Scholarships

USC awards scholarships to help undergraduate students pay for their education. These funds come from a variety of university, federal, state and private sources. Unlike loans, however, they do not have to be repaid.

Administered through the Office of Admission and ranging in value from a few thousand dollars up to full tuition, USC Merit Scholarships are awarded based on academic excellence, leadership, service and talent. Merit scholarships at USC are highly competitive, but last year, over 1,000 admitted student earned scholarships of $10,000 per year or more.

USC also awards a scholarship valued at $20,000 per year for students who are admitted to USC, named National Merit Finalists by the National Merit Corporation, and list USC as their first-choice institution with NMSC.

Application deadlines for USC Merit Scholarships can be found on our Dates and Deadlines page.

Some USC scholarships are administered by organizations outside the Office of Admission, including on-campus offices and alumni groups. Amounts vary from a few thousand dollars to upwards of $10,000. These generally require a separate application, have varying deadlines and eligibility requirements and may or may not require an interview.

You can find more information through ScholarshipUniverse.

Merit scholarships are reserved for students with special qualifications, such as academic, athletic or artistic talent. Awards are also available for students who are interested in particular fields of study, are actively involved in different cultural communities or live in certain areas of the country.

Merit scholarships and need-based financial aid have separate application processes. You can learn more about the need-based financial aid process on our Financial Aid website. Students do not need to submit a need-based financial aid application to be considered for a merit scholarship offered by the Office of Admission.

USC Scholarships are administered consistent with the University’s Notice of Non-Discrimination. Recipients are chosen without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited characteristic.