Next Steps

Loans

You will need to complete some additional steps no later than 30 days before the start of your first semester. Click on the appropriate loan to find out what you need to do:

Direct Loans

Parent PLUS Loans

Private Financing

Grants and scholarships

Grants and scholarships will be automatically credited to your USC billing account no later than the Wednesday before the beginning of each semester.

Cal Grants

Cal Grant A and Cal Grant B awards are credited automatically to your student account each semester when you enroll in classes, but no sooner than mid-July.

If you would like to have the Cal Grant B stipend (sometimes called the “Access” or “Books and Supplies” award) mailed directly to you in the form of a check, email a request to our office before your funds are disbursed. You will be responsible for paying any outstanding charges on your USC student account.

To qualify for work-study, you must demonstrate financial need, meet all application deadlines, be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen and enroll for the number of units your financial aid award was based on.

You will need to find a job in order to receive the funds.

Finding a Job

Most approved Federal Work-Study jobs are available on campus. We encourage you to apply to the ones that interest you and/or that complement your academic or career goals.

• Campus job openings are advertised on connectSC, a service of the Career Planning & Placement Center, and in the Daily Trojan. Jobs can also be found on flyers posted around campus and through word of mouth. Many USC departments accept walk-in applicants.
• Held the Friday before the first week of each semester, the annual USC Job Fair is an excellent opportunity to look for an on-campus job. To register, please visit the connectSC website.

You will need to present your Social Security card and driver’s license or passport. Be sure to bring these with you from home to avoid any delays in the hiring process.

Job Hours

Student workers are allowed to work a maximum of 20 hours per week when USC is in session, and a maximum of 40 hours per week during vacations, with your employer’s permission.

Job Payment

Work-study awards range from $800 to $3,500 per year.

You will receive a paycheck from your employer every two weeks. Funds can be used for personal and miscellaneous expenses that are not billed by the university.

When your total earnings equal the amount of your award, you must stop working, unless your employer agrees to hire you as a non–work-study employee. You may appeal to have your work-study award increased but increases depend on available funds.

Non-Work-Study Jobs

If you were not awarded work-study, or you need to earn more than the maximum amount permitted, you can look for a non–work-study job on campus (such as through USC Auxiliary Services, the USC Bookstore or USC Transportation).

IMPORTANT: Work-study funds are designed to help you meet your daily or monthly expenses and must be earned over the course of the semester. You will not be able to use your work-study award to pay your university bill, which is due before the semester begins.

For information about terms and conditions, visit your Financial Aid Summary and Tasks (FAST) page.

For information about the federal tax implications for your financial aid, contact your tax advisor or the Internal Revenue Service.

Scholarship funds from sources outside USC may replace a portion of the loans and Federal Work-Study in your Financial Aid Summary. The addition of federal or state grants (e.g., Pell Grant, Cal Grant, Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant) to your financial aid package will replace any University Grant, dollar for dollar.

You may be able to convert unused Federal Work-Study eligibility to Federal Direct PLUS or private loan funds. Email the Financial Aid Office, explaining why you are unable to use the full amount of your Federal Work-Study eligibility, and specify the amount that you would like to convert to loans.