International Students

With its global outlook and location in a dynamic world city, USC offers a warm welcome to international students. Our student body represents more than 130 countries around the world.

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

Before pursuing private financing, carefully review the information and application instructions available on our Loans page. It is essential that you follow all outlined requirements to ensure the timely and accurate processing of your loan(s). If your enrollment plans change at any time, you MUST resubmit a Financial Aid Supplement form to ensure that your aid is processed correctly.

In most cases, students will need to apply for financing with a co-borrower who is a creditworthy 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.