Summer Financial Aid

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 Aid Request form (available starting  in mid-March, 2026) through your FAST portal by Friday, May 1, 2026. 

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 March 31, 2026.  

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

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 eligibility may be affected by changes related to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) if you are a prospective student and/or a new federal loan borrower as of July 1, 2026. Updated details regarding borrowing options and eligibility, which may differ from those shown here, are available on our OBBBA page.

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 on our 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 in mid-March, 2026.  

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 loan eligibility for the 2025-26 academic year. 
• Will graduate at the end of the summer 2026 or fall 2026 semesters. 
• Will advance from freshman to sophomore status at the end of the spring 2026 semester. 
• Will advance from sophomore to junior status at the end of the spring 2026 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 in mid–March, 2026.
• 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 in mid-March, 2026.
• 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 the Private Financing section of our website for more information.

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 2026 semester. 
• Meet all general eligibility requirements for financial aid, including satisfactory academic progress. 
• Demonstrate financial need for both the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 academic years. 
• Are on-time applicants for 2025-2026 financial aid. 
• Submit the Summer Work-Study application by March 31, 2026. 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. 

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.
• Submit a 2025-2026 FAFSA that includes USC’s Federal School Code (OPEID) of 001328 before June 1, 2026,   if you have not already done so. 
• Submit a 2026–2027 FAFSA that includes USC’s Federal School Code (OPEID) of 001328 before June 1, 2026, 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 on 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.

Applicants for a summer session Federal Pell Grant need to:

• Be undergraduate students. 
• Have used their full-time annual award amount for the fall 2025 and spring 2026 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.* 
• 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 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 through the “Document Library” of your FAST portal as an “Unknown or Unlisted” type of “Financial Aid Document.” 

Students who enroll in 12 units or more during the summer term are eligible for a Summer Scholarship equivalent to the cost of 2 undergraduate units. In addition, students already receiving financial aid may be eligible for additional scholarship support. Students who qualify for additional support will be notified by April 15. 

Applicants for a Summer Scholarship need to: 

• Be undergraduate students enrolled at least full-time for the summer term and complete all financial aid requirements for the relevant academic year.  

• Enroll in at least 12 units during the summer period.  

• Students currently receiving financial aid should submit a Summer Aid Request form to determine their full eligibility for summer aid. 

• Non-financial aid recipients will have the award added to their student account. 

A minimum of 12 units of enrollment must be maintained during the summer term to receive the scholarship. Midterm changes will result in the removal of the scholarship. 

Be sure to follow all instructions provided with your financial aid summary.

Summer financial aid will be posted to your student account no sooner than one week before your first summer class. Loans will be disbursed after you start classes.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Requirement:

Financial aid may not be disbursed to a student’s account until the Office of Academic Records and Registrar has officially posted the prior semester’s grades and the Financial Aid Office has evaluated your academic progress. If grades are not made official before the beginning of the subsequent semester, the disbursement of financial aid funds may be delayed for otherwise eligible students. No exceptions can be made to this process.

IMPORTANT: Tuition and fees for summer classes are assessed at the time of registration and due when billed, regardless of class start dates. To avoid late fees, you may be required to pay any outstanding balance on your student account before your financial aid funds can be posted.

Please visit the Student Financial Services website for more information about settling your student account.