OVERVIEW
USC will be receiving funds under the CARES Act to provide emergency financial aid grants to students for COVID-related expenses, such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and child care. The Financial Aid Office is working closely with Student Affairs and Campus Support and Intervention to coordinate providing financial assistance to students.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Students facing extraordinary one-time costs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic should complete the COVID-19 Emergency Assistance for Currently Enrolled Students application. The application identifies common costs that are eligible for emergency grant funding. The current funding limit is $3,000. Students can access the form in the Document Library on the Financial Aid Summary and Tasks (FAST) page. A copy is also attached.
This funding is available to continuing undergraduates and graduate students, regardless of whether they are financial aid recipients. Newly admitted undergraduates and undergraduates facing a change in income that may affect their expected family contribution should upload a separate Appeal Concerning Expected Contribution through FAST, which may result in additional financial aid.
The Financial Aid Office, Student Affairs, and Campus Support and Intervention are working in collaboration to respond to student needs related to COVID-19. We are sharing information and providing referrals so that students may obtain appropriate assistance. Our goal is to assist the maximum number of students possible with financial assistance to meet their needs throughout the duration of the COVID-19 emergency.
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO
Students should be advised to complete and upload the COVID-19 application to their FAST page. We are aware that departments may be establishing their own emergency grants as well and are supportive of those efforts. In some cases, we may contact your department to determine if further assistance is available for a student. Please note that departmental grants are institutional funds that will need to be coordinated into a student’s financial aid package, although we will make every effort to preserve all existing sources of financial aid.
WE ARE HERE TO HELP
Please contact Diane Anchundia, Associate Dean, Outreach and Loans, or me if you have any questions about this funding or have a specific student situation that requires special attention.
Thank you for your support during this extraordinary time.
Thomas McWhorter
Dean of Financial Aid
University of Southern California
John Hubbard Hall MC 0914
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0914
T: (213) 740-5445 F: (213) 821-3796
Email:
faodean@usc.edu
Web:
financialaid.usc.edu
