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Financial Aid and Scholarships

Summer Financial Aid

Summer is a great time to get ahead for the upcoming school year. If you are thinking about attending USC for the summer, it may be possible to receive financial aid to help you achieve your goals.

To apply for aid for the summer, be sure that we have a 2022-23 FAFSA and a Summer Financial Aid Application on file for you. If you will study abroad in an education abroad program or be a transient student, you do not need to complete the Summer Financial Aid Application. For all other students, below is a checklist to help you plan for the summer.  

Summer Financial Aid Checklist

Complete the 2022-23 FAFSA on StudentAid.gov. Apply for an FSA ID if necessary to help you sign and submit the form. 

If you did not attend during the fall and/or spring at USC, make sure that you add our school code to your FAFSA. 

School Code: 003448

The Summer Financial Aid Application is available on SSC starting April 1. To access the application, login to SSC. From the menu, select the following:

  1. Financial Aid
  2. Summer Financial Aid Application
  3. Select Campus
  4. Select Aid Year (UofSC Columbia 2022-23)

The priority deadline to complete this application is May 1

It could take one to two weeks to receive the results of your FAFSA. A completely processed 2022-23 FAFSA could take four to six weeks to process. Determine if there are any unsatisfied requirements on SSC.

Read all terms and conditions associated with your awards. If you have any non-institutional scholarships to be applied towards your bill, send the scholarship check to the Bursar’s Office at 1244 Blossom Street, Suite 128, Columbia, SC 29208.

If aid has been awarded for the year, determine if you will need to apply for additional assistance in the form of student loans (PLUS, Graduate PLUS, or private loans).

The application for Federal Direct PLUS Loans (Parent and Graduate) are on StudentAid.gov.  For more information about the Direct Parent PLUS or Graduate PLUS Loans, see the Federal Direct PLUS section of our website.

For a comprehensive list of private loan lenders our studentshave used over the past five years, please visit the Private Loans section of our website.

Read all terms and conditions for your awards. If you have any non-institutional scholarships to be applied towards your bill, send the scholarship check to the Bursar’s Office at 1244 Blossom Street, Suite 128, Columbia, SC 29208.

Important Deadlines

Because the summer semester is so short, we must follow application deadlines. The priority deadline is May 1.  This priority deadline is to be sure your aid is processed before the summer fee payment deadline. Any applications submitted after May 1 will be processed as received. 

Funding and Eligibility Requirements

Most types of aid require that you be enrolled at least half-time or six hours. On occasion, there may be limited funding for need based awards. If you apply early for summer aid, you are automatically considered for these awards until funds are no longer available. If you were eligible for a Pell Grant for 2022-23, you may be eligible to receive additional Pell Grant funds during the summer. The financial aid office will determine your eligibility. 

Use of Palmetto Fellows, LIFE, and General University Scholarships

Students may use their scholarship during the summer if they meet certain criteria and the financial aid office will determine eligibility. 

For Palmetto Fellows and LIFE, students must meet the following requirements:

  • Meet the general eligibility requirements of the Palmetto Fellows or LIFE Scholarship 
  • Be likely to meet the renewal criteria by the end of the spring semester
    • For Palmetto Fellows, students must have earned 30 hours and a 3.00 USC Cumulative GPA
    • For LIFE Scholarship, students must have earned 30 hours and a 3.00 LIFE GPA
  • Must enroll at USC for the summer
  • Must enroll in 12 hours at USC and be on track to graduate early

For General University Scholarships, students must meet the following requirements:

  • Be likely to meet the renewal criteria for the scholarship by the end of the spring semester
  • Must have a USC Cumulative 3.00 GPA or higher
  • Must enroll at USC for the summer
  • Must enroll in 12 hours at USC and be on track to graduate early

Education Abroad and Transient for the Summer 

Students who enroll in an education abroad program or plan to study as a transient student should not complete the Summer Financial Aid Application. There is a separate process for both. 

For education abroad, students should submit the Education Abroad Prescreen Form to our office. The deadline to submit this form is June 1. Due to COVID-19, please check with the Education Abroad Office for more information about the availability of education abroad for the summer. 

Transient students should submit the Transient Prescreen Form. A copy of the Special Enrollment Request Form should be uploaded into the prescreen form.  The deadline to submit the prescreen form and the Enrollment Request Form is June 1. 

Learn more about education abroad and transient study. 

 


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