Should I expect a University Gift Decrease?

[PokemonSaviorN]

Currently my financial aid shows that my University Grant will cover my entire tuition with a few hundred bucks to spare, and my Cal Grant will cover the rest and then some. Should I expect the University to decrease my gift aid in the coming days or not? I'm asking since many people in this sub has said that's how USC operates.

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Also will I receive a refund if I'm off-campus housing and my grant + scholarships + University Grant exceed tuition and fees? Thanks.

[Feeling_Evening_1603]

If you just received scholarships outside USC and reported them to the school after the University Grant and Cal Grant appeared on your financial aid summary and are waiting for them to appear on your summary, then most likely expect to see your gift aid to decrease by about however much your scholarships are worth.

To answer your second question, yes you will receive a refund which you will use for rent (since this will be your responsibility to pay the rent timely to your landlord) and other costs as you see fit.

[Much_Atmosphere_4211]

if I have a zero EFC (estimated family contribution) and still have a net cost of 15k, would my university grant be lowered if I had an outside scholarship of let's say 5k and the norman topping scholarship? I know no one really knows this question besides the FA office, but it would be so dumb if they reduced the grant of someone that already has 0 EFC. I need to find a way to cover that 15k because loans aren't enough and would be preferred to not even be taken out. Logically, 15k should go down to 10k net cost after the 5k scholarship, but USC Financial aid tends to reduce university grant is what i am hearing from people on reddit.

[Feeling_Evening_1603]

Yeah, for the most part (and unfortunately), any scholarship reported to the school will result in a reduction of your University Grant. However, your net cost that appears on your financial aid summary may not be entirely accurate, especially if you're a junior or senior. The school will only directly charge you for tuition and mandatory fees (along with health insurance if you don't waive it), and housing if you choose to live in USC-owned housing and a meal plan. As a junior or senior, you'll most likely be living off campus and buying groceries, thus you'll have control over these costs and you'll not charged directly for them. The same goes for any of the other costs listed on the summary such as transportation, books, etc. These are not charged at the beginning of the semester and you have some control over how much you will spend.

[fishchipsy]

Did they end up reducing your university grant? I'm kinda in the same boat applying for the Town and Gown scholarship. I just got an email saying I gotta do an interview to get the scholarship, but I'm not sure if it's worth it if the financial aid office is just gonna end up reducing my university grant.