USC Financial Aid - Los Angeles, California

Cameron ?. B.

If I could give the USC Financial Aid Office 0 stars I would! To say this office is anything, but adversarial would be a lie. For four years I have struggled with getting clarity, timely responses, and EMPATHY from an office built to support students.

This entire school year I have been fighting for my life to make sure that my package would be ready and yet two days before I graduate I still have nothing. From linking other departments in to reaching out to hire officials…NOTHING! I am a low income first generation student, so best believe I planned ahead to insure that I could afford to go to this university!

Mind you my family financial status hasn’t changed at all throughout the four years and yet the office hasn’t been any ounce of help or assistance. This process of going back and forth with a disorganized and communication deficient office has been nothing short of irritating, stressful, and exhausting.

I can’t even be excited for my graduation in two days because of this back and forth. If they need 10 forms up front, they won’t tell you! Instead they ask for each form individually and waste everyone’s time. I have been incredibly respectful and patient, but enough is enough!

Lots of USC Trojans are struggling in silence because they feel helpless and that’s all on this office. I can’t count how many of my friends have gone back and forth with this office to no avail!

Do better because we truly are sick and tired of being sick and tired!!

Sincerely,

EVERYONE!

Veggie B.

The call center people are usually nice, but I have had like 3-4 instances where my bill has posted incorrectly stating I owe 10-20k when I have a zero balance. This to me is completely insane-- they need to sort out this system because the first time it happened I nearly had a heart attack. Now this is the third time and it adjusted, but it is still not at zero...they need to fix this system. The customer service rep doesn't even know what is going on....

Amy T.

I had some questions about my financial aid, and the officer was incredibly sweet, patient, and helpful throughout the entire process. They took the time to explain stuff and made what could’ve been a stressful situation feel easy and supportive. I really appreciated Heidi's kindness and support! I also didn't have to wait long in queue, about 8 minutes.

Crystal F.

Unable to receive accurate information or consistent professionalism. The head of student services is now deleting my emails without reading them; the message was sent to my email right after it was done. SMH. This is supposed to be a professional person who serves USC and its students. What professional person deletes emails and ignores phone messages? Meanwhile, I still have not received a summer financial aid package, and cannot get any support. This university costs too much to be treating students like this.

Jessica K.

I came to the office first thing—9am on a Wednesday morning to have my questions addressed. This is my third professional degree and USC’s financial aid does their process differently from my previous institutions, so I needed some help. Jeri was more than happy to tell me how to fix my questions by throwing directions and numbers at me, but when I asked if she’d be so kind to walk me through it on my laptop (as another counselor the previous semester took initiative to do), she grew condescending and just plain rude, no other way to describe it. She spoke to me like I was a dumb child who was inconveniencing her with my questions. I’m just doing my due diligence to ensure my six figure student loan debt to your university is done appropriately so I don’t come back again in two weeks! It ruined my morning and now I’m left figuring this out on my own because my own financial aid advisors couldn’t be arsed to help the students they claim to serve.

EDIT (8/15/2024): Well, I am back at the financial aid office because surprise, surprise, my package was done incorrectly. My federal work study was not added to my account because I did not use the correct semantics in my document submission—something that was not advised to me when I first visited. I was never informed of this. Nobody emailed, called, or checked in about it. Silence just means rejection, and eventually returning to the office to seek answers or an explanation for the silence. My Federal Unsub Loan documents were reviewed but not processed or adjusted, so the document was lost in the sea of others. I was told that they made note of it, would check into, and to keep an eye on my account. Disbursement is tomorrow and I am unsure if I will be able to continue my internship with my Dean, or will have my package adjusted in time! If only I was given the proper attention and support two weeks ago, when I came in and asked for guidance with submitting the proper documents. Now it is extra work for everybody, during an already busy time of the year for financial aid. Good grief.

Kathleen C.

The financial aid program at USC is awful. Please think twice before starting your education with them. They will absolutely promise you ways to get assistance with financial aid and claim they will help you with the process to get you in. Once you’re in, they do not provide the help nor the assistance as promised.

This is my second semester and I am suppose to be starting my third semester. I have had issues with financial aid from the beginning. In fact, I had to register late into the summer session which is already accelerated so I’ve spent the summer catching up since the beginning.

I applied for Fall 2024 financial aid in May 2024 and have been in contact with them since regarding dispersing funds so that I may register and begin classes on time this semester. I still have not received help nor answers.

I was originally told that my application is pending and needed me to complete another entrance counseling loan (although I’ve already done so). I complied and when I followed up they said it would take a few days. I called back a few days later and the next person tells me they don’t even see my graduate plus loan at all. I explained I completed it and provided the dates along with the confirmation email and that the last person I spoke to could see it but I just needed the counseling loan. She was confused and said she would “put in a ticket” to have a supervisor look into it and then contact me. That never happened so I followed up again on Friday 7/26/24 and was told the reason my application hasn’t been approved is because I owe from Fall of 2023. I only started my program in January 2024!!! How is that possible?! She stated the same thing, she would make a ticket and have a supervisory contact me. I have no faith one will seeing as they didn’t contact me as promised previously, even to tell me I supposedly owe for a time I wasn’t there…this morning I get an email stating my graduate plus loan for Fall 2024 has been canceled due to not turning in something, but of course doesn’t specifically say what. However, the last conversations I had with their staff, they couldn’t even see I had a graduate plus loan and did not provide any counseling or education on what to do next. So how is this possible? I even asked if it would be easier for me to make the drive in person (I’m an online student) to show all the documents. I was told I could but I can’t make an appointment and that they are really busy so I may be turned away and just have another ticket submitted. Who can I contact to actually help and guide me?!

I am so disappointed in the USC financial aid and overall the USC Social Work program. They will do everything possible to get you in their university and make promises that you will be supported by financial aid advisors and student advisors. This is not true, I’ve had the same issues with the student advisors not returning my emails in a timely manner and then escalating it to the supervisor who also doesn’t respond in a timely manner. Then rushed my meeting, and didn’t provide me any true answers.

The lawsuit filed against them was completely accurate and although they cut ties with 2U university for the VAC program, they have made no changes. We do not receive the quality education or support that is promised when we are contacted admissions. Let me tell you admissions when trying to get you in, contact you often, respond within an hour, walk you through each and every process. It gave me hope I would be supported. Once in, trying to get in contact with someone and receive adequate support from someone who knows what they are doing is impossible.

I warn you, please do not waste your money, time and sanity on this program! I share my experiences on online platforms in hopes that others are not scammed. I urge you to consider Cal State Fullerton where you will pay less than half the tuition, receive a quality education, support and won’t have to pursue financial aid like it is a 6th class while you’re a full time student with 5 courses and internship.

Reka B.

My daughter received a full merit-based scholarship, but we couldn't afford the living expenses. Financial Aid asked to provide proof of my divorce, the REASON for my divorce, along with paycheck stubs and proof or residency. We waited, then called again, and we were told that I sent them "too much information." My daughter was berated by one of the financial aid officers (Dana) who told her "you didn't need to tell us how poor your father is." Then they told my daughter to commit to USC before they send the estimate, because they'll "take care of us" financially. Then they sent us an estimate for $22,000, and were told that we're not getting any more aid. We can't afford this. They said that there was no FAFSA contribution, which doesn't make sense, I think they just never looked at it. I talked to 5 different people throughout this ordeal, and everybody told me different, sometimes contradictory information.

Sherry M.

It is hours of waiting when call. They request so many informations to provide ZERO financial aid. They provided grant for my kid as freshman, then second year it got reduced almost to nothing while tuition went up, then third and fourth year the grant just become ZERO while tuition continues on the rise and my financial situation literally have no change. Feel like being lured into USC.
If time can go back, I sure WILL NOT send my kids there.