can award you.

To see if anything is needed, follow these steps:

  1. Login to the Financial Aid Dashboard.
  2. Check student requirements on the "Home" tab of the Financial Aid Dashboard.
  3. Review your requirements and act quickly.

A delay can not only cost you time but also aid. We want you to be as prepared as possible for your journey here at USC.

Learn more about an unsatisfied requirement for verification »

Frequently Asked Questions about the FAFSA

To make corrections to your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), click the Login button on the home page and log into FAFSA on the Web, and then click Make FAFSA Corrections.

When correcting your FAFSA, you can:

  • Add or remove colleges from your application
  • Change your email or mailing address
  • Correct any field in your FAFSA other than your Social Security Number (SSN) and Federal Tax Information

If you filed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) using an incorrect Social Security Number (SSN):

  1. Log in and update your information in Account Settings. 
  2. Once the Social Security Administration (SSA) verifies your account status, update the information on your FAFSA by selecting "Make a Correction."
  3. Once the information on your FAFSA form has been updated, navigate through the rest of the form.
  4. Sign and submit the form.

If you believe that the SSN you reported is correct, then follow the instructions for updating the SSA and the Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC):

  1. Contact the SSA by calling 1-800-772-1213 or by visiting ssa.gov to either confirm your SSN or request that they update their records.
  2. Once SSA resolves the issue, contact the FSAIC at 1-800-433-3243.
  3. Ask the FSAIC to manually sync their data with the SSA. You’ll be notified by email once a match is confirmed.
  4. Reach out to your college’s or career school’s financial aid office to inform them of the update.

 

If you can answer "no" to all of the following questions, generally your parents must provide parental information on your FAFSA:

  • Were you born before Jan. 1, 2001?
  • As of today, are you married? (Answer “No” if you are separated but not divorced.)
  • At the beginning of the 2024–25 school year, will you be working on a master’s or doctorate program (such as an M.A., MBA, M.D., J.D., Ph.D., Ed.D., graduate certificate, etc.)?
  • Are you currently serving on active duty in the U.S. armed forces for purposes other than training? (If you are a National Guard or Reserves enlistee, are you on active duty for other than state or training purposes?)
  • Are you a veteran of the U.S. armed forces?
  • Do you have children or other people (excluding your spouse) who live with you and who receive more than half of their support from you now and between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025?
  • At any time since you turned age 13, were you an orphan (no living biological or adoptive parent)?
  • At any time since you turned age 13, were you a ward of the court?
  • At any time since you turned age 13, were you in foster care?
  • Are you or were you a legally emancipated minor, as determined by a court in your state of residence?
  • Are you or were you in a legal guardianship with someone other than your parent or stepparent, as determined by a court in your state of residence?
  • At any time on or after July 1, 2023, were you unaccompanied and either (1) homeless or (2) self-supporting and at risk of being homeless?

If you answered "no" to all of the questions, you are required to add a parent contributor to the FAFSA. If you have an usual circumstance that may prevent you from providing parental information, contact our office to speak with a counselor.

A legal parent includes a biological or adoptive parent, or a person that the state has determined to be your parent. Grandparents, foster parents, legal guardians, older brothers or sisters, widowed stepparents, and aunts and uncles are not considered parents unless they have legally adopted you.

 

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