ROTC & Veterans
Overview
ROTC and U.S. military veterans are encouraged to apply for all types of financial aid they may be eligible for. The following information explains how any GI benefits you may receive will be coordinated with your financial aid.
Using Veteran Education Benefits at USC
The following video covers how to receive any GI Bill education benefits and/or financial aid you may be eligible for, and how to manage the payment of your student fee bill.
Please visit the Veterans Certification Office for more information.
Veteran’s Benefits and Financial Aid
Based on their eligibility, ROTC students and veterans can be considered for scholarships, assistantships, low-interest loans and Federal Work-Study.
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Includes Federal Direct Loans and Federal Work-Study.
In general, because ROTC and veterans benefits are not considered as part of your monthly “income,” they are excluded from calculations of your eligibility for federal need-based financial aid.
For more information about how GI benefits affect your federal financial aid, please refer to this FAFSA and VA Education Benefits PDF provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
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Includes graduate assistantships and departmental scholarships. Check with your academic department or visit Scholarship Universe for more information.
Awards in Excess of Your Total Cost of Attendance
GI Benefits and ROTC award guidelines do not allow institutions to reduce federal aid when these benefits are received. However, receiving departmental or outside scholarships may reduce your federal aid if the combined amount of your need-based aid and scholarships (excluding GI benefits and ROTC awards) exceeds your total cost of attendance.
USC Merit Scholarships & ROTC Awards
Students receiving an ROTC sponsorship: A USC Merit Scholarship may replace the additional $4,000 ROTC award. Please refer to the Scholarship Guide.
GI Benefits or ROTC Awards and Tuition-Only Outside Scholarships
Some outside scholarships are restricted to paying for tuition only. The total amount of these awards, plus the tuition-payment portion of your GI Benefits or ROTC award, cannot exceed the total cost of tuition.
How do I apply for financial aid?
Graduate students must complete the FAFSA and the Financial Aid Supplement, available through your Financial Aid Summary and Tasks (FAST) portal, as well as submit any additional information we may request. For more information about applying for financial aid at USC, please visit one of the following pages:
Receiving Loans
Once your eligibility for financial aid has been determined, be sure to complete the “Next Steps” outlined on your financial aid summary to apply for any loans in your package. For more information about loans, including Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loans or private financing, please visit our Loans page.
Appeals for Additional Funding
Graduate students can only be considered for additional loan funding. If you believe your Cost of Attendance is not truly reflective of your educational expenses, please visit the Special Circumstances & Appeals page for graduate students.