Academic Honors and FellowshipsExceptional Funding
Merit scholarships cover full-time enrollment in 12-18 units for the Fall and Spring semesters. Exceptional Funding can be used to fund courses that cause enrollment in more than 18 units during the fall or spring semester AND/OR enrollment in up to 8 units during the summer. Exceptional Funding can be used to afford additional academic courses within the 8 semesters (10 for Architecture) of scholarship eligibility. These units are not available beyond the final scholarship semester.
Courses cannot be audited. All courses must be taken for a letter grade or pass/no pass.
Eligibility
- USC Presidential or Trustee Scholarship recipient enrolled in USC courses.
- USC Presidential or Trustee Scholarship recipient (does not apply to Dean’s, Leadership, or other scholarship recipients)
- Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
- Completed at least 15 units per Fall and Spring semesters or 30 units for the prior academic year (Fall + Spring), consistent with University merit scholarship policy
- Completed at least one semester at USC
- Be within the 8 semesters (10 for Architecture) of scholarship eligibility
Students should apply for Exceptional Funding once they have enrolled in over 18 units for Fall or Spring.
Students who are unable to fully complete their registration until the start of fall semester should wait to submit a request by the Final Deadline. Students may apply at any time before the final deadline at no disadvantage.
Apply below.
Award Details
Total of 8 non-renewable units of Exceptional Funding at the standard undergraduate tuition rate are available to for use towards USC tuition. Units match the undergraduate tuition rate of the merit scholarship.
During Fall and Spring semesters, students who intend to request more than 2 additional units must complete necessary registration steps with their academic advisor.
- Trustee Scholars: Maximum amount of 8 full-tuition units may be funded
- Presidential Scholars: Maximum amount of 8 half-tuition units, or 50% of the cost of each unit, may be funded (NOTE: half-tuition units cannot be combined to fund 100% of tuition).
You must request Exceptional Funding each time you wish to use funding; it is not automatically granted. Once all 8 units have been used, they will not renew.