International Students

With its global outlook and location in a proudly multicultural city, USC offers a warm welcome to international students. Citizens of more than 130 countries comprise 24 percent of the university’s student body.

Federal and university policy limit eligibility for need-based financial aid to the following:

U.S. citizens.
Eligible non-citizens such as permanent residents, refugees, or asylees.

However, other sources of aid may be available to international students who are not U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens:

Merit-based scholarships: Some departments disburse their scholarships directly to recipients in the form of monthly stipends. Payments are made according to the stipend schedule.
On-campus work (not including Federal Work-Study).
Off-campus work, with permission from the Office of International Services. Please note that off-campus work authorization is very limited.

Private Financing

In most cases, students will need to apply for financing with a co-borrower who is a credit-worthy U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident. (Contact lenders directly for citizenship requirements.)

If you do receive financial aid funds while at USC, you will need to complete the W-8BEN Certificate of Foreign Status of Beneficial Owner for United States tax form.