Continuing Students
Applying for Financial Aid
Application deadline: May 3, 2024:
We encourage you to apply for financial aid once you have submitted your application for admission. Graduate students must meet the May deadline and all eligibility requirements to be considered for all forms of financial aid. Applications received after this date are considered for Federal Direct and Federal Direct Graduate PLUS loans only.
For information about graduate fellowships, assistantships, and scholarships, please refer to the Types of Aid page.
For more information regarding Certificate Programs, including those eligible for financial aid funding, visit the Special Programs page.
Step 1: FAFSA
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
Complete the 2024-2025 FAFSA online.
Use your 2022 student income. For the most efficient processing, please use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool.
USC’s Federal School Code is 001328.
Apply as soon as December 2023, but before the May 3, 2024 deadline.
Step 2: Financial Aid Supplement
Financial Aid Supplement
Complete the . This form requires you to enter the range of academic units for which you will enroll each semester. If you are unsure how many units you will take, please contact your academic department for help prior to submitting this form. The enrollment units you select in this form MUST match your actual enrolled units in order for your financial aid to be properly disbursed.
Step 3: Additional Information
Submit any additional documents requested by the Financial Aid Office within 10 days.
Documents submitted to the USC Financial Aid Office become the property of the university and cannot be returned to the student or duplicated for any purpose.
Step 4: Loan Request Forms
Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans
Most graduate and professional students borrow a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan to cover a portion of their cost of attendance.
Complete the .
For more information about the loan program, visit studentaid.gov.
Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loans
Many graduates and professional students borrow a Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan to cover a portion of their attendance.
The Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan is credit-based. Please visit studentaid.gov for detailed information regarding credit requirements.
Complete the Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan Request by visiting studentaid.gov. Sign in to Manage My Direct Loans, then click on Request a Direct PLUS Loan. Once you have completed the process, the Department of Education will notify us electronically.
Step 5: Federal Work-Study
Federal Work-Study*
To be considered for Federal Work-Study, students must:
Submit the FAFSA and by May 3, 2024;
Enroll in 8 or more units per semester; and
Meet a financial need requirement.
*Federal Work-Study is not available for students participating in online master's degree programs.
