Tuition and Financial Aid

Estimated cost of tuition and fees for an MAT student who begins the program in the 2011-2012 academic year.

Track	Units	Estimated Tuition & Fees
TFA 1st Year \| Master of Arts in Teaching	30	$45,518
TFA 2nd Year \| Master of Arts in Teaching	30	$45,518
TFA Alumni \| Master’s of Education	32	$48,552

Scholarships

In addition to using AmeriCorps funds, scholarships are available to current and past TFA corps members.

Applying for Financial Aid

We encourage you to apply for Financial Aid as soon as you begin the admissions process. To be considered, you must complete both the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the Supplemental Form, as well as satisfy all federal and university eligibility requirements. If you have any questions, please contact the Financial Aid Office at www.usc.edu/contactfao.

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

Complete the 2012-2013 FAFSA online at www.fafsa.gov.

USC’s Federal School Code is 001328.
If you are applying for the June or September cohort then please complete the2012-2013 FAFSA.
Apply as early as six (6) weeks before the start of your earliest class or as soon as possible thereafter.

Supplemental Form

Complete the 2012-2013 Supplemental Form online by logging into “My Financial Aid and Documents” at www.usc.edu/financialaid. You will find the Supplemental Form in the “Document Library.”

For the June or September cohort, please complete the 2012-2013 Supplemental form.
Submit the Supplemental Form as early as six (6) weeks before the start of your earliest class or as soon as possible thereafter.

Important Notes:

Monitor the status of your financial aid application by visiting www.usc.edu/financialaid and clicking on “My Financial Aid and Documents.”
Check your e-mail regularly for notices regarding your financial aid. Once you are admitted, be sure to activate your USC e-mail account as soon as possible, as all notices will be sent to that e-mail address only.
Depending on when you begin your program, you may also need to apply for financial aid for the 2012-2013 academic year in January 2013 to fund the latter part of your program.

Award Notification

Once you are admitted and the Financial Aid Office receives your FAFSA and Supplemental Form, your financial aid eligibility will be determined typically within 14-30 days. You will be notified via e-mail if we require any additional information to determine your eligibility.

The Financial Aid Office will notify you via your USC e-mail address once your award information has been posted online. You will be able to access your award by visiting ww.usc.edu/financialaid and clicking on “My Financial Aid and Documents.”
Your award notification includes the total cost of attendance for your program, which is an average used to determine your financial aid eligibility. It includes average amounts for standard expenses, such as tuition, fees, books, supplies, room, board and other living expenses.

Managing Your Expected Contribution

Your Expected Contribution is the difference between your Estimated Cost of Attendance and your financial aid awards. Several financing options exist to help you manage your expenses.

To learn more about the Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan program and private educational financing programs, please visit www.usc.edu/financialaid/loans. Both types of loan are credit-based, but the terms for PLUS loans may be more favorable than those for private financing programs.
For information about USC’s Tuition Payment Plan and the Tuition Pre-Payment Plan, please visit www.usc.edu/sfs.

Your Next Steps

Once the Financial Aid Office has notified you of your financial aid eligibility, please refer to these next steps to ensure proper receipt of your financial aid funds.

Apply for a Federal Direct Stafford Loan

If you wish to borrow a Federal Direct Stafford Loan, you must complete the Loan Request Statement Form (LRS) online by logging into “My Financial Aid and Documents” at www.usc.edu/financialaid. You will find the form in the “Document Library.”

To receive your loan disbursement by the beginning of your first term, submit the Loan Request Statement Form no later than six (6) weeks before the start of the term.

Apply for a Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan

If you wish to borrow a Direct Graduate PLUS Loan, you must complete the Direct Graduate PLUS Loan Request Statement Form online by logging into “My Financial Aid and Documents” at www.usc.edu/financialaid. You will find the form in the “Document Library.”

To receive your loan disbursement by the beginning of your first term, submit the Loan Request Statement Form no later than six (6) weeks before the start of the term.
To learn more about the Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan, please visithttp://www.usc.edu/admission/fa/loans/graduateplus.html. The Graduate PLUS Loan is a credit-based loan.

Notify the Financial Aid Office of Any Changes

If you receive additional resources or awards, or if your enrollment or housing plans change, please notify the Financial Aid Office at www.usc.edu/contactfao as soon as possible to have your eligibility updated. If you reduce your enrollment, you may no longer be eligible for the funds you were initially awarded. To best determine the impact of reduced enrollment on your financial aid award, please contact the USC Financial Aid Office.

Disbursement of Your Financial Aid

Once you have completed all Next Steps to apply for your loan(s), the Financial Aid Office will schedule the disbursement of your funds.

Loans are typically disbursed in two equal installments.

Paying Your University Bill

Loan funds are credited to your USC student billing account. To monitor your account online, log in to OASIS or myUSC and select “USCe.pay/Current Billing Balance.” More information is available at www.usc.edu/epay.

Financial aid refunds are available to students whose financial aid disbursement exceeds their charges. Refunds are issued via direct deposit. To sign up for direct deposit, visit www.usc.edu/sfs/directdeposit.
If your financial aid is not available for disbursement at the time your charges are due, you should contact the Financial Aid Office to request a billing deferment to avoid late fees and finance charges.

For More Information

Please contact the Financial Aid Office at 213-740-1111 (Monday – Friday 9:00 – 5:00 Pacific Time) or by email at www.usc.edu/contactfao with any questions.